Registration: LRS 109V
Chassis: BJ40039888
Odometer: 41,000 (Km)
Transmission: Manual
MOT: Exempt
- Just one former UK keeper
- Extensive Portuguese and UK history file
- Award-winning show vehicle presenting superbly throughout
Rugged, simple and engineered to cope with some of the toughest conditions imaginable, the 40 Series Land Cruiser is one of the vehicles that established Toyota's formidable reputation for durability around the world. Introduced in the 1960s and remaining in production for decades, the short-wheelbase BJ40 combined traditional body-on-frame construction with selectable four-wheel drive and Toyota diesel power, creating a vehicle equally at home working hard or heading far beyond the tarmac.
This 1980 example is particularly striking, finished in bright red with a contrasting black roof and sitting on chunky BFGoodrich All-Terrain tyres. Powered by the 3.0-litre diesel engine and equipped with a manual gearbox, it also benefits from power steering. It is left-hand drive and spent its earlier life in Portugal before being registered in the UK in April 2016.
Its Portuguese history remains with the vehicle and helps provide a useful trail from before its arrival in Britain. Documentation records the Land Cruiser passing a Portuguese vehicle inspection in 2014 at 35,430 kilometres, followed by another successful inspection in 2015 at 36,622 kilometres. The odometer is now showing approximately 41,000 kilometres.
The Land Cruiser presents extremely well both inside and out. The red bodywork contrasts beautifully with the black roof, black steel wheels and substantial tyres, giving it exactly the purposeful appearance these early Land Cruisers wear so well. It has clearly attracted plenty of attention over the years too, with the vendor advising that it has won numerous awards at shows.
Inside, the utilitarian character of the BJ40 has been retained beautifully. Black vinyl seating, painted metalwork and the wonderfully straightforward dashboard make the cabin feel every inch the classic working Land Cruiser. The photographs also show the rear bench seating and twin rear 'ambulance' doors, while the overall presentation is remarkably smart for a vehicle approaching half a century old.
There is a good history file accompanying the Toyota, including numerous invoices and parts invoices from Portugal. Parts ordered from Portugal by the previous owner in 2016 included a windscreen and windscreen rubber, ventilator kick seals, hardtop side-window seals, rear kick-window seals and an ambulance-door seal. Work recorded in 2015 included anti-gravel/stone-chip coating, replacement bulbs, electrical servicing, headlamp adjustment and inspection and repair of the electrical installation.
More recently, an invoice from January 2024 at 40,378 kilometres records a useful programme of mechanical attention. This included an engine oil and filter change, brake inspection, cleaning and adjustment, investigation and repair of various electrical faults and the fitting of a customer-supplied propshaft. A replacement fuse box and light switch were also fitted, along with brake-pedal bushes.
Ownership since its arrival in Britain has been reassuringly limited. The V5 records just one former keeper, who owned the Land Cruiser for approximately seven years and ten months, with the present keeper acquiring it in February 2024.
The accompanying history includes MOT certificates, Portuguese documentation and a sizeable collection of invoices and parts receipts, giving this imported Land Cruiser considerably more background than is often found with vehicles of this type.
With its handsome red and black colour combination, beautifully preserved utilitarian interior, 3.0-litre diesel engine and Portuguese history, this is an enormously characterful example of Toyota's legendary off-roader. Better still, its historic status means it is now both road-tax and MOT exempt.
