he Land Cruiser is Toyota's longest-selling car(3). It launched on August 1, 1951, as the Toyota "Jeep BJ," and production has continued for 68 years.

Full-scale exports of the Land Cruiser began with the 20 Series, which was introduced in November 1955, four years after the launch of the first-generation car. Since then, Toyota has consistently developed versions that cater to customer needs, without sacrificing the reliability, durability, and drivability on poor roads that served as the basis of development concepts on which the Land Cruiser is based.

The Land Cruiser has, for this reason, continued to receive the support of customers around the world. In the beginning, fewer than 100 units were exported per year; by 1965, 10 years after full-scale exports commenced, that figure had surpassed 10,000 units per year. At present, the Land Cruiser is sold in approximately 170 countries and regions worldwide, with annual global sales standing at approximately 400,000 units.

The Land Cruiser contributed significantly to increased trust in the Toyota brand around the world, and created a foothold for the company to expand its exports. Due to its outstanding reliability and durability, there are regions where Land Cruiser 40 Series vehicles continue to be used today, some 50 years after they were manufactured.

The history of the Land Cruiser symbolises Toyota's QDR―Quality, Durability, and Reliability. The Land Cruiser represents a true global product – it is a reassuring companion for carrying out work, enables active and adventurous lifestyles, transports goods where needed and provides mobility to humankind.

In Africa, the Land Cruiser is used to provide humanitarian assistance; in Burundi, to carry malaria-infected children to hospital; and in refugee camps in Uganda, to transport patients to clinics.

In Australia, the Land Cruiser is used for mobility in zinc and copper mines some 1,600 meters underground; it is also used to herd cattle on vast cattle ranches of 8,000 square kilometers.

In Costa Rica in Central America, there are regions where the Land Cruiser is used to harvest carrots at altitudes of 3,500 meters, on slopes so steep that even humans have difficulty standing―the reason being that "only the Land Cruiser is capable of reaching these fields."

Indeed, there are many places around the world where it would be impossible to live from day-to- day without the Land Cruiser.

The Land Cruiser is actively used around the world:

Providing Humanitarian assistance in Burundi [Médecins Sans Frontières]
Mobility in Australian Mines
Harvesting Carrots in Costa Rica

The 10 million Land Cruisers sold over the course of the past 68 years have been used on a variety of different roads, and they have contributed to the refinement of Toyota cars.

Going forward, in order to continue to cater to―and even exceed―customer expectations, development of the Land Cruiser will take place on the premise that it will be used in every corner of the world; to this end, Toyota itself intends to set more rigorous standards, and to continue to engage in car-making with the goal of creating a truly unique car.

On the local front the Land Cruiser range has proven extremely popular with South African motorists – perfectly suiting the varied terrain, outdoor lifestyle and remote settings our country offers. The Land Cruiser 200 is the segment leader in the full-size SUV category, with a 34% share and average monthly volume of 86 units.

The Land Cruiser Prado remains a firm favourite in the large SUV segment with around 80 units finding new homes every month and occupying the no. 2 position with a 15% share. A total of 3309 Land Cruisers (70-series, Prado and 200-series) have been sold on local soil YTD Aug 2019.

Land Cruiser special site:

https://global.toyota/en/mobility/toyota-brand/features/landcruiser/

Notes:

1 The car's name was changed to "Land Cruiser" in 1954.

2 Overview of the Land Cruiser series; models currently in production are marked with an asterisk*.

Toyota brand:

Heavy-duty models:

Toyota Jeep BJ, Land Cruiser 20 Series, 40 Series, and 70 Series*

Station wagon models:

Land Cruiser 55 Series, 60 Series, 80 Series, 100 Series, 200 Series*

Light-duty models:

Land Cruiser 70 Series Wagon, 70 Series Prado, 90 Series Prado, 120 Series Prado, and 150 Series Prado*

Lexus brand:

LX 450, LX 470, and LX 570*; GX 470, and GX 460*

3 Reference: the Crown was launched in 1955; the Corolla was launched in 1966.

Global Cumulative Sales: 10 million

Since the launch of the first-generation Toyota Jeep BJ in 1951 up to 2019, cumulative global sales have surpassed 10 million units. Based on TMC data (Unit = 1,000 vehicles)

Sales by Region in 2018

Since the launch of the Land Cruiser 20 Series in 1955, Toyota has expanded its export destinations with a focus on Central and South America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. At present, the Land Cruiser is sold in approximately 170 countries and regions worldwide, and in 2018, approximately 400,000 units were sold. (Unit = 10,000 vehicles)