Japan’s efforts to clone the U.S. military Jeep turned legitimate in 1950 when the American government asked Toyota to build Willys off-roaders for the Korean War.

Toyota proved adept at building a high-quality and well-engineered, but simple vehicle for military use. The automaker applied the name “Land Cruiser” to its open-top four-wheeler a few years later. By 1960, a new generation arrived—the FJ40. The lineup started with a modest open-top vehicle riding on a 90-in. wheelbase but eventually included myriad pickup, station wagon, and utility configurations powered by a variety of straight four- and six-cylinder gas and diesel engines.

The 1982 FJ40 offered here comes from the second-to-last year of open-top Land Cruiser production for the U.S. market. Later American-market FJ40s like this one benefited from front disc brakes, the larger ‘2F’ 4.2-liter inline six engine paired to a four-speed manual, and “ambulance doors” that allow access to the cargo area without moving the spare tire rack.

This FJ40 was sold new in Utah and stayed in the Western U.S. until about a decade ago. It has since been extensively restored. Its Medium Blue paint and white accents are shiny, and its grey interior is factory correct. Its only modifications include a desirable Australian-engineered OME suspension, BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain T/A tires, a 9,000-lb. synthetic rope winch, and an updated Pioneer radio head unit with matching speakers.

Power steering, an original factory option, is fitted to this Land Cruiser to make it easier to drive in town and around obstacles. Its 4.2-liter engine was rebuilt using Toyota parts, and it mates to a factory four-speed manual transmission. Its odometer was reset to correspond with its restoration and shows fewer than 100 miles today, affording the new owner many more miles of adventurous land cruising.