The 80-Series Toyota Land Cruiser is increasingly moving from used SUV to collectible, with clean, unmodified examples becoming harder to find and the best specimens commanding higher prices. A particularly pristine 1997 model is now featured in Mecum’s Monterey Car Week auction catalog.
A Nearly Untouched 80-Series Land Cruiser
The 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser is finished in Super White and remains bone stock. It is powered by the 1FZ-FE 4.5-liter inline-six, producing 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.
According to the listing, the Land Cruiser has just 4,700 miles and remains unrestored. The condition is notable, with no visible signs of wear or rust in the accompanying photos.
The Oak leather upholstery has retained its ruching, while markings on frequently used controls, including the seat adjuster, remain legible. The SUV also features the gold badging package.
The Land Cruiser Has Already Made Headlines
This particular 80-Series Land Cruiser may look familiar to those who regularly browse online car listings. It appears to be the same example that sold for $170,000 on Bring a Trailer in 2024.
Before that, it sold for $165,000 on Bring a Trailer in 2023. The buyer failed to follow through, however, so the Land Cruiser was listed again.
That $170,000 sale was an anomaly, but high prices for exceptional 80-Series models may be becoming less unusual. At the time of publication, just five other 80-Series Land Cruisers had crossed the $100,000 mark on Bring a Trailer, out of 808 total listings.
One of those vehicles was an Icon-modified example, which likely helped increase its selling price. A sixth received a high bid of $115,000 but failed to sell. All of those listings appeared within the previous five years.
Other Toyota SUVs Are Also Bringing Higher Prices
The 80-Series Land Cruiser is not the only older Toyota SUV attracting significant auction prices. Earlier this year, an equally clean 1996 Toyota 4Runner established a new benchmark at another Mecum auction.
The 6,951-mile 4Runner SR5 sold for $52,800, substantially more than the auction house expected and more than twice the going rate for 4Runners of the same vintage in reasonable condition.
The 80-Series Is Entering Collectible Territory
As these SUVs grow older and attrition reduces the number of clean examples, newer generations of enthusiasts are also changing what qualifies as a classic car.
For the 80-Series Toyota Land Cruiser, that progression is already reflected in the increasing attention and prices surrounding the best-preserved examples.
