Photo: Bonhams
Summer is all about adventuring into unfamiliar territory, experiencing the great outdoors, and driving off into the sunset in the most literal sense. You could do all this in a rig that’s been sat in by a very famous butt: Tom Hanks’.
Earlier this month, Bonhams announced that the Quail Lodge Auction, scheduled to take place between August 13 and 14, would include a very special collectible: the custom 1992 Airstream Limited Excella trailer that Tom Hanks had been using as his own movie trailer for almost three decades. As it turns out, there’s yet another item that will cross the auction block on that occasion, and it’s just as awesome – and considerably more affordable.
It’s a custom 1980 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser, bought and commissioned by Hanks himself specifically for the off-road. It is powered by a GM L35 Vortec V6 engine with 180 hp, paired with a 5-speed manual transmission, with upgraded suspension (Old Man Emu shocks and steering damper) and seats (Porsche power seats), and presenting in decent condition.
Bonhams notes that the “beefed-up, go anywhere” Land Cruiser was used specifically for the purpose it was built, and telling signs can be found in the interior and on the odometer. Read: this was no garage queen, it was used consistently throughout original ownership.
That said, the vehicle has been professionally maintained and, even without the celebrity association, it could still competently serve a new owner, whether on the highway or off of it. Features include the stock seats in storage, air conditioning and factory heating, roof rack and spare tire, a couple of folding seats in the cargo area, and a Sony AM-FM-cassette stereo with extra speakers in the back.
“This is an FJ enthusiast’s FJ, ready to continue to give loyal, reliable service both around town and off road,” Bonhams says. “Its Tom Hanks history only adds to its appeal.”
The auction house estimates the rig could fetch between $75,000 and $125,000. To ensure a price closer to the upper estimate, Hanks throws in a signed autograph on the dashboard.
It’s a custom 1980 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser, bought and commissioned by Hanks himself specifically for the off-road. It is powered by a GM L35 Vortec V6 engine with 180 hp, paired with a 5-speed manual transmission, with upgraded suspension (Old Man Emu shocks and steering damper) and seats (Porsche power seats), and presenting in decent condition.
Bonhams notes that the “beefed-up, go anywhere” Land Cruiser was used specifically for the purpose it was built, and telling signs can be found in the interior and on the odometer. Read: this was no garage queen, it was used consistently throughout original ownership.
That said, the vehicle has been professionally maintained and, even without the celebrity association, it could still competently serve a new owner, whether on the highway or off of it. Features include the stock seats in storage, air conditioning and factory heating, roof rack and spare tire, a couple of folding seats in the cargo area, and a Sony AM-FM-cassette stereo with extra speakers in the back.
“This is an FJ enthusiast’s FJ, ready to continue to give loyal, reliable service both around town and off road,” Bonhams says. “Its Tom Hanks history only adds to its appeal.”
The auction house estimates the rig could fetch between $75,000 and $125,000. To ensure a price closer to the upper estimate, Hanks throws in a signed autograph on the dashboard.
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