[REVIEW] Tomica Toyota Land Cruiser

Land of the Rising Sun-day, Tomica time is here again. Today we examine an iconic vehicle everyone should recognize. This is Tomica 2-2, the Toyota Land Cruiser. This casting entered the range in May 1975, remaining until August 1979, and there is no mistaking what it is:

Ah the FJ40, now something of a legend, and a vehicle instantly recognizable to anyone who hasn’t been on another planet for the past 50 years. Tomica also hit its stride during the heyday of the FJ40, and represents it well here. This model features plenty of fine line casting detail, and proportions are accurate. There is crisp glazing, snappy door action, and springy suspension, features we all admire.  Notice this wheel type looks quite similar to the hubcaps on the real world vehicle.  Scale is claimed to be 1:60, likely accurate. From all angles, you know what you are looking at:

Doors open to reveal a detailed interior and accurate steering wheel:

The front and rear have considerable detail. The fine grille, outboard lights, and winch are nice touches, along with the spare tire and step at rear:

The base is metal, which adds heft, and contains ample technical and identifying detail:

This is an unboxed model I found for a good price at a toy show earlier this year, and I am glad to have it in my collection. It is a color variation I didn’t have, and I like the casting, so I couldn’t resist. My Tomica reference book lists 16 variants of this model, it must have been popular, it is easy to see why:

And a couple of 1:1s from topclassiccarsforsale.com and hemmings.com