This Toyota Bandeirante Oj55 Is The Coolest Way To Get A Brazilian

August 12, 2022

Despite the fact that there are new cars coming out every year and still others from overseas becoming legal in the USA each year it can be tough to find something sincerely unique. This 1994 Toyota Bandeirante OJ55 is the remedy for that issue though. Not only is it sincerely practical and classically styled but it has a diesel powertrain, a real pickup truck bed, and an upgraded leather interior.

Toyota began building the Land Cruiser in Brazil in 1958. It was actually the first product from the brand built outside of Japan. Years later it was renamed the Bandeirante and that’s why you’ll note the clear styling similarities between this truck and the first two generations of the Land Cruiser.

Just like those early Land Cruisers though, this is a pretty spartan pickup truck and its final bidding price will likely reflect that. Mileage is unknown as the odometer is inoperable. It stopped working at about 42,900 Km or 26,700 miles. While it has a heater, it has no air conditioning and the rear windows are operated via crank handles.

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Still, it’s not all bad news. The front windows are powered and the interior itself is upgraded with quilted leather on the seats and door cards. Somewhat amusingly, the rear seats include four spaces and four headrests but so little legroom that we can’t imagine even two adults hanging out back there for very long. Nevertheless, the 14B diesel engine under the hood is notoriously long-lasting and robust.

It sends power to all four wheels through a five-speed manual transmission and a two-speed transfer case. It might not be a luxurious Jeep Gladiator competitor but at least it’s rugged and classically styled. Perhaps most important is that it’s already been imported and titled here in the USA so the next owner won’t have to deal with that headache.

It’s up for sale on Cars & Bids with a bid of just $15,000 as of this writing. That’s not too much for something that would be very rare no matter where you drive in the US. Not to mention that it could be a practical and usable truck instead of a garage queen. You might even save enough to put some decent-looking wheels on it.