AK-10

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July 10 1944 AK-type 4wd prototype production ( "Predecessor" to the "Land Cruiser" [1] )

AK-Type

SPECIFICATIONS

Overall, Length: 3,390mm 
Overall, Width: 1,570mm 
Overall, Height: 1,800(1,370)mm 
Wheel Base: 2,300mm 
Tread, Front/Rear: 1,300mm/1,300mm 
Minimum Turning Radius: 6.0m 
Vehicle Weight: 1,100kg 
Payload: 500kg 
Seating Capacity: 2 Passengers 
Gross Vehicle Weight: 1,800kg 
Engine Type: C type Gasoline engine, 4-cycle, OHV 
No.of Cylinders: 4 
Bore and Stroke: 84.14mm x 101.6mm 
Displacement: 2,258cc 
Compression Ratio: 6.0 
Maximum B.H.P.: 43HP at 2,800 rpm 
Maximum Torque: 17.0kg-m at 1,400 rpm 
Maximum Speed: 80km/h 
Gasoline Tank Capacity: 50L 
No. Produced: 4

Engine Used:

C type engine, 2258 cc inline-four OHV Gasoline engine of the "Toyota Model AE" passenger car, three-speed transmission and two-speed transfer were connected with it. There is no structural relation between "AK 10" and postwar "Toyota Jeep BJ".

History:

The story goes...in 1941 - Japanese Imperial Army occupied the Philippines, when they obtained Bantam Mk II, and brought it into Japan promptly. The Japanese military authorities commanded Toyota that they made a similar vehicle. There was an order from them, "do not to model the appearance of a prototype on a US Jeep" too. The prototype called "Model AK" was adopted Yon-Shiki Kogata Kamotsu-Sha ( 四式小型貨物車 The Imperial era 2604th model compact cargo-truck ) formally by The Japanese Imperial Army.

Toyota started development of the 1/2 ton prototype called the AK10 in 1942/43? The AK10 was built using reverse-engineering from the Bantam MkII.

Rumor one says: It was unsuccessful and production went to Nissan instead.

Rumor two says: It was never in production due to termination of the war.

The truck featured an upright front grille, flat front wheel arches that angled down and back like the FJ40 and headlights that were mounted above the wheel arches on either side of the radiator. It also had a folding windshield. The US Army Jeep arrived in the Pacific in May 1943.

Since the Jeep is know for a fact to be in the Pacific in May 1943...It is more plausable that Toyots recieved an example Jeep from the Imperial Army after this time and a copy was being produced then. A prototype completion date of July 10 1944 would put it at the very end of the war. September 2nd 1945 Japanese surrender ceremonies.

Sketches are shown with two headlights:

but photographs show only one.

This would explain the one headlight:

"During the Pacific War (World War II) the company was dedicated to truck production for the Imperial Japanese Army. Because of severe shortages in Japan, military trucks were kept as simple as possible. For example, the trucks had only one headlight on the center of the hood. The war ended shortly before a scheduled Allied bombing run on the Toyota factories in Aichi."

from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota

Prototype completion dates for WW2 Toyota military vehicles:

March 1942 “KB-type” truck production started (improved “GB-type”)

Nov 1943 "KC-type" truck (wartime model of KB-type) to start producing

Nov 1943 "Su-Ki" amphibious type 4wd production

July 10 1944 AK-type 4wd prototype production

Dec 10th 1944 TR-type four-ton tractor

1943/1944? Experimental "Toyota LVT"

Further military Toyota vehicles:

"FJ-type" "FQ-type" "Mega Cruiser"