By Otsile Kadiege

A special edition model of Toyota’s highly praised and much-loved Land Cruiser bakkie, dubbed Land Cruiser 70th Anniversary, will be made available to avid enthusiasts of the LC. The package adds a host of utility-boosting parts and visual enhancements.

Brief history

70 years ago the first ‘Land Cruiser’ made its debut. It was originally known as the Toyota BJ and intended for military use. Toyota adopted the Land Cruiser name plate in 1954 as the model expanded into the civilian market and went head-to-head with the British-built Land Rover. Secondly the number 70 refers to the long running 70-series of Land Cruiser. which comprises the 76 Station Wagon, 78 Wagon and 79 bakkie. 

70th Anniversary package 

The 70th Anniversary package adds the following:

Interior

> unique grey seat covers with 70th edition embroidery;

> Land Cruiser branded floor mats; and

> Touchscreen audio system with Navigation and Bluetooth.

Exterior

> Heritage-inspired mesh radiator grille with TOYOTA lettering;

> Heritage logo on side door;

> 70th Anniversary emblem;

> Tubular rear step bumper with detachable towbar;

> Inner load-bed protector> Rubberised load bed (3mm);

> Tubular front steel bumper; and

> Integrated winch.

Pricing

The 70th Anniversary model will be offered exclusively in Ivory White and Sand Beige. It’s priced from R889,700 for the Land Cruiser 79 S/C 4.5 Diesel V8 70th Edition and R943,100 for the Land Cruiser 79 D/C 4.5 Diesel V8 70th Edition. 

A 3 year / 100,000 km warranty is included and customers can purchase various service plan packages from their nearest Toyota dealer (220 outlets nationwide).