This 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser FZJ80 Just Sold for $170,000, Can You Guess Why?

What we have here is a 1997 Land Cruiser FZJ80, which has spent the entirety of its existence in California. It’s got a white over oak leather spec, and up until recently, a bidding war was held in its name. In the end, the gentleman who prevailed did so by pledging $170,000.

If you’re wondering how on earth this thing could be worth anywhere close to that much, well, it’s mostly because it’s got just 4,700 (real) miles on its odometer. In Land Cruiser terms, it’s still in the womb, that’s how new this is.

I have to admit, it’s quite the handsome SUV, but you have to know what you’re looking at, otherwise you’re likely to think this is just another old Land Cruiser. Meanwhile, in terms of value, I can’t necessarily say whether $170k was too much or just right, but according to the “laws” of precedents, we’ve seen other (similar) FZJ80 models sell for around $140k – sprinkle a little inflation on that and that’s how you end up with $170k. In other words, it might be justifiable.

Visually, highlights include the white exterior, sunroof, power-adjustable side mirrors, running boards, rear mud flaps, a receiver hitch, roof rack, rear wind deflector, plus a set of 16” alloy wheels with 275/70 Michelin Defender LTX M/S tires.

Inside, it’s got Oak leather seats (front bucket seats / second-row bench / third-row folding seats), a CD/cassette stereo, air conditioning, cruise control, a digital clock, four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel, and WeatherTech all-weather floor mats.

As for performance, don’t expect a great deal. Power comes from a 4.5-liter inline-six unit with 212 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque, with everything going to all four wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case. This SUV also comes with a locking center differential, as one might expect.

Why buy this?

Unless you’re a Land Cruiser afficionado or a collector, I see little to no reason why you’d want to purchase such a vehicle, regardless of the state it’s in. Maybe this works as an “investment”, where you just HODL it until you can sell it for even more sometime in the future, but this also means you can’t drive it.

I’ll tell you what, though. I think the 80 Series Land Cruiser is a more handsome truck than the current generation variant, with its quirky and boxy styling. For an early 90s utility vehicle, this thing is not only ultra capable and reliable, but also comfortable, imposing and sneaky good-looking.