Here’s one you don’t see every day: a replica of a classic Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser known as a 1982 Delta Mini Cruiser! This is perhaps one of my most favorite things on eBay in many years, as it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than a standard FJ40 and looks just as rugged and ready to storm the fire road as a Toyota-built truck. The only problem is it’s located in Italy, which is to be expected for such an obscure little truck. The seller notes that it was built by Filipino Delta Motor under license by Toyota, and it is located here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $6,000.

The truck is located about 50 kilometers from Turin and is said to be highly original with no signs of accident damage and presumably rust. The spare tire is still original to the truck, as is the faded green paint. The dimensions are supposedly smaller than an actual FJ40, and the seller calls it an “original product” rather than a copy of the beloved Toyota. The truck is dusty, yes, but overall looks very complete. I’m not sure if there’s an aftermarket for a vehicle like this, but it’s clear it was never hacked up for off-road use. The seller says it was used and maintained “…with great care” and that the only major flaw is the plastic windows on the canvas top are torn.

The compact cruiser even has rear seats, which you wouldn’t expect in an obscure build like this. The spare tire indeed appears unused, and this would seemingly indicate a fairly quiet existence. The seller reports that the truck is one of about 500 originally sold, and if we’re reading the description correctly, it was only intended for European markets. The Mini Cruise comes with seating for six, rigid front and rear axles, and four-wheel drum brakes. It hasn’t traveled far since its original importation, last sold in Turin in 1992.

The engine is a 1.6L Toyota gas mill that produces around 69 b.h.p. and was shared with the Diahatsu Taft. It features a four-speed gearbox with a two-speed reduction gear. The engine bay looks fairly neglected, and I don’t get a clear sense from the description as to how well it runs. As someone who has taken on three obscure projects in my day, I can honestly say that as much as I would love something like this, the thought of trying to find spare parts or body panels just leaves me tired; I’ve done that for too many years and would have to be truly in love with a particular vehicle to want to take on the stresses of hard-to-find parts. Still, it would be fun showing up at the Land Cruiser meet with an FJ variant no one has ever seen.