1972 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ 40 LWB SUV

The Toyota Land Cruiser came in many sizes and configurations. It was put into service in some of the most rugged of conditions and proved that Toyota could produce more than just economical cars. They became indispensable in unsettled and remote areas of the world. The Land Cruiser models were patterned after the Jeep and Land Rover utility vehicles.

Toyota introduced the FJ40 in 1960 and it would remain in production for a quarter century. They came in a variety of variants, including short, medium, long and extra-long wheelbase, with a variety of roofs, half cabs, soft tops and doors, with four- and six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines.

Toyota paid homage to the model in 2004 when it introduced the retro-styled FJ Cruiser.

This particular example is a long-wheelbase FJ43 model. It was sold through Distribuidora Toyota in Bogota, Colombia, in 1973, to a Mrs. Corzo. It traveled to Colombia early in 1972 direct from Nagoya, Japan, where it was loaded on the vessel Oversea Fruit bound for Bogota. It is a factory long-wheelbase Rustic Green example, which records its color as Verde.

As an early example, this SUV is fitted with the three-speed manual transmission. It has an early style steering wheel and mirrors. It is an 'all manual' vehicle with no power options.

The FJ43 remained with Mr. Corzo for several decades, using it as a transport vehicle for her dairy business. It is understood that the FJ43 was not acquired by its second owner until 2002; this owner would keep the car near the dry climate of Bogota for many more years before it was acquired by the current owner.

The current owner immediately embarked on an extensive restoration. It is fitted with a correct reproduction tan soft top. It is finished in its original color. Power is from a 3878cc overhead valve six-cylinder engine fitted with a single carburetor. The engine produces 125 horsepower and there is a three-speed manual transmission.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2014