The second generation Toyota Century, with the creamy smooth V12, was first built in 1997. That’s now 25+ years ago, meaning it’s now eligible to be direct imported to the US. This one was caught by nifticus in Vancouver, B.C., but I’m sure they’ll be popping up south of the border now. How much, for Japan’s finest? This one importer has 33 of them, and the prices start in the high teens, most in the low-mid $20k range.
I know a number of our readers won’t have anything but a big traditional sedan, so maybe a pampered Century is in your future. If you really can’t stomach driving a Toyota, maybe just swap the Toyota badges for ones from a Buick?
Finally a Toyota real Luxury Sedan. Has formal look, V12 ,and even looks to have a chrome bumper! Interesting that it’s a CENTURY (once a great BUICK full size).Have to admit it seems to have appeal and price seems good. But will stick with my Town Car. It’s paid for, love it, AND my Dad(who worked for INLAND STEEL. for years) would come up out of his grave and hauntđź‘» me for buying a Toyota!
You could always get someone to drive you around in it and pretend you were Douglas MacArthur.
You know the funny thing is I really do want one of these. I’ve always wanted a Rolls Silver Shadow/Wraith/Bentley T or Silver Spirit/Silver Spur/Bentley Eight/Mulsanne/Turbo, but I’m wary of the running costs from the mechanical fuel injection, hydraulics, electrics, and fuel consumption.
Not that I assume these Centuries are runnable for Corolla (or even Lexus LS) money, but I bet it is not only more manageable than the Rolls, but probably a W140 or W126 as well. If I had room for three cars, could overcome the psychological (psychotic?) attatchment to my W124, or didn’t need a van anymore this would be right on my list.
Any self respecting Buick badge would refuse such an assignment.
Not to worry, as I suspect that the car was probably engineered with the capability something akin to organ rejection if someone were to try to put non-Toyota parts on it. 🙂
Just take the badges off a modern Buick, they’re designed for badge engineering.
Please, they should be happy with the upgrade.
The main problem with the Toyota Century is it is far better than any Lexus. It makes the LS look a Corolla.
I believe this is a true luxury sedan with unmatched built quality by excellent Japanese craftsmen in a highly specialized Toyota shop. You can not find more exclusive mass produced vehicle than Toyota Century. Maybe it has been Toyota intention to market these cars in Japanese domestic market, it was primarily tailored with Japanese taste. Frankly the exterior style is plain, the overall style reminds me a mid-70s full size Ford or Chevrolet sedan. If you are still interested in watch, you can find the Grand Seiko has the same approach. Both of them are designed for wealthy and conservative business executives. I think you can get one from Ducan Imports of VA in East Coast.
I own a grand Seiko, which I bought used for something like 30% of the retail. I don’t think it’s any more conservative than a Rolex, which is pretty conservative admittedly. The craftsmanship and the technological sophistication of the Spring Drive movement is on a whole other level though.
Toyota dont market the Century at all anywhere, the invite people like CEOs to buy one if you are mega wealthy in Japan you might get an invite to sample one new or you try for a used example.
This vehicle was used in movie “Lost in Translations”. It was a hotel service limousine, so we can say it is not as exclusive as we think. Gangster bosses often use them too. But I am totally impressed on how they were built. You can’t be more exclusive than the way they were made. You can get the original work shop records of each vehicle in hand writing as I am told
Just this week I was looking at a JDM importer’s inventory and noticed they had a few of these. I daydream of buying one of these big Japanese sedans (Centurys, Nissan Presidents, etc.) – if I were ever in the positing of buying a classic-type vehicle, these cars would be at the top of my list. Can’t wait to see one in person!
Did they ever make a left hand drive version?
No like most JDM cars they were never supposed to leave Japan, but New Zealand has many thousands of ex JDM cars and more than a few of these Centurys either V12 or V8
There are two problems with JDM cars no new parts backup and thingsdo go wrong never mind the bulletproof reputation its an urban myth, the other is safety and theft deterents that arent fitted.
There are few left-hand drive of this verison of Century in China, but the neo-riches in China prefer the famous European bands
Evidently, a tiny number were made for Middle East markets – I’ve seen the number estimated at 100 vehicles. I assume the price of one would be pretty high.
Yes
https://www.reddit.com/r/regularcarreviews/comments/rddncd/left_hand_drive_toyota_century_the_official_car/
Looking at the pic, the first word I would use to describe the look, is ‘sombre’. Between the cloudy day, grey paint, and very serious styling, reminds me of a ’60s Lincoln.
The widely-kerned ‘C E N T U R Y’ on the trunk lid, really gives it a dated ’70s American domestic luxury car look. Perhaps, what they were going for.
Elements of the rear’s styling, remind me of the Plymouth Sapporo rear.
Do you want a V-12 in your ride, but can’t afford a BMW or a Ferrari? Is that what’s troubling you, bunkie? Well, fear not! Toyota to the rescue, with the Toyota Century! Built and styled like a piece of full-sized American iron, but with Toyota’s legendary reliability and value. I just hope your local Toyota dealer can get the parts from Japan, LOL!
Good luck with that, the Napier Toyota dealer refused to even acknowledge Toyota ever built my Diesel Corona.
Just as I suspected. If you own one of these, keep your passport current and be prepared to either make regular trips to “The Land of the Rising Sun”, or pay big bucks and wait for weeks for parts to come over here on a slow boat from China (now, even the Japanese make things in China, because it costs too much to make them at home)!
I just wonder why GM never sued for trademark infringement? Buick, after all, owned the name first!
Because they were never in competing markets. It it were sold in the states it definitely would have had a different name like say the Mitsubishi 3000GT, which was the Mitsubishi GTO at home.
I guess it comes under the heading of “Picking Your Battles”, and GM’s lawyers had bigger fish to fry at the time!
I am quite certain GM didn’t register the “Century” mark in Japan.
The Buick Century was actually sold in Japan, however it was badged as a Regal.
I’m no lawyer, but I believe in order to successfully sue you have to be able to prove you suffered a harm that is worthy of compensation. That wouldn’t be the case here as these cars were in different markets and GM’s sales of Buick Centurys in the U.S. would have been unaffected by a car few Americans have ever heard of. And if they ever did overlap in a market, like in China, the name association would only have helped the Buick (and harmed the Toyota)!
I have long had an irrational desire for this car ever since reading a long Motor Trend article detailing its build process. (That I actually read something from Motor Trend should tell you how much the Century captivates me.) Forget Rolls and Maybach — in my eyes, the Century is the most prestigious sedan one can own, just for its sheer unavailability. True, it’s not to everyone’s taste, and most people will dismiss it as merely the best Toyota. But for those who value attenttion to even the slightest detail and the world’s best craftsmanship more than flashy styling and luxury cues, this is it.
Merely the best Toyota, so a Cadillac is merely the nicest Chevrolet you can get, these Centurys are likely better cars than GM ever built anywhere.
I would love to buy one and donk it out with a garish paint job similar to Lennon’s RR. Then I would drive it to the local Cars & Coffee and watch the haters heads pop off.
Im guessing but from the prices you mention they seem to be the same in NZ, Ive seen the odd one or two o Facebookmarket for 12k but with problems to fix for the new owner, I replaced my car recently but I bought a newer version of the same car.
I’ll admit I’m in awe of these.
Such excellence in craftsmanship, combined with Toyota-level reliability. While retaining styling that remains conservative, almost to the point of agelessness. Or invisibility, which is probably just what the customers desire.
Can the Century actually be considered a mass-produced car?
The interiors are quite sumptuous. I saw one of these on the street a couple of years ago.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/124897762@N02/51715017895/in/photostream/
I don’t care how well crafted they might be, how well assembled or engineered, how reliable, any of those things. They still look frumpy and dumpy and I would not want one soiling my, far less than pristine, driveway.
I may not have high standards, but I have some standards
.
So don’t buy one.
Seriously, these cars were never remotely intended for American or even mass market Japanese tastes. They were analogous to the old Rolls-Royce Phantom V and VI limousines, chauffeur-driven transport for a very narrow range of VIPs (I think typically ones who for political reasons needed to be seen in Japanese-made cars rather than German or Japanese ones) and who were deemed to be of sufficiently lofty status to even have the opportunity to buy a new one in the first place.
It was absolutely not a car for me or thee, or probably anyone who would even park it in a driveway except with the chauffeur standing by to whisk them away after signing a treaty.
(“rather than German or British ones,” gah.)
Your original post got me wondering: has there ever been a situation where a politician decided it was better NOT to be seen in a domestic vehicle? I can’t think of any offhand, but politics can be strange sometimes.
For countries that don’t have native luxury car production, I’m sure there’s a sense that cars from some countries are more or less politic than others, depending on the current state of political relations and so forth.