20-30 Series Land Cruiser

LAND CRUISER 20-30 SERIES
Pictures	In the mid-1950s, the Japanese economy was thriving and Toyota was working fast to build a domestic sales network to handle the demand. The Land Cruiser was holding its own against rival models, such as the Willys Jeep and the Land Rover, and Toyota decided the time was right to expand into foreign markets. Whenever the opportunity presented itself, Toyota was there with the Land Cruiser right out front, helping establish a bridgehead that the company hoped would pave the way for future sales of passenger cars. Whereas the original BJ model was built for military use, its design was modified to serve peacetime needs. In August of 1955, the 20-series made its debut. A 3-plate spring taken from the Crown passenger car was used in the early 20-series to enhance riding comfort. It was not a problem that in Japan it could only travel up to 60km/h, but this was not adequate for American highways, and the suspension was so sof t that the vehicle tended to shimmy. The solution was to add a shimmy damper to those models bound for export to the US, a new mechanism for cars at the time. The Crown itself could not compete with US-built passenger cars and in 1960 Toyota pulled out of that export market for two years. This left Toyota America without it's main product; however, the Land Cruiser continued to sell. Until the new model Corona was released in 1965, the Land Cruiser kept Toyota in business in America. The FJ25 was positioned as the standard of the FJ20 series for the domestic market, but in all there were 10 variations available, from FJ20 through FJ29. There were two variations on the wheelbase, and a 4x2 Land Cruiser made for the National Police Agency. In 1958 the wheelbase was extended and a van body was introduced. The Korean War (1950-1953) had spurred demand for military vehicles, and Japanese automakers were invited to meet further demand by supplying the US Army Procurement Agency in Japan. From January through March of 1957, test vehicles supplied by major Japanese automakers were put through their paces at the Aberdeen Proving Ground outside Baltimore, MD. The Toyota 750kg capacity truck and the 2.5 ton capacity diesel truck were selected, but not the Land Cruiser FJ25L (the L designated a left-hand drive model). Toyota learned much from the experience: changes were made to specs and inspection methods, and processes such as cleaning, painting, rust protection and product packaging were improved. That know-how later made the difference when Toyota expanded into the American market. The theme for the 20-series was a new style with more driving comfort, as well as more interior room. As a result, it didn't have much in common with the BJ, instead showing softer lines in the body styling. These major changes in the chassis frame created a basic design which remained unchanged for 29 years through the transition to the 40-series.