Welcome to Toyota Gibraltar Stockholdings (TGS), the unique dealer responsible for nearly every safety, aid or emergency car you’ve seen on the news.
The iconic 70 series Land Cruiser may look appear in aesthetic, but remains incredibly important in the present. Despite the discomfort that comes with driving this beast, the simple mechanical nature and historical reliability of Toyota’s flagship off-roader makes it the perfect vehicle for any situation; be that in the bush, the desert, the snow or deep water. A 70 series Land Cruiser, on the rare occasion that it does break down, can be fixed anywhere given there are no electronics that control the engine.
It is predominantly the various iterations of the Land Cruiser J70 stocked and modified at Toyota Gibraltar Stockholdings, however the dealership does do other utility and on-road vehicles including newer Land Cruisers, Prados, Hiace Commuters and even the occasional Corolla and RAV 4. The caveat being, all these cars start out with the white paint code 058.
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Although these cars are manufactured in Japan, it is in Gibraltar that they are housed and modified to servicer various humanitarian needs for the UN; disaster relief, conservation projects or peace-keeping missions in times of conflict. Not only does the dealership hold the vehicles, it is also home to every extra off-road part or specification you can imagine, and in turn modifies each vehicle uniquely to fulfil its purpose, whether that be as an ambulance, an anti-poaching aid or a rescue car. Roughly 650 vehicles leave the dealership every month.
“At the end of the day, it’s not a car, it’s a tool. A white Toyota, paint code 058 might represent salvation, medicine, education, hope, aid, food, relief. Its a sign, above all, that things would get better,” says Top Gear’s Ollie Marriage as he reflects Toyota’s unique dealership in Gibraltar.
Take a look inside the dealership and dive deeper into the detail of how and why these classic Cruisers are used.
