Owners of old Toyota LandCruiser 40 Series will be very pleased to hear that Toyota are about to manufacture genuine spare parts for their beloved Cruisers through Toyota’s Gazoo Racing arm, which is great news as there are many of these classic 4WD’s still driving on Australian roads.
We seem to have a special bond with the LandCruiser, and it’s said that although the LandCruiser has always been built in Japan, it’s one of the few four-wheel drive vehicles that has been built for Australian conditions. This is due to relationships that were forged in the late 1950’s when B&D Motors, a small Melbourne importer, sold the first LandCruiser FJ25 model in very low numbers.
Around the same time, the large civil works contractor Leslie Thiess also imported around twelve FJ25’s to work on the Snowy Mountains hydro-electric scheme along side a large fleet of primarily Land Rovers and American and English trucks.
Due to the extremely harsh and rugged conditions, initially there were mechanical issues with front axles and gearboxes, and as Toyota Executive from the time, the late Alex McArthur explained in Toyota Australia’s book, ‘The Long Run’:
“We had Land Rovers, Willys and Austin Champs and they all broke too. If anyone could break a vehicle, it was a Thiess construction crew. But the difference was that when we had trouble, the Japanese immediately came out. They didn’t hesitate, dispatching engineers who lived with us on site until the problem was rectified. They’d fly out parts and send broken pieces back to Japan for analysis, to rectify the problem at the source.”
At the time it was Toyota going to the source of the problem, rather than fixing it from behind a desk attitude, that endeared the Japanese engineers to the Australians. Their willingness to truly understand the harsh Australian environment that the vehicles operated in certainly ensured Toyota enjoyed ongoing success both here and abroad,
It certainly must have impressed Sir Leslie Thiess, as through his Queensland-based Thiess Motors dealer network, he then began importing and distributing Toyotas into Australia and by 1964 had sold more than 4,000 units, half of them being LandCruisers.
Following the 25 Series in 1960, Toyota launched what has become its most iconic model, the 40 Series LandCruiser. Released mostly as 2 door with some 4 door models, it was available in short, medium and long wheelbase versions, had petrol and diesel engines ranging from 3 to 4 litres, and was manufactured in Japan through until 1984 and in Brazil until 2001.
So, it’s understandable that as a part of Toyota’s programming heritage model parts, which currently includes the Toyota Supra and 2000GT, that the 40 Series LandCruiser is to be the next model for the parts treatment.
Following is the Press Release outlining the Spare Parts Program.
Toyota to Reproduce Spare Parts for the Land Cruiser
Toyota City, Japan, August 1, 2021
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has announced that it will reproduce spare parts for the Land Cruiser in celebration of its 70th anniversary today, August 1. The parts will be reproduced for the 40 Series Land Cruiser, which was produced between 1960 and 1984, as part of the GR Heritage Parts Project.
The project reproduces spare parts that have been discontinued and sells them as genuine parts through a special collaboration with suppliers, in order to support customers who wish to continue driving older vehicles that are full of memories and that they truly love.
The 40 Series Land Cruiser
The Land Cruiser has long promised “to take people anywhere and everywhere and come back alive and safe.” Even models whose production has been discontinued for several decades continue to be cherished by large numbers of customers all over the world, and continue to actively support lives, livelihoods, and more fulfilling lifestyles. However, recent years have seen a shortage of spare parts, with Land Cruiser owners expressing fears they will no longer be able to drive their vehicles.
For this reason, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has made the decision to reproduce parts for which there is greatest demand and need, so that customers can continue to drive their cherished vehicles in safety and with peace of mind. The company has carried out preliminary surveys with exclusive Land Cruiser dealers and fan club representatives from across the globe and, as a result of these activities, it is advancing preparations to reproduce and sell parts related to the critical functions of driving, turning, and braking for the 40 Series Land Cruiser. These parts will be supplied as “heritage parts,” and will include engines, drivelines, and exhaust systems. Availability of parts will be launched as preparations have been completed, with a target launch date of the beginning of 2022.
Additionally, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is preparing a questionnaire form on its website* where customers can submit their reproduction requests. This feedback will be used in the selection of the next parts to be reproduced.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has previously supplied heritage parts for the A70 and A80 Supra, and the 2000GT, but this will be the first time it has reproduced spare parts for the Land Cruiser. In addition to the 40 Series, the company intends to discuss reproduction of parts for later generations of the model.
As mentioned in the press release, Gazoo Racing is surveying LandCruiser owners re what cars they own and what parts they would be interested in purchasing. This link will take you to the survey – The LandCruiser Heritage Parts Project
