Features

If you happened to be looking for the ultimate Southern Californian surfers' car, you couldn't walk past this thing. Reversed into its space, with the back end pointing west into the Pacific, it looked by far the coolest machine in the Surfers' Point car park at Ventura on the glorious Friday morning of our encounter.

It wasn't long before Curt emerged from the ocean and placed his 1976 Jacobs long-board into the Chevy's load tray. Very fit-looking for his age, well-spoken and polite, Curt seemed to have all the time in the world to talk to us Limeys about his surfing and his Chevy.

"I'm president of the local Surfrider Foundation so this old Chevy comes in handy - I throw all the junk into it. The cops don't think it's worth towing and nobody'll hurt it. I've had it for 25 years, it's perfect for what I need and, besides, it's all I can afford. I've got a simple job, so I can concentrate on more important things."

"Like surfing?"

"Like surfing."

I can't help wondering if the FJ Cruiser will look as good in 2046 as Curt's pick-up does in 2006. On the way up Highway One to Ventura, the FJ certainly caused a stir - it's not on sale yet, so hasn't ever been seen on the road.

Reactions were all positive, especially from 25 to 35-year olds, with questions ranging from 'Is it a prototype?' to 'Can you get it in black?' The words 'awesome' and 'dude' were used often, and in close proximity. The words 'cynical', 'marketing' and 'ploy' were oddly absent.

Parked right next to Curt's Chevy was another solid old surf-mobile, a Volvo 740 estate. Its owner, Jake Grigsby, had already spotted the FJ Cruiser and was on his way over to examine it.

About 30 years younger than Curt, he was right at the heart of Toyota's target market for this car - a young Californian male, earning a decent wage, aware of his image and into action and adventure sports, who needs to be seen driving the right set of wheels round town.

"Looks cool," said Jake. A good start. "Is it a concept? No? A prototype? No? They're going to sell it? Sometime in the spring? How much for? Just 25 grand? That's cheap, man."

Curt, on the other hand, while a bit senior for Toyota's FJ potential market, was the perfect age to remember the original FJ40 Land Cruiser and be utterly cynical about this piece of retro rubbish. In fact, he pointed out the resemblence to the FJ40 instantly, but without a shred of cynicism.

Both men loved the look of the Cruiser, and the four-litre V6 engine that it shares with the Toyota 4Runner. They weren't bothered that it uses the 4Runner's chassis and drivetrain. And they liked that it wasn't a gigantic SUV in the mould of a Hummer. It's mid-sized, or 'massive' in UK terms; about the same as a Hilux.