Vehicle Description
The Toyota Land Cruiser was carefully developed and available with
a number of chassis lengths and body styles. Importation of the
definitive short-wheelbase FJ40 to the United States commenced in
1960 and, for much of the 1960s, it was Toyota's best seller in
America, where it was offered through 1983, with Japanese
production ending the next year. Supplementary models for the U.S.
market included the FJ45 4-door pickup and wagon line, offered from
1963 to 1967, and the family-oriented FJ55, imported from 1968 to
1979. A large part of the FJ line's longstanding success was due to
its simple and tough mechanical components and remarkable ease of
maintenance and repair. Interestingly, the Land Cruiser's 3.9-liter
"F Series" inline-6 engine was modeled after the block and internal
assembly of the 235ci Chevrolet "Stovebolt" truck engine and a
contemporary GMC cylinder-head design. While immensely effective
and popular, precious few of these rugged workhorses survive intact
today, exemplified by this first-year FJ45 from 1963. Offered from
the Mile-High Collection and benefiting from a frame-off
restoration, this 1963 Toyota FJ45 pickup retains its
matching-numbers engine, finished with factory-style colors and
components, mated to a manual transmission and 4-wheel drivetrain.
Finished in red with black upholstery and silver interior accents,
this FJ45 is ready for rough duty with a heavy-duty winch up front,
a cargo rack behind the rear window and Cooper off-road tires with
a matching tailgate-mounted spare. From the Mile-High Collection.
