How Much Is A Pristine 1978 Land Cruiser FJ40 With 5K Miles Worth?

The Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser is one of those iconic vehicles that every enthusiast can recognize. The SUV has earned that right thanks to its off-roading prowess, pedigree, and gorgeous lines.

The FJ40, which is arguably the most recognizable model, was produced between 1960 and 1984. While Toyota built a lot of them, they’ve been used and abused. So finding one like this 1978 FJ40 in pristine condition is impossible.

Found on Bring a Trailer, this FJ40 has just 5,265 miles on it and looks like it’s brand new. And there’s a good reason for that. The machine, as the listing states, was purchased by a wholesale carpet distributor who – you’ll get a kick out of this – built a carpet-lined wooden crate for this SUV to rest in. After being placed in the crate, the vehicle was perched on cantilevers high up on one of the walls in his warehouse.

Unfortunately, the original owner of the vehicle passed away before he could fulfill his dream of driving the FJ40 around the country. After he passed away, the owner’s children, unsure of what they found in the crate, contacted Jonathan Ward, CEO of ICON. Ward bought the SUV without looking at it.

The crew at ICON apparently did a quick service on the SUV and sold it to one of Ward’s friends. Nearly 18 years after it went to the second owner, the FJ40’s only covered 2,000 miles and is now being sold on the auction site.

Like A Blast From The Past

Ward, who knows what he’s talking about when it comes to classic SUVs, claims this specific FJ40 is in “absurd original condition.” In his words, it also happens to be the “nicest example known in the world.” Is there more to say?

The vehicle is wearing its original Rustic Green paint scheme and maintains all of its original badges and trim pieces. The white top, which is the perfect contrast to the gorgeous shade of green, is also reported to be in perfection condition.

The cabin is also in original and perfect condition and retains all of the cool little details that came with the FJ40 when it was new. The sticker that reads, “Do Not Exceed 55 MPH” is especially noteworthy. For individuals planning to use the FJ40 on rare occasions, an aftermarket air-conditioning system should make driving the machine more bearable.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this specific FJ40. The last time, though, was last May. It’s back and now it’s for sale with bidding currently at $100,000 with roughly a day left to go. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but this example may be worth more money.

To get a better idea of just how pristine this FJ40 is, check out Bring a Trailer’s video below and let Ward explain just how awesome this SUV is.