ICON Celebrates 500th FJ40 Land Cruiser Restomod
An African safari inspired a lifelong love of the FJ40 Land Cruiser – and would eventually kick off the restomod craze.
Vintage SUVs – especially those re-imaged as retro-modern restomods – are all the rage right now. However, Jonathan Ward, founder of TLC 4×4 and ICON, was way ahead of the trend. He built his first modernized FJ-series Land Cruiser all the way back in 2002.
Ward first found himself drawn to the FJ40 Land Cruiser on an African safari back in the 1990s. Along with his wife Jamie, Ward was blown away by the rugged capability of the early Toyota SUV.
At first, Ward set out to restore these workhorse machines to their former glory, founding TLC 4×4 to facilitate the process. He spent years learning the ins and outs of FJ40 series Land Cruisers as he honed his craft. Eventually, one special project would cause his focus to shift.
A Dream Grows From Inspiration
That special project for a special customer inspired Ward to create semi-modernized restomods of these legendary off-road vehicles. Ward worked closely with his client to restore their 1965 FJ43 Land Cruiser, while adapting it to their particular needs.
The result was a somewhat original-looking Land Cruiser with special grey metallic paint chosen from Audi’s color palette. Additionally, Audi seats found their way inside, a major upgrade from the original basic buckets.
Word got out, and Ward found him building modernized FJ40s for a wide range of customers with an equally wide range of needs and desires. He was even tasked by Toyota to build a restomod ahead of the FJ Cruiser launch. His shop was visited by Mr. Toyoda himself, who eventually ordered two more resto-modded FJs.
Eventually, this resulted in the birth of ICON in 2007. The restomod concept caught on in a big way, and now, in 2024, ICON is celebrating its 500th build. This one is a New School Edition 1964 FJ44, powered by a 6.2L V8 engine backed by a five-speed manual transmission.
As you might expect, the suspension and brakes have been similarly upgraded to modernize the classic Land Cruiser for performance and safety. Other modern touches include heated seats, powered side steps, a backup camera, and LED headlights. Naturally, it’s also dark grey, like the first FJ restomod all those years ago.
The classic SUV trend shows no signs of wavering in popularity. Looks like Ward and his crew at ICON will be building these for a long time. We can’t wait to see #1,000.
Photos: ICON
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