Credit the Korean War for the birth of the Toyota Land Cruiser. Following North Korea’s invasion of South Korea in June 1950, the United States of America sought to support pro-Western South Korea against its Soviet-backed aggressors. Military trucks were needed, and the U.S., which then still occupied Japan, urged the island nation to develop a domestically produced vehicle for this need. The idea was thus: The U.S. could use such a locally sourced truck in conflicts throughout the region.
By the beginning of 1951, Toyota had developed a military truck prototype. The Toyota Jeep BJ, as it was initially known, was motivated by the company’s B-type 3.4-liter inline-six engine and featured styling that was inspired by the off-road-friendly, military-spec Jeeps driven by U.S. forces stationed in Japan. Although the Japanese brand’s military truck would be passed over by the country’s National Police Reserve Forces for the Willys Jeep, the Toyota made enough of an impression that it soon was commissioned for use as a patrol car for Japan’s National Police Agency… read more >
