Toyota recently announced that cumulative global sales of its Land Cruiser series have surpassed 10 million units. According to Toyota data, cumulative sales stood at 10 million units as of August 31, 2019.
The Land Cruiser is Toyota’s longest-selling car. It launched on August 1, 1951, as the Toyota “Jeep BJ,” and production has continued for 68 years.
Full-scale exports of the Land Cruiser began with the 20 Series, which was introduced in November 1955, four years after the launch of the first-generation car. Since then, Toyota has consistently developed versions that cater to customer needs, without sacrificing the reliability, durability, and drivability on poor roads that served as the basis of development concepts on which the Land Cruiser is based.
The Land Cruiser has, for this reason, continued to receive the support of customers around the world. In the beginning, fewer than 100 units were exported per year; by 1965, 10 years after full-scale exports commenced, that figure had surpassed 10,000 units per year. At present, the Land Cruiser is sold in approximately 170 countries and regions worldwide, with annual global sales standing at approximately 400,000 units.
The Land Cruiser contributed significantly to increased trust in the Toyota brand around the world, and created a foothold for the company to expand its exports. Due to its outstanding reliability and durability, there are regions where Land Cruiser 40 Series vehicles continue to be used today, some 50 years after they were manufactured.
The history of the Land Cruiser symbolises Toyota’s QDR―Quality, Durability, and Reliability. The Land Cruiser represents a true global product – it is a reassuring companion for carrying out work, enables active and adventurous lifestyles, transports goods where needed and provides mobility to humankind.
In Africa, the Land Cruiser is used to provide humanitarian assistance; in Burundi, to carry malaria-infected children to hospital; and in refugee camps in Uganda, to transport patients to clinics.
In Australia, the Land Cruiser is used for mobility in zinc and copper mines some 1,600 meters underground; it is also used to herd cattle on vast cattle ranches of 8,000 square kilometers.
In Costa Rica in Central America, there are regions where the Land Cruiser is used to harvest carrots at altitudes of 3,500 meters, on slopes so steep that even humans have difficulty standing―the reason being that “only the Land Cruiser is capable of reaching these fields.”
Indeed, there are many places around the world where it would be impossible to live from day-to- day without the Land Cruiser.
The Land Cruiser is actively used around the world:
- Providing Humanitarian assistance in Burundi [Médecins Sans Frontières]
- Mobility in Australian Mines
- Harvesting Carrots in Costa Rica
The 10 million Land Cruisers sold over the course of the past 68 years have been used on a variety of different roads, and they have contributed to the refinement of Toyota cars.
Going forward, in order to continue to cater to―and even exceed―customer expectations, development of the Land Cruiser will take place on the premise that it will be used in every corner of the world; to this end, Toyota itself intends to set more rigorous standards, and to continue to engage in car-making with the goal of creating a truly unique car.
On the local front the Land Cruiser range has proven extremely popular with South African motorists – perfectly suiting the varied terrain, outdoor lifestyle and remote settings our country offers. The Land Cruiser 200 is the segment leader in the full-size SUV category, with a 34% share and average monthly volume of 86 units.
The Land Cruiser Prado remains a firm favourite in the large SUV segment with around 80 units finding new homes every month and occupying the no. 2 position with a 15% share. A total of 3309 Land Cruisers (70-series, Prado and 200-series) have been sold on local soil YTD Aug 2019.