Toyota ceased production of the Land Cruiser (40 Series) back in 1984 after nearly a quarter of a century on the market. However, the reputable off-roader continued until 2001 in Brazil as the Bandeirante with Mercedes and Toyota engines. Owners of the J40 model will be happy to hear the company is putting some components of the SUV back in production to address a spare parts shortage and also to mark the Land Cruiser's 70th anniversary.
The initiative is part of the GR Heritage Parts Project, which also includes starting production of spare parts for the A70 and A80 Supra models as well as for the 2000GT. For the SUV, Toyota conducted surveys among Land Cruiser dealers and fan club representatives all over the world to identify which parts it needs to reproduce.
Unsurprisingly, the greatest demand is for engines, drivelines, and exhaust systems – all of which will be offered as heritage parts from early next year. Toyota is going the extra mile by setting up a form on its website where owners are invited to make requests for additional vehicle components they would want to buy for their Land Cruiser 40 Series. You can access it here.
An Off-Road Legend:
The Japanese automaker is already thinking about re-starting the production of parts for later generations of the Land Cruiser. Speaking of which, the 37-year-old 70 Series is still in production and will be updated in 2022 to meet more stringent safety regulations. At the same time, Toyota just launched the 300 Series model and it's technically still making the previous-gen model as the more luxurious Lexus LX.
With its GR Heritage Parts Project, Toyota wants to put more classic models back on the road as the company is aware there is a shortage of spare parts for vehicles discontinued decades ago. It's the first time the Land Cruiser is being included in the initiative and Toyota aims to bolster the availability of spare parts based on the feedback received from owners.
Source: Toyota
