FJC development and the Trail Teams (neat history)

[cruiseroutfit]

Paul shares some neat history on the FJ Cruiser development and FJ Cruiser Trail Teams. Lots of Cruiser and 4x4 legends involved in this project, Woody, Robby A, Bill Burke, Chris Nelson, and many more. Curious if any of you attended an event the Trail Team were at years ago? Who’s still rocking some Trail Teams swag?

They came to Cruise Moab 2006 and hosted dinner and hooked up the swag. Beyond that and SEMA I’m trying to remember if I saw them anywhere else.

The Untold Story: Toyota FJ Cruiser Development and the Volunteer FJ Cruiser Trail Teams

FJ Cruiser concept by Calty Design Research Inc. (image by Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc.)

pickuptrucktalk.com

 

[BMThiker]

The East Coast Team came to Over The Mountain Tour (Tellico) in 2007, Beasley Bash in 2007. We met a lot of them at the first FJC Summit in July 2007 too - Robbie A led us on the Black Bear Pass run. Still hang out with MuddyGrl (Maureen) from time to time, as well as that Woody guy. I still use a couple tool bags, map cases, leather gloves, a hydration pack, a key chain.

 

[1911]

Who’s still rocking some Trail Teams swag?

Still have a bandana and maybe some other swag somewhere - haven't seen it for a while.

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

I remember before the Fj cruisers were sold and again about a year or so later maybe before the trail teams editions came out the Toyota guys brought a couple Fj cruisers to Gray Rock off-road park in Birmingham and Morris Mountain off-road park between Atlanta and Birmingham.
A local off-road club C.A.O.S. 4x4 (central Alabama off-road society) would have a few people helping also like the property owners or local guides.

They took pics for the dealer brochures and magazine adds on one of the visits and maybe some team training during another. I’ve got a lot of the advertising stuff at my parents house in storage still.


Morris mountain is still open and a couple TLCA events are held there every year. Gray rock closed after a couple years of deadly accidents and it becoming too difficult to insure the property.

I was always frustrated being a big Toyota guy but I always happened to be riding in friends jeeps with 35s + on those days instead of my mild built 285 tire 1st gen Tacoma.

I’m a chatty Cathy tonight on caffeine and a mid day nap.

 

[BMThiker]

I accidentally showed up at a CAOS event at MM around 2008. We just wanted to ride not pay for a whole weekend event. Still have a dash plaque from that...Pluck the Duck event, iirc.

 

[alabamatacomaguy]

My good friend was more involved with them than I was with his jeeps on 35,37s
I was broke college student and tagged along.

We were probably at parks at similar time. It was pre iPhone days so not many pictures. I have a 20 year old Nike shoe box full of pictures somewhere that was taken on a disposal camera of events and people around then.

I can barely remember sitting and watching Fj cruisers going up a steep rock incline at MM with maybe the “trail team” or marketing team using the Fj cruisers.

I was planning to go to Telico with ttora group I was active with but they shut it down or something derailing the trip