ðə tˈɜːm "lˈænd jˈɑːt" bɪɡˈæn tʊ ɐpˈɪɹ ɪnðə lˈeɪt nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti z, æz fˈʊlsˈaɪz lˈʌkʃɚɹi kˈɑːɹz bɪɡˈæn tə ɡɹˈoʊ ɪn sˈaɪz ˌɪndᵻpˈɛndəntli fɹʌm mˈeɪnstɹiːm nˈeɪmpleɪts.
The term "land yacht" began to appear in the late 1950s, as full-size luxury cars began to grow in size independently from mainstream nameplates.