The manufacturing of the Toyota Land Cruiser began in nineteen fifty four, a four wheel drive car which was similar to a Jeep. The first generation of the cruiser began in nineteen fifty one, but was not yet named the "Land Cruiser". The Jeep BJ prototype was initially developed, a large military utility vehicle which was highly powerful. In the summer of the same year the Jeep BJ showed an impressive feat by driving up to the sixth stage of Mt Fuji, which impressed the National Police Agency who ordered close to three hundred of the cars. In nineteen fifty four the car was named the Land Cruiser, a name which was meant to be more commercial to compete with the likes of the Land Rover.

The second generation ran from nineteen fifty five to nineteen sixty, and was much more focused at the export market for civilians. The Jeep like car was made more comfortable to drive, and the body was also made more elegant. The late fifties also saw the first cruisers also being produced outside of Japan, with the FJ-25 being manufactured in Brazil. The car was also exported down under for working on mines, the construction of dams, and other harsh terrains. The third generation began in nineteen sixty, with the late sixties and early seventies being successful times for the car which worldwide sales accelerating.
 
The modern day land cruiser is a SUV, popular in the United States of America. The 200 series was a facelift version of the car, which shared the same platform as the Lexus SUV. The redesign of the car was welcomed by many who believe the facelift drastically modernises the car. Not everyone was best pleased with the many changes however, who used the same point to argue the car has lost its roots and become too modernised, losing its true identity.