The Toyota Land Cruiser is a series of popular four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor Corporation. The Land Cruiser, along with the Hilux utility, has been used in the world's most grueling terrains and climates. Design of the Land Cruiser began in 1951 as a Toyota Jeep-like vehicle and production began in 1954. The Land Cruiser has been produced in many different versions (convertible, hardtop, station wagon and utility). In many places, the term Land Cruiser has become a generic term for an off-road vehicle.
A Toyota designer explained the origin of the Land Cruiser, "Growing up after the war, I was really impressed by the US Army personnel's Jeeps... and how they could climb up and over obstacles. We have many classic shrines with stairs leading up to them, and these cars simply climbed up those steps. I decided that one day I would make a similar kind of 'mobile', something more like an animal or insect than a car, which could do even better".
1990 - New-generation diesel engines were introduced including a five-cylinder SOHC naturally aspirated motor (1PZ), a six-cylinder SOHC naturally aspirated motor (1 Hz) , and a six-cylinder SOHC turbo-charged engine (1HD-T). Land Cruiser sales reached 2 million vehicles. The 80 was introduced to the Australian market with two diesel and four litre inline six-cylinder petrol carb engine. (derived from the eairler 2F petrol motor from the 60 series.)