Often referred to the greatest production 4x4 ever made, the Toyota Land Cruiser hardly needs an introduction around these parts. Since 1960, the Land Cruiser has been offered around the world as an ultra-reliable rig that takes pleasure in tackling the dirty work.

After seeing the Willys M38 in action in the Korean War in 1950, Toyota was tasked with building a more accessible iteration on par with the M38 and the Land Rover Series I. In response, Toyota created a utility vehicle that met or exceeded the capability of its inspiration in nearly every way, including offering part-time 4-wheel drive (but no low-range), a Type B 3.4L I6 engine, and longer wheelbase.

Dubbed the Toyota Jeep BJ20, these early models were produced mainly for military or government use. A few years later in 1954, the Jeep BJ20 was given the name "Land Cruiser" by its technical director, Hanji Umehara. Although that name now rings synonymous with Toyota, it's hard to imagine that inspiration wasn't at least partially drawn from Land Rover (after which the BJ20 was originally modeled), or the Studebaker Land Cruiser (which ceased production in 1954).

After ten years of overwhelming popularity, in 1960 Toyota upgraded its production capabilities from the small-batch J20 and J30 to the mainstream FJ40 that we know and love today. The initial FJ40 offered a similar wheelbase as its predecessor, but offered a more powerful Type F 3.9L I6 engine and, finally, low-range gearing.

The Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 was issued throughout the world, including making its way to the U.S. as one of the first Toyota vehicles to be sold Stateside, where it gained a cult following for consumers and profitability for Toyota. The FJ40 remained in production from 1960 to 1984 in most markets (looking at you, Brazil). While the J40 full-size SUV was officially succeeded by the J70, the J40 served as the basis for several independent variations including a compact SUV, dubbed the Prado, and the wagon-style J50 from which today's U.S. Toyota Land Cruisers derived.