Toyota AK10 Picture

[JohnnyC]

the top picture i think everybody has seen before...but...never an actual photo of the rig like the photo on bottom.

I thought you guys would like to see a photo of the Predecessor (grandfather ) of all land cruisers...we need a thread for Toyota Historical Photos i have too many just sitting around

[Cruiser_Nerd]

Nice one Johnny, I don't think I've seen it before.

If you want, start a thread of historic pictures, I'll edit the posts to make them permanent so they don't get lost.

[Landpimp]

looks like takin at the same time as your 2nd pic

[JohnnyC]

nice shot...yeah id does...it has the same bamboo thing in the background...thast the best pic i have sever seen of that.........Great pic Landpimp

have any more?

[Cruiser_Nerd]

Since we have these great pics to study...........

Yeah I know the AK10 was the predecessor to the BJ/FJ, but there really doesn't seem to be much similarity between the two. I had also assumed it was a knockoff of the Jeep, which it also doesn't look much like either. The motor was supposed to be a big displacement four.

Now look at the suspension. Rear is sprung over. But what's the front suspension, torsion bar with swing arms?

[2ndGenToyotaFan]

Those 2 pics look like they were taken from about the same angle, but it looks like they turned the thing between pics....

Yes, the first pic was taken from left of where the second was (You can tell from the shrubs at the right side) Since we're nerding out.....

That front suspension has me intreaged as well.

[JohnnyC]

I got this translated from a japanese site:

1941, the jeep which has wonderful efficiency in the Philippines was discovered. This bantamweight corporation make jeep being the hand of the army field operations replenishment section, was transported by Japan, the army automobile school determined the imitation.
This is original
As for this the Japanese make copy
Toyota which receives the request for the army built up the engine which designates C type engine of the AE model car as 2585cc, remodelled to the transmission and 2nd gear transfers of advance 3rd gear and retrogression 1st gear, loaded onto the Japanese make jeep.
As for the body, because the design of the American make jeep is excellent even excessively, it is not reference by any means and the phenomenon that could bother the authorized personnel, it becomes close in the copy, but with production model after the fender roundly the [me] and others [re] [te], as for the bumper to disappear from materials insufficiency, because also the light/write became 1, the origin was simplified the bantamweight corporation make the extent which stops knowing. This, was called Toyota AK10, before real mass production starts, termination of war was received.

[JohnnyC]

MODEL AK10, SPECIFICATION
Overall, Length 3,390mm
Overall, Width 1,570mm
Overall, Height 1,800(1,370)mm
Wheel Base 2,300mm
Tread, Front/Rear 1,300mm/1,300mm
Minimum Turning Radius 6.0m
Vehicle Weight 1,100kg
Payload 500kg
Seating Capacity 2 Passengers
Gross Vehicle Weight 1,800kg
Engine Type Gasoline engine, 4-cycle, OHV
No.of Cylinders 4
Bore and Stroke 84.14mm x 101.6mm
Displacement 2,258cc
Compression Ratio 6.0
Maximum B.H.P. 43HP at 2,800 rpm
Maximum Torque 17.0kg-m at 1,400 rpm
Maximum Speed 80km/h
Gasoline Tank Capacity 50L

[JohnnyC]

taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Land_Cruiser

First generation (1940–1949)
First generation
Production 1954-1959
Assembly Honsya, Japan
Body style(s) 2-door pickup truck
2-door SUV
Layout FR layout
Wheelbase 2650 mm (104.3 in)
engine, 2258 cc inline-four OHV Gasoline engine of the "Toyota Model AE" (http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/about_toy...l_vehicle.html) passenger car, three-speed transmission and two-speed transfer were connected with it. There is not a structural relation between "AK 10"and postwar "Toyota Jeep BJ". Most of "Ak10" did not work an active part like the US jeep. There are almost no photographs of it in the battlefield. 1941 - Japanese Imperial Army occupied the Philippines, when they obtained Bantam Mk II, and brought it into Japan promptly. The Japanese military authorities commanded Toyota that they made a similar vehicle. There was an order from them, "do not to model the appearance of a prototype on a US Jeep" too. The prototype called "Model AK" was adopted Yon-Shiki Kogata Kamotsu-Sha ( 四式小型貨物車 The Imperial era 2604th model compact cargo-truck ) formally by The Japanese Imperial Army.

1941 - The Japanese government asked Toyota to produce a light truck for Japan military campaign. Toyota developed a 1/2 ton prototype called the AK10 in 1942. The AK10 was built using reverse-engineering from the Bantam GP prototype. It was unsuccessful and production went to Nissan instead. There are no known surviving photographs of the AK10. The only known pictorial representations are some rough sketches. The truck featured an upright front grille, flat front wheel arches that angled down and back like the FJ40 and headlights that were mounted above the wheel arches on either side of the radiator. It also had a folding windshield. The US Army Jeep arrived in the Pacific in May 1943.


"There are no known surviving photographs of the AK10" ??? I know of a few i guess they have not seen this thread

[JohnnyC]

this would explain the one headlight:
"During the Pacific War (World War II) the company was dedicated to truck production for the Imperial Japanese Army. Because of severe shortages in Japan, military trucks were kept as simple as possible. For example, the trucks had only one headlight on the center of the hood. The war ended shortly before a scheduled Allied bombing run on the Toyota factories in Aichi."

from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota

[JohnnyC]

i had read someplace that they were also based on the Toyota KB/KC Truck that was a dirivative of the older GB truck format...does seem to fit...year wise:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_GB#GB

Toyota KB and KC:
http://www3.plala.or.jp/takihome/kbkc.htm

the front (cowl and hood/fenders) of the AK does look like a chopped down version of the KC of course an actual photo of a KC would be helpful.

[Trollhole]

I redid the image a little. Can see a little more detail.

[JohnnyC]

Originally Posted by JohnnyC

The AK10 was built using reverse-engineering from the Bantam GP prototype. It was unsuccessful and production went to Nissan instead.

looks like they got it right in a second attempt with the "BJ Jeep"...this is why its the "Predecessor" it was the first attempt at copying the Bantam...the second attemp being quite sucessful

[JohnnyC]

this is interesting if you over lap the kc and ak...what do you think?

[JohnnyC]

found a pic of a KC not as a close match as i would have thought...but there is simularities

[Landpimp]

might have been another, it came out of a Aussie book, think the 40th aniversary book(intro for the 70 series)

Originally Posted by JohnnyC

nice shot...yeah id does...it has the same bamboo thing in the background...thast the best pic i have sever seen of that.........Great pic Landpimp

have any more?

[JohnnyC]

Originally Posted by Cruiser_Nerd

Now look at the suspension. Rear is sprung over. But what's the front suspension, torsion bar with swing arms?

just translated this from a japanese site:

"Small amount was produced during wartime, the Japanese army four small-sized freight car thing "AK10 model" four wheel drive car
was designed the alias copying the "bantamweight is captured in the
Philippines jeep" which. At that time, from the military, "as for
appearance not imitating to the jeep. "With there was the indication
of the effect which is done, but in the jeep where function that way
is expressed to appearance, as for that it was not easy thing, but
production type accompanied also the destitution of the materials,
became, generally known" wartime type "of the first light result completely became appearance of the different
thing. As for "AK10 type" as understood even from the fact that C type engine of the AE model car (the first 4 cylinder 2.585cc) with 3rd
gear T/M and 2nd gear T/F are combined to the front with the
suspension leading arm, there is no ランクル and the direct
being connected after the BJ type."

Originally Posted by JohnnyC

"Small amount was produced during wartime, the Japanese army four small-sized freight car thing "AK10 model" four wheel drive car

was designed the alias copying the "bantamweight is captured in the

Philippines jeep" ."

I now read this at two sites...there were 4 ak10's made?

[JohnnyC]

war time kc? headlight / fenders edit: foto on top is a nissan

[JohnnyC]

more detail pic of the drawing of ak10

[JohnnyC]

taken from: http://www.cruiserfaq.com/04-00.html

[stephows]

I'm new to his forum but I'm keen on Toyota history.
The unusual suspension was because Toyota engineers had pre war links with German engineers.
The Toyota engineers had access to designs that became the Beetle and Kublewagen.
So Toyota used some of these features on the AK10 (torsion bars and swing arms).
These were the same Toyota engineers (led by Dr Kazuo Kumabe) who designed the 1947 Toyota SA passenger car which used many features from the Beetle.

I'm the principle contributor (with a lot of help from my friend Bill) on the Wikipedia GB article that Johnny referred to.
The KB truck has the rounded grill and the KC truck has the dead flat radiator.
The KC truck was used as the basis of the KCY amphibian LVT.
I'm not sure if the KCY used the AK10 front suspension or if the AK10 used the KCY front suspension.

Can you tell me which book you got the AK10 pictures from?
I'd like to be able to use it as a source on Wikipedia.

- Stepho

[semlin]

Originally Posted by JohnnyC

this is interesting if you over lap the kc and ak...what do you think?

Interesting thread. I actually see a little bit of the 45 in that photo, especially the roof line.