Ode to the Hilux
What do South American farmers, Libyan rebels, the United Nations, Taliban fighters, and Top Gear have in common? You need but look at any picture compilation of civil wars, peacekeeping missions, or African road trips from the past four decades to come across it. Never the focus of the picture, never in the center, yet ever-present. A legend born in 1968 and now in its 7th generation named the Hilux. What the AK-47 is to the world of arms, the Toyota truck is to the world of cars and mobility. Indestructible, cost effective, reliable, quick and maneuverable. Add in a brigade of guerrilla soldiers with the aforementioned Kalashnikovs or a .50 caliber gun on the bed, and you have one of the technically simplest yet most dangerous weapons systems in the world. This is why the Toyota truck has seen action in all major and minor conflicts since its creation. It even has a war named after it: the Toyota War between 90,000 man strong-Libya and 30,000 Hilux equipped Chadians (guess who won)?
