“Why We Love Them” is an ongoing feature through which we reflect on some of BaT’s favorite cars from the past. Era, genre and country of origin aren’t as important as character, that hard-to-define something special which all the best cars seem to have, and readers should expect to see a bit of everything including sports cars, exotics, sedans, coupes, roadsters, wagons, 4×4’s and more. -BaT

Venture onto nearly any dealer lot today, and you’ll be bombarded with quasi-SUV shaped vehicles designed to fit every last market niche. In the 21st century, an SUV is expected to be all things to nearly all potential buyers–comfortable, spacious, safe, luxurious, quiet, and powerful, but perhaps only OK off-road. There was a time however, when the term Sport Utility Vehicle meant much more than a tall wagon with a slick lifestyle ad campaign, signifying instead something with a separate frame, a manually-shifted transfer case, boxy, utilitarian styling and legitimate off-tarmac chops.

Big, square, overbuilt and eminently capable, Toyota’s J60 marked the sweet spot between earlier, more spartan Land Cruisers and the full-on luxo-cruiser models that followed it, offering comforts like power windows, locks, steering, and cold A/C mixed with relatively simple, self-serviceable mechanicals concealed underneath restrained, handsome sheet metal. They’re tough, reliable, fun, hugely customizable, and arguably just as much an icon as the contemporary Range Rover Classic.

Way back in 1950, Toyota was tasked with building Willys-spec Jeeps for the US military, then engaged in war on the neighboring Korean Peninsula. By 1951 the Japanese firm had developed their own larger, more powerful Jeep-like 4×4 called the BJ, and though lacking a low range, its metric Chevy Stovebolt six copy set the tone for what would become known as the Land Cruiser in 1954–a name chosen to evoke similarly dignified and capable imagery associated with early Land Rover Series trucks, themselves modeled after the Willys Jeep.

Across successive J20 and J40 generation Land Cruisers, focus remained squarely on the more utilitarian side of things, with most changes designed to improve off-road performance or power output. The LWB four-door FJ45 was introduced in 1963, clearing the way for 1967’s FJ55, affectionately nicknamed the “Iron Pig” and modeled loosely after the Jeep Wagoneer. The Pig would prove to be a Land Cruiser milestone, opening the door for 1980’s 60-Series.

Retaining the same F family of inline-six engines first seen in 1955 (but closely related to 1951’s B-series Chevy clone), no 60-Series Cruiser was particularly powerful, as revealed by the above 1989 MotorWeek test citing a lethargic 14.2 seconds to 60 MPH, with an additional five seconds needed to complete the quarter mile. Foreign-market diesels were no quicker, but what they lacked in speed, all 60’s made up for with capability and longevity as the epitome of underpowered but overbuilt.

Fitted with beefy straight axles at both ends, leaf springs at all four corners, and at least eight inches of ground clearance, J60 ride quality is reminiscent of a Conestoga wagon, but they’ll climb over just about anything and look great doing it. Coil spring conversions using J80 parts are well-documented however, and there’s a massive aftermarket to cater to all tastes, including those with a predilection for Detroit V8 engine swaps.

With an upright grille and body surfaces which appear to have been designed almost exclusively with a ruler, the 60-Series Land Cruiser is particularly boxy. Basically everything above the beltline is a window, giving the cabin a bright, airy feel with excellent sight lines in all directions–good thing, as with a 107″ wheelbase, these trucks were some of the largest in their class at the time.

A relatively short front overhang made for good approach angles, but with an overall length of 184″ and most overhang slung out behind the rear axle, departure angles were slightly less impressive. Note the horizontally split tailgate of the RHD example above, which mirrors the only setup offered in North America–vertically split doors were available in other markets.

Despite the solid improvements shown over its much more utility-focused ancestors, the 60 was still very much a function-first kind of vehicle, with an interior dominated by plush-but-pancake-flat seats, vast, featureless expanses of hard plastic, and high ambient noise levels. Steering is slow, body roll plentiful, and tall sidewalls pliant and mushy.

You don’t rush a J60, it’s not an X5–loosen your grip on the wheel, guide it with gentle corrections, let the long-winded shifter settle in between changes before engaging the next gear, and keep your eyes on the road through the panoramic greenhouse in order to plan maneuvers well in advance.

The above chart tracks BaT Auctions sales results for 60-Series Toyota Land Cruisers, as found on our BaT Model Page here.

Across the 10 model years that the 60 was available new here in the US, Toyota shipped only around 5,000 to 6,000 per year, with total exports totaling fewer than 45k. Compared with Jeep and Range Rover/Land Rover, the Cruiser still represented only a drop in the off-roader sales bucket.

Combined with the 60’s many positive attributes, this relative scarcity has made it a real cult classic, and as such prices have been on a sharp climb for several years as supplies continue to dwindle, particularly for clean, well maintained stock or thoughtfully modified examples.

The followup 80-Series LC moved things further towards today’s Lexus LS-on-stilts 200-Series, introducing coil springs, new levels of on-road and interior refinement, and the first of a continuing line of Lexus LX-badged variants which have consistently outsold Land Cruisers here in the US since their 1996 introduction.

These changes marked the 60-Series as the end of an era, a fact further underscored by the independent front suspension and V8 fitted as standard on all US-spec examples of the successive 100-Series Land Cruiser. The sand-colored truck above is pretty close to our ideal J60 with its round headlight fascia, gray steelies and knobbly tires.

Objectively speaking, the modern IFS-equipped Cruisers are outstanding SUV’s, mixing traditional model strengths with greatly improved refinement and on-road driving behavior. The 60-Series on the other hand is for those who like an SUV with emphasis on the U, for enthusiasts with a fondness for honest, capable machines with real depth of character and a single-mindedness that’s sadly lacking from most new vehicles, and that in a nutshell is why we love them.

Helpful links:

IH8MUD — 60-Series-focused forum

Expedition Portal — LC-focused overlanding forum

Pirate 4×4 — LC-focused off-roading forum

Specter Off-Road — parts

Cruiser Yard — parts

Man A Fre — parts

Cruiser Corps — parts

Image credit: Toyota