This year, the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series will turn 40 years old. Introduced in November 1984, it was meant to replace the 40 Series, eventually building a (well-deserved) reputation for durability and dependability.
While its birth month is still several months away, Toyota is getting the ball rolling with its celebrations. The Japanese automaker will be showing a special, one-off 70 Series at the upcoming Tokyo Auto Salon to get things started.
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Dubbed the Black Cruiser, it’s draped in a matte black finish to set it apart from regular 70 Series models. However, the differences aren’t just limited to its unique paint.
The reason for this build is, and we’re directly translating from Japanese here, “our (Toyota’s) desire to bring genuine overseas parts to Japan.” It likely means that Toyota will be offering even more accessories for the Japan-spec 70 Series, likely in coordination with other companies. ARB and Rhino Rack, perhaps? It’s hard to tell at this point, but it’s a possibility we see happening soon.
So, what’s been added? For starters, it’s wearing a new set of wheels that feature a black fascia and a chrome band, as if the 70 Series isn’t retro enough. It then gets chrome door handles and side mirrors to bring you back to 1984. It’s all capped off with a winch-ready front bumper, a roof rack, and a snorkel.
Aside from the custom 70 Series, a classic 40 Series Toyota Land Cruiser will be on display at the Toyota Auto Body booth. It’s not fitted with mods like the 70 Series. Instead, it gets new reproduced parts to keep these 4x4 going for as long as possible.
