1975 Toyota FJ45

FJ45s were only manufactured for customers in the United States for four years from 1963. 

Which partly explains why these somewhat beefier (in terms of load carrying capacity and towing ability) vehicles are regarded as being automotive rarities.

But they were manufactured elsewhere for rather longer (they were still being built for some markets in the early 1980s), hence this highly unusual 1975 FJ45, which we we're told by the vendor was built at the Johannesburg assembly plant and spent its whole life in South Africa before being recently brought to the UK by the vendor. 

He tells us that the roof and side panels are removable on this variant and that the windscreen has the ability to fold down. Needless to say, we haven’t put these supposed capabilities to the test. 

The car has clearly been restored to a high standard and looks minty fresh and squeaky clean in pretty much every respect.

That said, the vendor tells us that it could probably do with being serviced, tuned and fettled to ensure that it’s ready and willing to cope with the worst that the British weather might throw at it in future months.

The bodywork is very straight and there are no dinks or dents that we can see. 

In any case, we’re not sure how you would go about putting a dink or dent into this thing unless armed with a chainsaw or a battering ram.

The panel gaps and shut-lines are crisp, consistent and even, and the wheels look to be wholly unacquainted with kerbs or other obstacles.

The chunky matching Michelins look as if they’ll be good for many more miles, from what we can see.

In the main, the vibrant blue paintwork is very decent and has retained its ability to gleam and shine. 

There are a couple of spots of cracked and spilt paint on the n/s/f wing, a few light scratches and scuffs on the bonnet, and the rubber trim is cracked in a few places. 

Apart from that, it’s all good.

The interior of the car is following the same script is terms of quality, preservation and condition. 

The black vinyl seats are untroubled by anything as vulgar as creasing or other signs of wear.

The headlining, door cards and mats are all good, and the endearingly spartan rear luggage/haulage/seating (you decide) area is also beyond reproach.

Somewhat bizarrely, the grab handle above the glove compartment has some outbreaks of bubbling under the silver paint.

We didn’t press every button, flick every switch or twiddle every knob, but those we did press, flick and twiddle responded in a timely, faithful and predictable fashion.

The engine bay is reassuringly robust, dry and tidy. 

The undersides look to have plenty of structural integrity and will probably outlive their next owner.

This car comes with no history beyond what we’ve told you and just a couple of invoices to cover some recent work done. 

But an FJ45 is a car whose aesthetic and mechanical simplicity would have been broadly familiar to Fred Flintstone.

It’s our belief that, in six months or so, an expert in primate behaviour could train a moderately dextrous gibbon to carry out a basic service on one of these.

There’s nothing to hide (and nowhere for it to hide) on these tried, trusted and uncomplicated workhorses.

You can see its condition for yourself.

This is a distinctive 1975 FJ45, being in SWB and hardtop configuration.

It appears to us to be in thoroughly good nick and in need of little more than a decent service and a run-out. 

What’s not to like?

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