More LandCruisers have been sold in Australia than any in any other nation on the planet, according to figures released by Toyota.
The LandCruiser was introduced by Toyota in 1954 and is still going strong 63 years later, making it Toyota’s longest-serving vehicle brand.
Since its launch almost 7 million LandCruisers have been sold worldwide but nowhere has the beast been more popular than here in Australia, where just over 700,000 ’Cruisers have been sold. The figure represents a staggering 10 percent of total historical LandCruiser sales.
Toyota Australia attributes the LandCruiser’s success in this country to its ability to appeal to both rural and urban customers simultaneously.
“Even the most rugged LandCruiser 70 Series variant is now equipped with extensive safety features in addition to the traditional quality, durability and reliability that has distinguished the brand over six decades,” Toyota Australia executive director sales and marketing Tony Cramb says.
“LandCruiser is also about luxury with the top-of-the-line 200 Series Sahara featuring four cameras to assist with manoeuvres from challenging off-road driving to negotiating tight parking spots in our concrete jungles,” Cramb adds.
Australia’s first LandCruisers were bought into the country in the 1950s by construction magnate Sir Leslie Thiess for use on the rugged trails of the Snowy Hydro Scheme.
Although Australia holds the record for all-time LandCruiser sales, annual sales of the 4WD are now topped by buyers in the United Arab Emirates. But Australia is still in love with the LandCruiser, with almost 19,000 vehicles sold here in the last year, out of 166,000 total sales.