How I Found Out About It
COBI had already announced the license itself around the time of the Nuremberg Toy Fair—Toyota was featured there as a new brand in the COBI portfolio, and ever since then, I’ve been eagerly waiting to see which vehicle would be the first officially licensed model. Now we have the answer, and it turned out to be pretty cool.
The Original: Toyota Land Cruiser 40 Series
The new set is based on the Toyota Land Cruiser J40 series, whose best-known version is known as the FJ40. It’s a true classic among off-road vehicles: Toyota produced the series from 1960 through the 1980s, originally as a direct competitor to the Jeep CJ. Its defining features were the rugged ladder frame, solid axles, and a selectable four-wheel-drive system—a combination that made the FJ40 a sought-after work, safari, and expedition vehicle worldwide. For those who want to delve deeper into its technical history, I highly recommend the detailed Wikipedia article on the Toyota Land Cruiser J40—there you’ll find, among other things, a complete history of its engines and a breakdown of all body styles.
Today, the FJ40 is a sought-after classic that’s popular among restorers and collectors—so it’s no wonder that Toyota chose this particular model for its COBI debut.
The COBI Model in Detail
The officially licensed set is called the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 Expedition and is built to a 1:35 scale from approximately 238 parts. In the first rendering, the vehicle is already shown in full expedition mode: Luggage and equipment are stowed on the roof, and the set also includes a figure with a camera as well as a small jungle diorama featuring tropical vegetation, a tree, and—as seen in previous DAK sets—a small monkey as an accessory.
It remains to be seen whether the front and side windows, license plate, and the suggested dirt spot under the windshield will ultimately be printed or applied as stickers. A release date has not yet been set either. A little fun fact on the side: Set number 24593, mentioned in the announcement, has actually already been assigned to the Barkas B1000 flatbed truck—a similar mix-up had previously occurred with the Flakpanzer IV “Ostwind.”
Car plus diorama—a trend taking hold at COBI
What I particularly like: The FJ40 fits into a trend that’s been evident at COBI for some time now. Since the 1:35-scale vehicles were moved from the Youngtimer Collection to the revived Action Town line, there have been more and more cars that offer significantly more than just display models—such as additional accessories, a small diorama, or a minifigure. This is also a clear trend in the current sets, one that COBI is consistently pursuing.
My Conclusion
An expedition vehicle with a diorama and a minifigure to kick off the Toyota license—that’s a great choice and fits perfectly with what COBI is currently doing with its car models. As soon as there’s news on the price and release date, I’ll keep you updated, of course.
What do you think of the first COBI Toyota model? Are you already looking forward to it, or will your decision to buy depend on how the stickers or prints turn out? Feel free to let me know in the comments!