TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL 7(RUNS)

The 70 Series Toyota Prado was never officially sold in Australia, so when you see one on the tracks it tends to stand out. While we had a 250 Series Prado on test we saw it as a perfect opportunity to line it up with the original model.

- MATT RAUDONIKIS

THE 250 Series Toyota Prado is the fourth generation of the 4x4 wagon to be sold in Australia following on from the 150, 120 and 90 Series models that set the framework for what has become one of the country's most popular 4x4s for off-road adventures and school drop-offs.

Not widely known is that there was a Prado well before the 90 Series ... but it was never sold by Toyota in Australia.

The 70 Series Prado first appeared in 1990 when it was sold in Japan and other south-east Asian markets as the 77 and 78 Series and, although it was never sold in Australia by Toyota, there are a few greyimport examples here now.

The 70 Series Prado used what is essentially the four-door wagon body that we eventually got here as the VDJ76 in 2007, but it was fitted with unique front sheet metal, grille and headlights, plus it had coil-spring suspension and lighter duty axles borrowed from the HiLux of the time.

The light-duty wagon was sold as the Prado in some markets and as the LandCruiser II in others.

This adaptation of light-duty underpinnings was similar to what we saw under the Bundera in Australia. The Bundera was a short-wheelbase, two-door 70 Series that got coils and HiLux axles, and was available here with a removable top.

Other LandCruiser 70 Series of the time were commercial vehicles that rode on leaf springs and big diffs for hard work, and in the case of the Bundera the inclusion of coil-spring suspension and light-duty axles was made to make the basic vehicles better suited to family and recreational use.