This 1981 Toyota Hilux SR5 is as close to buying new as you will find. With a nut and bolt restoration this two owner vehicle is simply stunning
Despite its appearance and capability, the Hilux name was chosen as a contraction of the words ‘high’ and ‘luxury’. Despite the Hilux never offering anything more luxurious than a clock, it’s a name that has stuck and is now synonymous with absolute invulnerability.
Although some will remain fans of more American sourced metal, even the likes of Top Gear managed to prove that an N40 is genuinely indestructible. The trio not only drowned it, they also set it on fire and then decided to strap it to the roof of a high rise block of flats before it was raised to the ground. The result? It fired straight up and drove off, after every single challenge.
Back when the Hilux was first born, it came from Toyota’s commercial division Hino. Eventually Toyota decided to build the light commercial under their own brand, and in 1968 the ‘HiLux’, as it was originally known, was born.
The first two generations didn’t see the four wheel drive option that is the most recognizable aspect of the beast. This came in during the 1979 model year, or the N30 generation like the vehicle featured here.
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Just look at it. This is likely one of the best SR5’s there is, bar none. Having been owned by the same owner from new (1981) through to 2018, it was never used commercially. When the second owner bought it, they knew this was the perfect platform to undertake a nut and bolt restoration. Having been used as the family camper over four decades, its mileage is believed to be correct at 73,000.
The SR5 was the truck to have, and really caught the hearts and minds of the world when Marty McFly sought his own in Back To The Future. Although this example isn’t black like his, it has a legendary eighties style vinyl pack that really sets it off. How did they manage to make brown and beige so damn awesome, avocado bathrooms definitely didn’t leave the same legacy.
The top of the line 2.4 liter inline four powers the truck, which is known by the community as the 22R. Although this may not be a fire spitting V8, these engines won fans around the world for their invulnerability. Not that any of that matters, as this Hilux is better than new.
