Off-roaders see Toyota Land Cruisers as indestructible go-anywhere rigs. This remained true even as the model added luxury features. With all those creature comforts, the US version of the Land Cruiser could be rebadged as a Lexus and get away with a six-figure price tag.
However, in the rest of the world, Toyota sold Land Cruiser variants that stuck to its utilitarian roots, offered in a wide variety of configurations. For example, check out this 1993 75-series diesel pickup available on eBay. The Land Cruiser was a former fire marshal’s vehicle in Japan.
Not The Land Cruiser Americans Know
This truck is on the opposite end of the Land Cruiser spectrum from leather-wrapped luxury SUVs. The seats here are vinyl, you’ll have to row your own gears, and there isn’t even a CD or cassette tape player. But if you prefer minimalism, this Land Cruiser is the ticket.
Toyota didn’t offer the venerable 70-series to Americans. (The 75 is a long-wheelbase version of the 70). We couldn’t get diesels, and a pickup version hasn’t been available since 1967.
In almost all other markets—Asia, Europe, Australia, South America, Africa, and the Middle East—the 70-series was insanely popular. In Japan, sales ended in 2004, but it was brought back in 2014 due to popular demand. (Alas, it was killed off again in 2015 when safety rules mandated traction control).
Australia remains the world’s biggest 70-series market. Farmers use them in the Outback, and you can find them at the world’s largest mining operations.
If you need to travel to the remotest corners of the globe, this 75-series Land Cruiser is the perfect vehicle. The diesel engine will net you better fuel economy. It’s known to be longer-lived than Toyota’s already bulletproof gasoline engines.
Plus, cargo trucks and industrial equipment run on diesel. So the fuel will be available in the most far-flung regions even when petrol isn’t. And due to the 70-series’s popularity, you’ll have an easier time finding spare parts and mechanics familiar with them.
Shop now for Toyota Land Cruiser parts
Made to Get Dirty, But Worthy of a Museum
This Land Cruiser barely has 4,130 kilometers (2,570 miles) on the odometer. Given that the undercarriage and engine bay are so clean you could eat off them, the fire marshal story rings true. Moreover, a municipal vehicle typically leads a stress-free life, especially in small villages. The tailgate chain even has its original plastic sheathing.
An enterprising seller imported this Land Cruiser in British Columbia, Canada. The asking price is CAD $75,000 CAD or approximately US $58,200 at today’s exchange rates. The seller says he will help get it to the US.
The price is steep, but you’d be getting one of the cleanest examples on the planet. It may look spartan, but mechanical simplicity can only prove more valuable when you need to make a quick fix in the middle of nowhere. In other words, it has everything you need to go anywhere in the world, with no extra frills to get in the way.
