What Is A Truckload Of Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Models Doing In Florida?

An eagle-eyed CarBuzz reader (big shoutout to Jon) has spotted a truckload of Land Cruiser 70 models in Florida.

Is this an indication that Toyota is finally importing the beloved old-school off-roader to the USA? To find out, we reached out to Toyota USA.

"We've checked around, and nobody knows any background about those vehicles or reason why they would be in the US," said Toyota. "Bottom line - nothing to announce for 70s in the US."

So we know these vehicles, built in Japan, were not imported by Toyota. The 70 Series was only sold here from 1984 to 1987, but a few older models were imported as soon as the 25-year deadline expired. These cars sell for a lot more than a brand-new 70, however. You can buy a brand-new 70 in Canada, but these are only available to mining companies via Toyota commercial.

These are left-hand drive models, which likely means they're here to stay. No conversion is required, as the United Arab Emirates remains one of the biggest markets for 70s.

The 70 is sold as a single cab, dual cab, wagon, and troop carrier. The Wagon's official designation is LC 76, but this particular stripped-out model is called the Wagon WorkMate. It comes standard with mudguards, a snorkel, air-conditioning, and that's pretty much it.

The 70 is also available with various engine options. In the UAE, it's sold with a 4.0-liter NA V6, as used in the current Toyota 4Runner. In Australia, base models are equipped with a 4.2-liter NA inline-six or a 4.5-liter turbocharged diesel V8. The latter is by far the most popular engine globally, so we're guessing that's what these off-roaders use for motivation.

We're also guessing the order for these models was placed a while ago. They're obviously brand-new, but Toyota has since introduced a heavily facelifted 70 with an automatic gearbox and a smaller but more powerful turbocharged four-pot diesel.

Our best guess is that these models were imported under the "Show or Display" amendment. To qualify, a vehicle must have "historical or technological significance."

This amendment is normally used to import special machines not homologated for the USA, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a nasty habit of turning cars away at the border.

So, how did the 76 get through? Well, its historical significance can't be denied. The 70 ended Land Rover's dominance in Australia and Africa. It is the king of Africa and would beat a Wrangler to the ground and steal its lunch money.

It's also technologically significant, even though it's about as advanced as Noah's famous boat. The secret to this car's success is the tolerance levels. Every vehicle in existence is built with a set list of tolerances. If an engine produces 300 lb-ft of torque, a manufacturer will use a gearbox that can handle 350 lb-ft of torque.

The LC 70's tolerance levels have always been way above the industry norm, which is why it's so damn expensive. It's also why it's the car of choice for farmers in Africa and Australia. And mines across the globe. People like to think the Hilux is unkillable, but the Land Cruiser is next-level.

Rumor has it that the Australians tried crash-testing one once, but it crashed straight through the concrete block and out of the building. Every once in a while, the locals still catch a glimpse of the off-roader, still busy conducting its crash test.

If we had to guess, these cars would be used to give paying customers a chance to experience the Land Cruiser 70 on a dedicated off-road track. There's massive interest in this car in the USA, but it's simply too old and terrible to be sold legally. Off-road, it's epic. But on tarmac, it's an absolute dog.

Or it could be a farmer who decided to buy a fleet of Land Cruisers to do what they were built to do. Either way, it's cool to see them on US soil.