Media FJ40 Pics from "Back in the day" (70's, 80's)

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BE2F8984-70EC-4373-81DF-93D894C28268.webp
 
77CJ5 said:
@FJ40GURU

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Only one problem with this picture do not think the Toyopet or Land Cruiser started until 1958. Even then the Land Cruiser was the FJ25. Besides most of those being FST with different front door opening they also had round wheel wells. The FJ40 didn't make it here until 1961. That style hard top until 1965. Maybe they meant 1967.
 
Living in the Past said:
Only one problem with this picture do not think the Toyopet or Land Cruiser started until 1958. Even then the Land Cruiser was the FJ25. Besides most of those being FST with different front door opening they also had round wheel wells. The FJ40 didn't make it here until 1961. That style hard top until 1965. Maybe they meant 1967.
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That ad is promoting the year Toyota started. 1957. So probably this pic was later because in the ad it says there cars have changed since then. I can see round fender turn signals on the FJ40. That is a clue.
 
It's a newer ad showing a pic of an old building with their name on it , stating where the 1st Toyota dealership was and touting their accomplishments thru the yrs. Scroll down to the bottom of the ad. I'm pretty sure the referenced website wasn't around in 1957.
 
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pb4ugo said:
It's a newer ad showing a pic of an old building with their name on it , stating where the 1st Toyota dealership was and touting their accomplishments thru the yrs. Scroll down to the bottom of the ad. I'm pretty sure the referenced website wasn't around in 1957.
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Miss @JohnnyC he has done a bunch of research on early import numbers. Believe only a handful of Toyopets and one FJ25 made it here in 1958. The cruiser looks to be a mid 65 to 9/67. I have a 9/67 68 model. Those have a reflector on the front apron.

I know originally just about anyone who wanted to become a dealer could. For all we know the first dealer could have been garage willing to sell a foreign vehicle from Japan. It was the Land Cruiser that got Toyota a foot hold in the US market. After a few years the Toyopet was dropped and only the Land Cruiser was sold here. Mid sixties Toyota imported the Crown. Who to say why the reason but wasn't long before Toyota was pushing hard on the their car line and not the Land Cruiser. If they sold a huge number of LCs it was hurt the average fuel mileage for all vehicles sold. For those around at the time remember how Toyota was pushing the most full line up of fuel efficient vehicles. Some might remember Honda was doing this not long ago calling the Ridgeline a truck.
 
Living in the Past said:
Miss @JohnnyC he has done a bunch of research on early import numbers. Believe only a handful of Toyopets and one FJ25 made it here in 1958. The cruiser looks to be a mid 65 to 9/67. I have a 9/67 68 model. Those have a reflector on the front apron.

I know originally just about anyone who wanted to become a dealer could. For all we know the first dealer could have been garage willing to sell a foreign vehicle from Japan. It was the Land Cruiser that got Toyota a foot hold in the US market. After a few years the Toyopet was dropped and only the Land Cruiser was sold here. Mid sixties Toyota imported the Crown. Who to say why the reason but wasn't long before Toyota was pushing hard on the their car line and not the Land Cruiser. If they sold a huge number of LCs it was hurt the average fuel mileage for all vehicles sold. For those around at the time remember how Toyota was pushing the most full line up of fuel efficient vehicles. Some might remember Honda was doing this not long ago calling the Ridgeline a truck.
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Very cool! I think the ad is touting the growth to that point and they just used an available picture, probably from 67’ or so.

I think that is correct. It didn’t take much to become a Toyota dealer in that era, they would often find a low volume domestic dealer (Olds, Buick, Mercury, etc.) and ask them to take on the brand, a fortunate few even became distributors for the region along with being a dealer, there were also occasional auto repair and hardware store operators that jumped in. Honda had a bit of advantage with an existing Motorcycle dealer network they could add the cars to in some areas.

I am guessing most of these folks were glad they said yes!
 
desmocruiser said:
Very cool! I think the ad is touting the growth to that point and they just used an available picture, probably from 67’ or so.

I think that is correct. It didn’t take much to become a Toyota dealer in that era, they would often find a low volume domestic dealer (Olds, Buick, Mercury, etc.) and ask them to take on the brand, a fortunate few even became distributors for the region along with being a dealer, there were also occasional auto repair and hardware store operators that jumped in. Honda had a bit of advantage with an existing Motorcycle dealer network they could add the cars to in some areas.

I am guessing most of these folks were glad they said yes!
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Believe one of those dealers was one in Mesa Arizona. By the time I moved to the Phoenix the name was Big two Olds Toyota. Bought a used 100 series in 2006 from them. Then they went Big Two Toyota Sion. Dealer moved to Chandler and just goes by Big Two Toyota of Chandler. Bet they are glad they became a Toyota dealer especially after GM drop Oldsmobile.
 
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