Toyota to Offer New Replacement Parts for the Land Cruiser to Help Owners Keep Them on the Road

author: Eric Walz   

A 1978 Toyota Land Cruiser.

There are some iconic vehicles built over the years that owners want to keep on the road for as long as possible. A perfect example is the rugged, off-road Toyota Land Cruiser, which made its debut in Aug 1960. Over the years, the Toyota Land Cruiser has become one of the world's most capable and recognizable trucks. It can handle rugged terrain as well as extreme temperatures. But it's durability means that many older models are still on the road.

However, spare parts can be hard to come by for older models, so Toyota Motor Corp announced that it will reproduce parts in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Land Cruiser on Aug 1, 2021. 

The parts will be reproduced for 40 Series Land Cruiser, which was produced between 1960 and 1984, as part of the GR Heritage Parts Project. The GR Heritage project was set up by Toyota to reproduce and resell spare parts for its older sports cars, such as the Supra. Now it will make harder-to-find Land Cruiser parts.

The project reproduces spare parts that have been discontinued and sells them as genuine parts through a special collaboration with Toyota suppliers. It was designed to support customers who want to continue driving their older Toyota vehicles.

Ford's newly resurrected Bronco SUV has reignited interest in rugged off-road vehicles like the Land Cruiser and Jeep Wrangler. Like the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler, Toyota's Land Cruiser has a dedicated and loyal customer base and helping customers keep their older models on the road is a good PR move for Toyota. 

According to Toyota, even models whose production has been discontinued for several decades are still cherished by large numbers of customers all over the world. But with spare parts hard to come by, Toyota said that Land Cruiser owners are expressing fears they will no longer be able to drive their vehicles. 

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing, which is a motorsport/performance brand of Toyota, will reproduce the parts that are in the greatest demand.

The company has carried out surveys with Land Cruiser dealers as well as fan club representatives from across the globe to better gauge what parts are in the most demand for the 40 Series Land Cruiser. These parts will be supplied as "heritage parts," and will include engines, drivelines, and exhaust system parts. 

In addition, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing is preparing a questionnaire form on its website where customers can submit their parts reproduction requests. This feedback will be used in the selection of the next batch of parts to be reproduced.

Availability of parts will be launched as preparations have been completed, with a target launch date at the beginning of 2022.

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has previously supplied heritage parts for the Supra, and the 2000GT, but this will be the first time it has reproduced spare parts for the Land Cruiser. In addition to the 40 Series parts, the company intends to discuss reproduction of parts for later generations of the Land Cruiser.

The 1951 Toyota Jeep "BJ" series. The name was changed to "Land Cruiser" in 1954.

Toyota rival Mazda launched a similar program in the U.S. in 2017 for its two-seater MX5 Miata, which holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling two-seat sports car. The original Miata was known for its nimble handling and simple design, which makes its a popular choice for restoration and upgrades. Interest in the MX5 Miata has grown significantly over the years and used models now command top dollar. 

Mazda North American Operations introduced select reproduction parts for first-generation Miatas built between 1989 and 1997 to help extend the life of each roadster sold in North America. 

Like Toyota, Mazda consulted specialty shops and Miata car clubs to better understand which restoration parts were in the most demand. The Miata replacement  parts are remanufactured in Japan using modern methods and materials, while maintaining the look and feel of that era, according to Mazda. 

Mazda now offers over 1,100 new and legacy parts for any MX5 restoration project to help owners keep their cars on the road.

The original version of the Land Cruiser was called the "Toyota Jeep BJ". It was developed for use by the National Police Reserve (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force) in 1951. However the Jeep name was a trademark of Willys-Overland Motors, so Toyota changed the vehicle name to "Land Cruiser" in June 1954. Production continues to this day. Toyota unveiled the newly redesigned Land Cruiser in June.

Since its launch 70 years ago, Toyota sold a cumulative total of approximately 10.4 million Land Cruiser models. More than 300,000 units a year have been sold in 170 countries and regions around the world.

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.