A while ago Jim Brophy shared a great little post featuring the Toyota Probox, one of the more ubiquitous contractor grade vehicles that are all over Tokyo (and the rest of Japan). That reminded me of one that I saw when I was last over there and created the perfect opportunity to share it here.
Yes, Japan has a large tuner crowd that usually specializes in lowering and making things faster. But they also have fans of the Off-Road culture with lots of examples of the Toyota Land Cruiser and many other off-roaders, almost always spotless but sometimes modified. So here we have one of the apparently few privately owned Proboxes, converted to be a little more “Bro”-style, ergo the Brobox named more after our own BroDozer pickup trucks and not Jim Bro-phy although that fits too…
Taking cues from the off-roadiest of Toyotas, the grille features the Toyota name spelled out, harkening back to days of wonder and magic when Toyota didn’t have a logo and thus was kind of forced to just plaster the name on the grille. Nowadays of course that’s reserved for the most capable versions of the off-roaders that Toyota builds and something of a badge of honor.
The front end styling denotes this as one of the first-generation cars, some would call it plain and bland, I think it looks clean, understated, and purposeful. The color works too, a light tan, very reminiscent of the hue on many Land Cruisers although it was actually closer to the Light Ivory (Hellelfenbein) of German Taxicabs.
Endowed with a lift kit, black steelies (that may well be repurposed stock silver items with some black paint) shod with Mudstar Radial M/T (Mud-Terrain) tires, all that’s missing is a set of rock rails and maybe a few LED light bars for the full effect. However, in the more demure Japanese style that isn’t always evident on their tuner cars, this just gets the job done without being all shouty about it and frankly works for me in a less is more style.
Of course there’s already enough flair and extravagant style built in with that little angled corner at the base of the D-Pillar. They probably thought nobody would notice. Please. The way that taillight too angles into the quarter panel just screams for the area to be looked at, it’s all so in your face.
Around back, more TOYOTA lettering on the liftgate and the tag at the bottom right denotes it as a 400kg-er, or almost a half-ton for us more versed in pickup truck lingo. This is after all sort of the equivalent to the F-150 over there as far as I’m concerned, yes most are only used for business purposes and very few (so far) are used for personal use. Maybe that’s because the Probox only comes in what we’d call XL and maybe the XLT trim levels, and not in an Emperor Ranch trim.
Back when I found this I was convinced that all Proboxes were FWD, however I realized later that there was in fact an AWD version as well. This may well be one, however it also might not be, I don’t know if there is an obvious “tell”. The automatic transmission isn’t definitive, the AWD one was also available that way. All I know is that with AWD availability I’m even more interested in having one than I was before!
Inside it’s all business with what we could be fooled into thinking is luxurious black leather, but is almost assuredly Toyotas finest Toyo-No-Tex. Buttery smooth, and cossetting for one’s backside, even when the going gets rough and the backside gets sweaty. Just wipe it all down afterward and it’ll be good for another 2 million kilometers.
As much as I like the regular Probox, I took a liking to the Brobox as soon as I saw it. I spent part of that evening trying to figure out if this was a factory item but eventually came to the conclusion that no, it’s someone’s own creation. If the Probox was sold abroad I could see this variant becoming a thing though, but I fear Toyota HQ itself may not realize the potential that is here.
Related Reading:
Curbside Outtake: 2002-2021 Toyota Probox – Just The Basics by Jim Brophy
Since these have the same 1NZ-FE (1.3,1.5L) four as the gen1 bB, which was also available in 4WD in Asian markets, but only with the automatic, I’m guessing that these also required that same automatic in the AWD version. I’m not aware of the small manual transaxle in this family of Toyota vehicle having a version with the take-off to the rear axle. I’m quite sure they AWD version has the same solid rear axle as the JDM AWD bB.
Anyway, automatics are almost universal in Japan.
These are of course also built on the NBC (Vitz/Ist/Yaris) platform as the bB and xB, and the main difference is that the Probox has a bit longer wheelbase and overall length, and is not quite as tall. And when these become legal in the US in 2027, they will make for an interesting possible replacement alternative.
I regularly drive past a row of these for sale without plates so off the boat fresh I didnt realise they had AWD but so do so many Japanese van things,
I test drove a Nissan Bassaro recently for a friend to buy for cheap wheels just to make sure it drove ok over a year with grass growing underneath it on a mates lawn possibly might have ruined something but no it drove fine and very surefooted at speed on gravel, turned out it had AWD and I’d never asked or been told, most of them dont but a certain trim grade did and this was it, I dont read Japanese or something on the dashboard would have clued me in I guess anyway it sold and has since been scrapped and replaced
A 96 Aussie Ford Fairmont festering in the driveway at the same place had a more glorious finale in a demo derby
That´s a really good bit of industrial design. I like the proportions – it´s very purposeful. It´s a pity these working vehicles get destroyed. You nearly never see an old van but many of them are as interesting as cars from the same period.
I’m trying to imagine “Emperor Ranch” trim. On anything!
What might the Emperor have on his ranch’s Probox, assuming he has one? Obviously it would have all the bells and whistles Toyota could throw at it, but I’m trying to imagine a décor theme appropriate for His Imperialness. Imperialosity? Whatever. I’m thinking embroidered cherry blossoms and flying cranes might be a bit too stereotyped, maybe even kitschy. But definitely plenty of fine woodwork, and sliding panels to conceal storage.
Ideas?
Ha! Great post! That’s a nice find – I’ve never seen a lifted Probox before.
Not such a far reach for “Emperor Ranch”. I have a 2016 Ford Transit Connect Titanium. Basically what Ford did was take what is a work truck for plumbers and electricians and cut windows into it, cut a moonroof, leather seats (2, 2, and 2 in the back with rear A/C). Not quite a “King Ranch” but lots of headroom (very high roof), lots of legroom and, important to me, I do not have to bow my head as if to the Emperor when I enter or exit. Front wheel drive only, but I do not go off road.
I’m amazed that the automatic shift indicator has “P-R-N-L” on a home based Toyota. I guess this is the influence of automatics being developed in North America and spreading out to the rest of the world.
I wonder if the word “Park” has filtered into the local language or do folks use the native translation?
If there was a modern off-road version of this model with manual transmission, I think I would not hesitate to buy one.
Great find — like Brophy-san, I haven’t seen anything like this about Tokyo either.
Love the old-style “TOYOTA” (coupled with logo delete, naturally). I see a lot of modern Land Cruisers with this lettering, usually alongside other mods too.
The Probox is a complete anti-car, for me. That’s because I lived in Burma for several years and Toyotas in general account for 80% of traffic, but over half of those are Proboxes. Kind of makes one sick of the sight of them.