The very first Toyota 4Runner reached US shores in 1984, which means the introduction of the 2025 model coincides with the 40th Anniversary of Toyota’s iconic off-roader arriving in America. More than a million have been produced, making it one of the most successful SUVs in automotive history, and to think it all started with one of the most elementary ideas ever conceived. Oddly, it wasn’t Toyota’s designers who looked at the highly successful Hilux and wondered how it could be made more family-friendly without spending too much money. The original idea came from a Toyota dealer, Jack Safro, who asked Winnebago to create an enclosed Hilux. The result was the Trekker conversion, which was a smash hit.
