ICON FJ Series History

Jonathan Ward built his first modernised FJ-series Land Cruiser around 2002 through his prior company, TLC 4x4, after developing a passion for the FJ40 on an African safari in the 1990s. When Akio Toyoda asked Ward's team to build three running prototypes for what became the 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser, it crystallised Ward's vision: to reimagine the original FJ40 his own way. ICON 4x4 was formally founded in 2007 to bring that vision to market.

Each FJ Series vehicle begins as a donor Toyota Land Cruiser from the 1960–1975 production run; the original vehicle identification is maintained throughout the build. ICON replaces plastic and rubber components with milled aluminium and steel, fits a modern fuel-injected V8 or crate engine, installs a fully engineered suspension system, and retains the classic silhouette. Four body configurations are available: the FJ40 (two-door short-wheelbase), FJ43 (extended-wheelbase two-door), FJ44 (four-door), and FJ45 (two-door pickup).

By March 2024 ICON had completed its 500th build — a 1964 FJ44 fitted with a 6.2-litre V8 and five-speed manual transmission — a milestone the company marked as a landmark for what is widely credited as the vehicle series that invented the elevated off-road vintage-truck restomod category. Wait times at peak demand have reportedly exceeded four years.