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An 80-Series Toyota Land Cruiser is a great off-roader that’s also reliable and practical, but unfortunately for those shopping for one, this isn’t a secret. Like older generations of Land Cruiser before it, the 80-Series is making the shift from used car to collectible. Clean versions that haven’t been beaten or modified into oblivion are getting harder to find, and prices for the best available examples are on the rise.
Just a few years ago, it would’ve been hard to imagine an 80-Series Land Cruiser at a Monterey Car Week auction. These auctions are usually the domain of supercars, unobtainium muscle cars, and the vintage race cars one might trailer down the road to Laguna Seca for the Monterey Historics. But this year Mecum’s catalog includes a 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser in unassuming Super White. It’s bone stock and powered by the 1FZ-FE 4.5-liter inline-six, which sends 212 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque through a four-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive system with low range and a locking center differential.
Mecum Auctions
Mecum Auctions
Mecum Auctions
Mecum Auctions
But this is probably the nicest 80-Series Land Cruiser on sale right now. According to the listing, it has just 4,700 miles and is unrestored, which is hard to believe from looking at the accompanying photos. There isn’t a sign of wear or rust, the Oak leather upholstery hasn’t lost any of its ruching, and even the markings on often-used controls like the seat adjuster are still legible. Plus, it’s got the gold badging package, and what would a 1990s Toyota be without that?
If this particular Land Cruiser looks familiar, you probably spend a lot of time browsing online car ads. It appears to be the same one that sold for an absurd $170,000 on Bring a Trailer in 2024. It previously sold for $165,000 on BaT in 2023, but the buyer failed to follow through, and so it was re-listed.
Mecum Auctions
Mecum Auctions
Mecum Auctions
Mecum Auctions
That selling price was an anomaly, but perhaps not for long. At the time of publication, just five other 80-Series Land Cruisers have crossed the $100K threshold on BaT, out of 808 total listings. One of those was an Icon-modified example, which likely helped juice the price, and a sixth received a high bid of $115,000 but failed to sell. All were listed within the last five years.
And earlier this year, an equally clean 1996 Toyota 4Runner set a new bar at another Mecum auction. The 6,951-mile 4Runner SR5 sold for $52,800, way more than the auction house expected and more than twice the going rate for 4Runners of this vintage in reasonable condition. It’s all part of the natural progression of things. As these SUVs get older and suffer from attrition, and as new generations of enthusiasts shift the definition of a “classic” car, higher prices are inevitable.
Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he’s not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.
