1978 Toyota Land Cruiser BJ40 300

This BJ40 Land Cruiser was built in November 1978 and destined for export to Italy. From new, this BJ40 was thought to have been acquired by the Luigino family. Various members of the family were understood to have owned and enjoyed the Land Cruiser until 2021. At this stage, the current owner bought the BJ40 from the Luiginos and exported it from Italy to the UK. The BJ40 was registered in the UK for the first time in May 2022 with the current owner becoming the vehicle’s first UK keeper.

Although the BJ40 had clearly been lightly and sympathetically used by the Luiginos, the current owner decided to bring the Land Cruiser up to its current high standard. A full professional respray, wheel refurbishment and underside wax oiling and undersealing were undertaken in April 2022. The mechanical systems were checked and recommissioned where necessary and all fluids and filters were replaced at that stage.

Since then, the Land Cruiser has been little used with the owner having a number of other vehicles and business projects occupying his time. The Land Cruiser is only available now due to the owner’s imminent move to London and a loss of vehicle storage capacity.

The BJ40’s wartime inspiration remains clear when resting your eyes on its high sided and short wheelbased profile. Instructions to Toyota, when they were gifted the captured American Jeep, supposedly included a request to “not make it look too much like a Jeep.” That becomes all the more challenging, of course, when utilitarian four-wheel drive vehicles intrinsically demand short overhangs, boxy bodies and big wheels and tyres at each corner.

Those design imperatives, aside, the BJ40 retains a charming Tonka-esque rough and tough demeanour. By today’s standards it seems surprisingly narrow and tall, but it is highly recognisable by most and is a sure-fire head turner and conversation starter. Our example has been professionally resprayed in an official BJ40 shade, Rustic Green (621) with the finish seeming appropriately thickly and evenly applied and exuding a high level of lustre throughout. Roof, wheels and front grill are picked out in contrasting white, which appears equally well applied. The big front bumper and shaped steel, rear overriders are silver painted and appear to be in an equally good condition.

The front treatment of the BJ40 is distinguished by a pair of big, integral headlamps within a white surround together with a pair of externally mounted square side light / indicator units. The rear of the BJ40 in arranged into a pair of outward opening “barn doors” which afford access to the rear cabin. A hinged, tubular spare wheel carrier secures across one rear door but currently lacks a spare wheel. All light lenses and cabin glass appears to be in a fine and, seemingly, original condition. All the requisite “Land Cruiser,” “Diesel,” “Toyota,” and “4 Wheel Drive” badges appear to be present.

The BJ40 sits on a set of 16-inch, six-hole pressed steel wheels. These are finished in white and were included in the 2022 repaint. As a result, they appear to be in an excellent condition throughout. The fronts feature locking hubs which help reduce wear and tear on the front drivetrain when not required. A matching set of C.M.C. Strong Rider 244 tyres is fitted which all appear to have a decent level of tread in evidence.

It will come as a surprise to very few that the BJ40’s interior is a utilitarian and focussed affair devoid of any fripperies or attempts at mis-placed luxury. It is the perfect environment for a rough, tough off-road icon of this nature, however. The condition and originality are admirable, and this is a vehicle that will have no problem coping the odd muddy boot or two.

The front cabin is fitted with a pair of a vinyl finished seats, finished in black. These are complete with adjustable headrests for additional safety and comfort. The seats are lightly bolstered and stitched to suggest vertical box pleats. The overall condition is very good for the age of vehicle, with just the passenger seat exhibiting a split at the junction of the squab and bolster. This appears to be a stitching failure that could likely be easily repaired by a specialist.

The floors of the front cabin are trimmed in a fitted, heavy-duty rubber mat set. This protects the floors as well as the painted transmission tunnel and appears to be in a good, original condition. The door cards are finished in black vinyl and have black panels affixed over what are believed to be holes left by speakers. The perorated, vinyl headlining is finished in a light hue, appears tightly fitted and extends throughout the entire cabin.

The dashboard of the BJ40 is finished in body coloured steel sandwiched between black vinyl trimmed foam top and bottom panels. The white on black instruments are confined to a silver fronted binnacle ahead of the driver. This is centred with a large speedometer, calibrated in kilometres per hour, and four supplemental gauges. These sit behind the original black, three-spoke steering wheel. The rest of the dashboard is scattered with supplemental control knobs and warning lights. An integral glove box features gearbox and transfer box instructions affixed to its steel lid.

The commodious rear cabin is accessed by the outward opening twin rear doors. This is finished in body-coloured steel, predominantly, with the painted floor currently protected with a light-coloured carpet mat. Under this, the floor looks to be in good order, with just a minor amount of surface corrosion in evidence.

The BJ40 hails from a period when a basic and straight forward mechanical specification was just what you needed in your rugged four-wheel drive utility vehicle of choice. If you hanker after a classic Land Cruiser, and who doesn’t, then an FJ or BJ40 from after 1974 is somewhat of a sweet spot. The F series vehicles were the first Land Cruisers to have a low ratio, transfer box fitted. They also moved across to four speed transmissions at this point which make them considerably more useful for road use.

Our example features the Type-B, four-cylinder diesel engine in a 2,977cc capacity. This unit was mildly tuned to aid longevity and reliability and originally rated at around 80bhp. More importantly for this type of vehicle, it is a torquey unit with over 140 Ib-ft of torque available from little over 2,000 rpm.

This example had a thorough mechanical check-over in 2022 with everything to be found in order and ready for use. A full fluids and filter service was undertaken at that point, together with a four-wheel alignment. One of the two batteries was replaced at that point. The under-bonnet presentation looks highly original and in decent order. All the expected data-plates are present together with a service sticker from its earlier Italian life. The underside of the car was further cleaned and preserved in 2022. It looks appropriately clean, straight and tidy as a result.

There is a small amount of paperwork included with the BJ40. The current V5 in the name of the owner is on-hand. This classifies the BJ40 as a Historic Vehicle and, as such, MoT and VED exempt in the UK. The V5 incorrectly details the BJ40 as petrol when, in fact, it is a diesel.

The remaining paperwork includes a few invoices, including the £5,000+ one for the full, professional respray. There is also an Italian registration certificate present from the time of its export. Documentation from the Toyota Enthusiasts’ Club is also included confirming the BJ40’s build date and history.

This charming BJ40 exhibits all the key attributes for a successful four-wheel drive utility vehicle of this vintage. A torquey diesel engine, mildly tuned to promote longevity. A four-wheel-drive powertrain with low ratio transfer box for optimal off-road performance. A boxy and simple body, sparsely equipped to aid usability in all conditions. It is no wonder that Land Cruisers of this era are so well respected, and even still used, in some of the most inhospitable parts of the world.

This example is a gem, too. A thoroughly restored vehicle but one which remains faithful to the ethos of the original off-roader concept. By the time this vehicle left the Toyota City production line well over 300,000 Land Cruisers had been sold. Nearly five decades on, the innate appeal of this utility vehicle remains, and its scarcity is only set to grow.

We estimate that this Toyota will reach anywhere between £20,000 - £25,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; we are open weekdays 9am-5pm, to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.