The Land Cruiser BJ70V
Toyota launched the Land Cruiser 70-Series in 1985. It was available in millions of variants, each unique to its market. The BJ70 was the 3-door version, and the BJ70V was the 3-door hard-top version. The car in the photos is a 1984-1990 example.
The darkened windows, side-bars, off-road tires, and the big mud-flaps are aftermarket changes. The bumpers, door handles, and mirrors are original. Toyota did not officially sell the Land Cruiser 70-Series in China, but some cars arrived via batch-purchases by the Chinese government. People used those cars for exploration, fire fighting, and other heavy-duty work that contemporary Chinese 4x4s couldn’t handle. This BJ70V is probably an ex-fire department car.
Interior
The interior looked great too, but it seems restored, with new black leather on the seats and metal-style trim on the doors. It is clear that the lucky owner spent a lot of time and money on his Toyota, and it shows!
The 京N·N0071 Beijing license plate is very special. In the past, 京N license plates were reserved for cars registered in Beijing’s Sunyi District.
Toyota offered a dozen different petrol and diesel engines for the 1984-1990 Toyota Land Cruiser BJ70V. We can rule out diesel, because it wouldn’t be allowed on the road anymore in Beijing. The petrol engines ranged from a 2.4-liter four to a 4.5-liter V6. The red machine in the photos didn’t have an engine badge so I cannot be sure what motor is hiding under the hood. Four-wheel drive was standard on the BJ70V.
This ‘Cross Country Adventurer’ spare wheel cover was a popular accessory for China-made Land Cruisers in the 2000s.
Note the insurance stickers on the windshield, on the right side. It has loose wires under the bumper. Happily, parts are much easier to get now than in the 199os and 2000s. Several shops in Beijing restore and maintain older Japanese vehicles, buying parts in Japan or the US. So this great red Land Cruiser can probably stay on the road for a long time.