The Land Cruiser has always excelled at rugged versatility. These purpose-built sport-utility vehicles were praised for demonstrating all-terrain capability, reliability, and cargo-hauling functionality. And finally, after almost 50 years of ownership, one Land Cruiser owner is ready to part ways with their ride.
The Pick of the Day is a 1974 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Pinehurst, Idaho. (Click the link to view the listing)
“I am the original owner,” the listing begins. “I purchased the Land Cruiser to get me up my driveway to my ranch house in the Colorado winter. I have kept it in a garage over the years and occasionally go for a drive.”
The FJ40 first went into production in 1960 with slightly larger dimensions when compared to its primary competitor, the Jeep CJ. Production lasted through 1984, and in South America, this platform carried through all the way until 2001 in the Brazilian market. One of the noteworthy attributes of the FJ40 was its versatility in available body configurations. The platform could be configured in pickup or sport-utility vehicle format, and it was available in multiple different wheelbases. Today’s example vehicle is a short-wheelbase SUV with a hardtop that can be removed to install a soft top (included with the sale).
The body looks to be straight, and it appears the vehicle may have had a respray at one point. Referencing some production data for the 1974 FJ, that there were a number of variations of green colors including Breathe Green, Deep Green, Judson Green, Nebula Green, and Rustic Green. The rear end has a unique access design: It is accessed via short barn-style doors at the bottom and a flip-up window up top, and the cargo compartment holds dual inward-facing vinyl jump seats.
The seller hasn’t provided any engine bay photos, but based on some research, if it’s a gas-powered motor, it’ll be a carbureted 3.9-liter inline-six mated to a four-speed manual transmission. The odometer shows just 72,322 miles, and the seller says, “The mileage is correct.”
The Land Cruiser model is about to make news in the media once more, as an all-new model is set to launch in North America after a three-year hiatus. The new version even has retro-style round headlamps. Technology will be a far cry from the tried-and-true version of 50 years ago, but something tells me some of our readers would rather have a classic one anyway.
The asking price is $39,900 for this one-owner Land Cruiser.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
