This is an incredibly well-preserved Toyota Land Cruiser LX Turbo from 1989, it’s fitted with the desirable manual gearbox and it has a slew of modern features including electric windows, air conditioning, and a period-correct stereo.
The LX Turbo is a member of the Land Cruiser 70 series family, one of the longest running vehicle production runs in history that’s currently just a year shy of celebrating its 40th anniversary.
Fast Facts – The Toyota Land Cruiser LX Turbo
- The Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series first appeared in 1984 with an exceptionally tough job ahead of it – it had to replace the outgoing 40 series Land Cruiser that had been in production since 1960 and was the vehicle widely credited with establishing the stellar reputation that the model family now enjoys.
- The 70 series Land Cruisers featured updated styling and far more modern interiors than their forebears, however Toyota engineers were very careful to keep the rugged reliability and excellent off-road capabilities of the earlier vehicles.
- Toyota had unveiled the 60 series in 1980, a larger full-sized 4×4 designed to compete more with the likes of the Range Rover – with more focus on ride quality and day-to-day comfort. It would be sold alongside the 70 series vehicles for the majority of the 1980s, offering buyers two primary options.
- Though developed in Japan the true spiritual home of the 70 series is in regions like South America, Australia, and Africa where the combination of toughness and simplicity is far more desirable than all the modern bells and whistles.
The Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series
The Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series is a line of off-road focussed 4×4 vehicles that has been in production since 1984. The series was designed to replace the outgoing 40 series of Land Cruisers, which had been in production since 1960 and which had established the model family as a true competitor to the American made Jeep and the British Land Rover.
This LX Turbo from 1989 presents in remarkably original condition inside and out, thanks in large part to its relatively low mileage and the fact that it belonged to one family for 30 years who took good care of it.
When the 70 series was introduced, it was offered in two body styles: a two-door and a four-door. The shorter wheelbase two-door versions were the J0 and 71, the medium wheelbase vehicles were the 73 and 74 and the longer wheelbase models were the 75 and 77. All variations were offered with a range of powertrain options, including gasoline, diesel, and turbodiesel engines.
The 70 series became known for their toughness and durability, making them popular for off-road use and in industries such as mining, agriculture, and exploration. In 1985, Toyota introduced the 75, which was a pickup truck version of the 70 series. The 75 was equipped with a 4.0 liter diesel engine and was particularly popular for agricultural use in Australia where it still has a cult-like following.
Over the years, the 70 series has undergone several updates and revisions to keep it up to date with modern technology and safety standards. In 1990, Toyota updated the series with a new engine, a 4.2 liter diesel engine, and in 1999, Toyota introduced the 78 (troop carrier) and 79 (pickup truck) variants.
The Land Cruiser 70 series received another major update in 2007, with the updated models featured a new design that included a higher hood line and slightly more aerodynamic styling. The new design was still clearly linked to the earlier 70 series Land Cruisers and the family resemblance was unmistakable – however they also offered a number of more modern conveniences to keep them competitive.
Power is provided by the 2.4 liter turbodiesel inline-four, torque is sent back through a 5-speed manual transmission and a dual range transfer case.
The Land Cruiser 70 series has been popular for its ruggedness and durability, making it a favorite among off-road enthusiasts and in the developing world. In fact the model series has an order book so full in Australia that Toyota dealers have (temporarily) stopped taking new orders until the backlog is cleared.
Despite its popularity, the Land Cruiser 70 series has had some challenges in meeting increasingly stringent emissions and safety regulations in different parts of the world. In some markets, the series has been discontinued, while in others, it continues to be produced with updates to meet current standards.
The 70 series has undergone updates to meet current safety standards and emissions regulations, including the addition of electronic stability control and new lower-emissions engines.
The Land Cruiser 70 series has also been used by organizations such as the United Nations and the International Red Cross for humanitarian aid efforts in countries such as Sudan, Somalia, and Afghanistan. The series has been favored for its durability and ability to handle challenging terrain and weather conditions while offering excellent reliability.
Inside the vehicle you’ll find seating for five, with two bucket seats up front and a three person bench in the rear. There’s a roll cage fitted as the white hard top can be removed for wind-in-your-hair motoring.
It’s now known how much longer Toyota will keep the 70 series in production, but given the fact that they can’t make enough of them to meet current demand it seems likely that the model still has at least a few years to go.
The 1989 Toyota Land Cruiser LX Turbo Shown Here
The vehicle you see here is in almost time capsule-like condition, it’s never been restored it’s just been very well cared for by single family ownership from new until 2019. It has just 65,000 kms (40,600 miles) on the odometer, which most Land Cruiser owners would consider barely run in.
Power is provided by the durable 2.4 liter turbodiesel, an inline-four cylinder engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission and a dual-range transfer case offering both high and low range gearing. As you would expect it rides on live axles on leaf springs front and back, it has power assisted brakes, power steering, power locks, it has a detachable FRP hardtop, front bucket seats and a three-person bench seat in the rear offering a total capacity of five.
This is a left-hand drive vehicle, it was ordered new through Garage Pissard in Sallanches, France and it was main dealer maintained up until 39,249 kms. It is showing some signs of patina of course, it is almost 35 years old after all, but it’s clear from the images that it’s ready for the next 35 years.
It’s now been imported into the UK where it’s road registered and it’s due to roll across the auction block with H&H Classics on the 15th of March with a price guide of £18,000 – £22,000, which works out to approximately $24,500 to $30,000 USD. If you’d like to read more about this vehicle or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of H&H Classics
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
