The mighty Toyota Land Cruiser has a legendary reputation as a formidable off road vehicle. It was introduced to Australia in 1958, when Leslie Theiss (now Sir Leslie Theiss) imported 13 FJ25 Landcruisers to be used on the Snow Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme. Sir Les had been impressed by some privately owned Landcruisers that were already working in the area. With a clever mix of a powerful engine and rugged drive train, the Landcruiser performed well in the rugged conditions and was also quite adept on the highways, making it a very versatile vehicle.
In the early years, Toyota sent engineers from Japan to study and rectify problems that these early Landcruisers were experiencing in Australia. Failed parts were examined and sent back to Japan in what was a key part of the R&D program Toyota conducted to develop the Landcruiser in to a market leading player. Not only did it allow Toyota to build its reputation, this level of support was impressive enough for Sir Leslie Theiss to secure the rights to import the Landcruiser in to the country full time.
Toyota Land Cruisers became used extensively by resource companies and in the bush and today they have a huge standing in the outback. In the Northern Territory alone, they almost account for 60% of the total SUV sales up there. The Landcruisers incredible off road capabilities, huge towing capacity and legendary Toyota reliability make it a market leader in Australia. Despite the relatively small proportion of Toyota sales in Australia, it has the most loyal following of all Toyota models, highlighted by the number of repeat purchases Landcruiser owners make.
The success of the Landcruiser in Australia is certainly a part of Toyota’s proud history. When the Landcruiser was first imported here, the company was still somewhat in its infancy and the response to the vehicle by the public saw some of Toyotas best export sales at that time. It also established Toyota’s footing in this country by building an incredible reputation in a very short amount of time.
Today Australia still plays an important role in the development of the Landcruiser as the tough landscape makes it an ideal testing ground. Thousands and thousands of kilometres are driven over harsh terrain and in hot conditions, providing valuable research data to ensure each new Toyota Land Cruiser model will uphold the reputation of its name.
Although new car sales of the mighty Toyota Land Cruiser continue to fall, at the mercy of increasing fuel prices and the ever growing demand for smaller urban SUV’s, it will always remain in the hearts of many Australians. The tale is far from over though, with used Toyota Landcruiser activity rolling on, with older models up for restoration and recreational four wheel drivers and caravan and boat owners still very much interested in the whole spectrum of models.
