Someone In America Bought A Brand-New Toyota FJ Cruiser In 2021

America is the home of the SUV, and there are many different models that look pretty much alike to European eyes. One that stands out a bit more is the Toyota FJ Cruiser, which has become a cult classic.

It’s perhaps not the prettiest car ever made - from some angles it even looks quite gawky - but it’s heavily influenced by classic Toyota Land Cruisers. There are clear nods to the FJ40 version as well as the original FJ generation from 1951. With big lights, bigger wheels and suicide doors like a Mazda RX-8, the FJ Cruiser is a car that stands out.

We never officially got the FJ Cruiser in Europe, but the mechanically similar Toyota Land Cruiser Prado did come here. It’s probably been around longer than you think, with the initial concept being shown way back in 2003.

The car went on sale in America two years later, and ran until 2014. Amazingly, one brand-new FJ Cruiser was registered in the US in the first half of this year, according to Motor1, even though it was at least seven years old at the time of purchase. It also mentions that one Lexus GS found its first owner in the last few months, despite being off-sale for some time.

We like seeing ‘zombie’ cars that are registered brand-new long after they were officially available. New Dodge Vipers and Lexus LFAs occasionally get bought, and recently a Lotus Evora found its first home seven years after being built. We also recently reported that a singular Honda CR-Z had been sold last year.

It’s a bit of a mystery why some cars stick around for so long before being registered. Perhaps the dealer will hide a car away in storage, hoping to make a good profit on it in a few years’ time.

The FJ is a pretty mainstream car, though, even if it does have quite a cult following. Used prices are pretty high as the FJ is desirable, so maybe this one buyer decided to live the FJ lifestyle like it’s 2014 all over again.

Would you buy a brand-new old car? Let us know in the comments.