TOYOTA LAND CRUISER 1988-1997: Road test Book (Brooklands Road Tests)

This book is a portfolio of contemporary reports on the Toyota Land Cruiser from 1988 through to 1997. Featuring road and comparison tests, history, technical and specification data, touring, technical analysis, specifications and performance data. Models covered: Toyota Land Cruiser II TD, VX, RV and Colorado. By the time Toyota introduced the 7-series Land Cruisers during the 1980s, the brand was well established and stood for ruggedness and reliability in the light 4×4 world. But by this stage, the 4×4 market had also begun to open up; the light 4×4 was no longer a utility vehicle pure and simple, but it had taken on a new dimension of refinement to give it appeal as an alternative to the conventional family estate. First in this market had been the American sport-utilities of the 1960s, followed by the Range Rover in 1970; and then in 1981 Mitsubishi had introduced the Pajero (Shogun) and Isuzu the Trooper (Big Horn or Rodeo). So the 70-series had a new challenge. Not only was it to take up the mantle of the long-established utility and military Land Cruisers, but it also had to present a credible alternative to the new generation of 4×4 estates. This was a difficult balancing act for Toyota, and the 70-series wagons never allowed occupants or owners to forget their utility ancestry, despite a welcome veneer of refinement. However, by the time of the 80-series Land Cruisers which appeared at the end of the 1980s, the Japanese company was able to produce a wholly credible alternative to the luxury 4×4 estates of the day. With the mid-1990s came yet another Land Cruiser range, this time the 90-series which was aimed at the middle range of the 4×4 estate market. Once again a first-rate product, it proved that 45 years of hard-won experience with light 4×4 vehicles had put Toyota out in front of the pack. Now that 4x4s appeal to such a wide market, I have no doubt that this book will have a wide appeal. It is certainly recommended reading for anyone intending to buy a Land Cruiser built in the late 1980s or the first half of the 1990s.