The Toyota FJ Cruiser is Toyota's way of celebrating its own off-road heritage by imitating one of its most storied and capable machines. Back in 1951, the United States Army needed new small trucks for the war then proceeding on the Korean peninsula. So the military took the design for the Willys Jeep, handed it to Toyota, told the company to build that and bought a hundred of them. Loosely using that vehicle as a base, Toyota developed the "Jeep BJ" and by 1954 it was renamed Land Cruiser. Some slight evolution from there, and the second-generation was exported to America in 1958 as the FJ20 Land Cruiser — the first Toyota sold in America. The Toyota FJ Cruiser lifts many of its fundamental styling cues directly from that first FJ.
In 2003, as Toyota was gearing up to celebrate its first half-century in America, it looked back at that first FJ with its iconic oblong grille, cathedral-style hood and flat windshield and got the wacky idea of reviving its style, if not its substance. The result was the wild, well-received FJ Cruiser concept machine shown at the 2003 Chicago Auto Show. Three years later, the Toyota FJ Cruiser was ready for showrooms.
Avoiding the Jurassic nature of the original FJ's engineering, the first 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser was based atop the same modern and sophisticated Land Cruiser Prado four-wheel drive chassis and structure that underpinned the 4Runner. With its oblong grille, round headlights, flat-peaked hood, upright windshield and white-capped roof, it was clearly a tribute to the old FJ. However its angular body panels and second set of small, rear-hinged doors had the Toyota FJ Cruiser looking as if it was the old FJ restyled by Starfleet and sheathed in irony.
Grabbing styling cues from the old FJ did have some practical advantages for the Toyota FJ Cruiser. For one, the short overhangs made for excellent approach and departure angles. And in fact, the FJ Cruiser is an excellent off-roader. Second, the box body's flat sides resulted in excellent interior space. The Toyota FJ Cruiser may be a riff on an old favorite, but it has been a completely modern success.
