Japanese Car Auction Find – 50th Anniversary Land Cruiser Cygnus

Yesterday we looked at Toyota’s re-released 70 Series Land Cruiser. It’s essentially a carbon copy of the first-ever commercial Land Cruiser 70 series that went on sale in Japan all the way back in 1984. However, as you learned yesterday, the Land Cruiser’s true beginnings extend far before that. So far, in fact, that Toyota had already celebrated the vehicle’s 50^th anniversary… in the year 2000. And that’s the car that we found for today’s Japanese car auction find.

This is a 2002 50^th Anniversary Land Cruiser Cygnus, which would’ve been sold as the Lexus LX 470 in non-Japanese markets. That’s why that this model looks much more upscale than the other Land Cruisers of its time, both inside and out:

Even though this 50^th Anniversary Land Cruiser Cygnus would’ve come out over a decade ago as a 2002 car, it actually looks markedly more modern than the 30^th Anniversary 70 Series Cruiser that Toyota introduced us to yesterday. That’s because the Cygnus was built on the 100 Series Land Cruiser, which is a whole two product cycles newer than the 70 Series that the 30^th Anniversary model is based on. Of course, being a Land Cruiser Cygnus, Toyota classifies this model as comfort oriented, so it’s not intended for the same off-road rigors of the off-road oriented 70 Series.

But don’t let the categorization fool you – this pearly white Cruiser is not a meek or mild vehicle. The auction sheet tells us that this four-wheel drive SUV was built on the UZJ100 chassis. This means the model runs on a 4.7L petrol V8 engine capable of 228hp and 302 lb-ft. Note, that’s actually more torque than you’ll find on the new 70 Series anniversary model. Also note that this Land Cruiser uses an automatic transmission.

Looking above, you’ll find that this 2002 Land Cruiser has a surprisingly well-appointed and spacious eight-seat interior. It features premium off-white leather upholstery, complete with the classic wood paneling that only a longtime Lexus lover can appreciate. You’ll also enjoy a sunroof, an infotainment system with built-in navigation and all the standard tech. functions of today’s luxury vehicles, including power steering, power windows and antilock brakes.

A quick look over the auction sheet below shows us that this Japanese car auction find has an exterior rating of 4 due to a couple minor dents and scratches. The B-grade interior is in similarly good-but-not-perfect condition. For a more detailed translation, continue reading below:

Here’s the translation:

“Interior B, first registered January 2002, 4WD, 8-seater, AT, dual AAC, power steering, power windows, ABS, original AWs, airbag, original navigation system, original TV< leather, interior grime and wear, navigation system ROM missing, CORROSION and rust underneath, scratches and dents, marks as per map" (Looking at the translation, it's seems likely that this particular Landcruiser has had some offroad experience given the reference to rust and corrosion underneath the vehicle. Remember that "rust" is surface orange discoloration, whereas "corrosion" means that the metal has oxidized and is flaking away. Read more about rust and corrosion on the Japanese auction inspection reports here.)