Random # 143: FJ55 Toyota Land Cruiser Wagon

This now quite rare late 60s to 1980 Land Cruiser was spotted in Hobart's CBD on a sunny winter's morning. Given the large front mudguard-mounted indicators and the big rear combined indicator / tail lights, it's towards the later end of the model range - probably a late 70s version.

Reference to Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Land_Cruiser) suggests that it's an FJ55, which is described there as the '... first "real" station wagon in the Land Cruiser series, thus marking the beginning of [that] branch ..." of Toyota's off-road line-up. That's not to say, however, that it was their first ever wagon; it just means that the FJ55 was Toyota's original wagon-specific model (ie: one that wasn't simply a four door variant of a commercial model).

All up, the one shown here was in pretty good nick, with only relatively minor rust (almost certainly the demise of most of these early examples), glossy paint, nice accessories and trim, and a remarkably fresh interior. It looked to be totally original, right down to the split-rim wheels that remained part of the commercial Land Cruiser equipment list until fairly recently.

Sadly, there are fewer and fewer of the earlier Land Cruisers on our roads today, despite the enormous numbers that were manufactured and their bullet-proof construction. As mentioned above, rust has killed quite a lot of them and, of those that are still about, it's usually the commercial models that have survived. Ex-Tasmania Fire Service vehicles - long wheel-base ex-tankers and the occasional short wheel-base two-door - can be seen on our roads from time to time, having been spared the ravages of rot by being housed inside fire stations and out of the weather during their early lives.

U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.)

All iPhone images.

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