On the heels of the Toyota Land Cruiser 40 Series's global success, a series of spin-offs continued the nameplate's legacy as a rough and rugged off-roader but with more application-specific traits.

In 1967, the wagon-style 55 Series was released, eventually evolving into the more luxurious iteration that the U.S. market knows today, including the 80 Series, 100 Series, 200 Series, and most recently, the 300 Series.

In 1984, the 70 Series was introduced as a ground-up refresh of the 40 Series, focused on heavy-duty applications. A light-duty iteration followed in 1985 that eventually became known as the Prado.

If the 70 Series isn't sounding very familiar, it's because you (tragically) wouldn't have found one sold new at a U.S. dealership. However, the 70 Series today is a popular import, offering variations like a short, medium, or long wheelbase, hard or soft top,  two or four doors, diesel or gasoline engines, and wagon or pickup style.

Each model's specifications were denoted by a uniform chassis number: XJ7X. The letter(s) before the "J" signified the engine type, while the number after the "7" indicated the body style.