What Does FJ Stand For On The Toyota FJ Cruiser?
Freedom and justice ... Fun journey ... Fake Jeep ... A lot of car enthusiasts have started making up their own moniker for the "FJ" in the Toyota FJ Cruiser after realizing how hard it is to find a true definition. Looking deeper into the history of Toyota's cruiser vehicles, however, points to an interesting definition. The "F" refers to the engine type, while the "J" stands for Jeep.
Despite being seen as impractical, the short-lived Toyota FJ Cruiser suffered from a rapid decline in sales and was discontinued in 2014. Its appearance and performance, however, made a mark on the car community, and many have high hopes that Toyota is planning to bring back the FJ Cruiser in 2025. While there are some rumors floating around after a Toyota presentation in Japan, it hasn't been officially confirmed just yet.
Still, a look back at how the Toyota FJ Cruiser even came to be will explain why it even refers to the Jeep in its name.
The reason Toyota's Land Cruiser was once called a Jeep, and how that led to the FJ Cruiser
Okay, let's go back to the Toyota Land Cruiser, which has come a long way from when it was introduced as a military truck prototype in 1951. Back when the Land Cruiser was aiding the U.S. in the Korean War, it was actually being referred to as the Toyota Jeep BJ. This was a peculiar name for a Toyota truck, but it was inspired by the company's B-type 3.4-liter inline-six engine (the "B") and the off-road Jeeps being driven by U.S. forces at the time (the "J").
While the Toyota Jeep BJ proved popular with Japan's National Police Agency, Willy's Jeep was not too fond of the vehicle's name — its legal team claimed Toyota was infringing on its trademark "Jeep" name. In response, Toyota renamed the vehicle to "Land Cruiser" by 1954. By the 1960s, the Land Cruiser was becoming popular in the U.S. market, and Toyota decided to release a new F-type engine. This led the car brand to change the Land Cruiser's name yet again — this time to the FJ40.
The FJ40 was retired in 1983, despite it being the best-selling truck in America during its first two years being sold overseas. Toyota decided to release the FJ Cruiser in 2007 to pay tribute to the FJ40. The FJ Cruiser proved to be yet another popular SUV when it arrived, but it rapidly declined after the first few years, going from over 56,000 sales to around 11,700 in its final year. Like the Land Cruisers before it, the FJ Cruiser's letters stand for the same thing despite backlash from Jeep all those decades ago.