Toyota recently released images of the Land Cruiser 70th Anniversary special edition in order to celebrate the model’s important milestone. Debuted in August 1951 as the four-wheel-drive Toyota BJ and renamed as the Land Cruiser in 1954, the iconic off-roader quickly gained a cult following and huge popularity across the globe, especially in more remote areas where its toughness and reliability were coveted.
Based on the flagship GXL grade 70 Series, the 70th Anniversary special edition features a black heritage grille with ‘TOYOTA” lettering that matches the black front bumper, plus wheel arch flares. The appearance is further enhanced with darkened 16-inch alloy wheels, headlamp bezels, and upgraded fog lamps and daytime running lights. Additionally, a “70th Anniversary” emblem and a “Heritage” Land Cruiser badge can be found above the front wheel arch to further single it out from the regular models.
The interior features higher-end options such as premium black upholstered seats, steering wheel, and gear shifter with black leather-accented trim and more – all being offered on the Land Cruiser 70 Series for the first time. The faux woodgrain accents on the steering wheel and instrument panel plus the silver trims for air vents just add to the luxe level of this menacing vehicle. Engine-wise, the 4.5 litre, 430 Nm turbo-diesel V8 is paired to a five-speed manual transmission.
Only 600 examples of 70th Anniversary Land Cruiser will be produced — 320 double cabs, 200 single cabs, and 80 wagons, but interestingly it seems like they’ve all been reserved for the Australian market, while Land Cruiser owners in Japan can register to purchase special 70th Anniversary parts in order to tune their own cars.
