Vehicle Description
The Toyota Century made its first appearance way back in 1967 to
celebrate the centennial of the company's founder, Sakichi Toyoda.
As a fitting tribute, designers envisioned a car that would satisfy
the ideals of Japanese luxury, with no compromises from outside
cultures. Conceived as a Japanese equivalent to a Rolls-Royce, the
Century was a hand-built limousine intended for business leaders
and high-ranking dignitaries. The body style remained essentially
unchanged from 1967 through 1997, with only some minor styling
tweaks and mechanical refinements along the way. Powered by
Toyota's own light alloy V8 engine, displacement grew from 2.6
liters to 4.0 liters by the end of the original series. These cars
were the epitome of Japanese luxury. By the last-run G40 series,
equipment included luxurious cloth upholstery, power adjustable
rear seats, electric door latches, automatic climate control
(introduced in 1971!) separate controls for front/rear ventilation
and a host of other luxury and technological features. The final
evolution of the V8 series came in 1987 with the introduction of a
4.0 liter engine, four-speed automatic transmission and updated
electronics and climate control. As always, each Century was
hand-built to order by highly trained craftsmen. The cars were not
actually built by Toyota; such was the highly specialized nature of
the project that they contracted with Kanto Auto Works (today a
subsidiary of Toyota), a specialized body builder to handle
production. There is no doubt Toyota was targeting Rolls-Royce
buyers, as the shape of the Century has some very Crewe-like
styling cues, particularly in the detail of the C-pillars. The
Toyota Century is a beautifully crafted machine, built with
exquisite precision that conjures thoughts of both traditional
English coachbuilding as well as Japanese engineering excellence.
It is important not to confuse the hand-built Century as being a
home-market Lexus, it is in fact a completely separate and bespoke
line. With increased attention in the collector market for Japanese
cars, this is a wonderful opportunity to acquire a rare and
exceptionally engineered machine that you're unlikely to encounter
anywhere else. This 1991 Century is an exquisitely presented
example and one of only a mere handful of its kind in the United
States. It is an exceptionally clean example showing just 21,000 KM
from new. The dark blue paintwork is elegant and very well suited
to the handsome body lines. The body is very straight and the doors
open and shut with a satisfying solidity that only the likes of
Mercedes and Rolls-Royce can claim. Chrome bumpers are straight and
tidy with excellent plating and free of dents, dings or scuffs.
Many of these cars were chauffeur driven, and as such,
exceptionally well maintained and cared for. Wing mirrors are a
signature of the Japanese market, and thankfully these are power
adjustable and surprisingly effective. The car rides on a set of
steel wheels with Yokohama tires with distinct turbine-style wheel
covers. The overall look is of subdued elegance, a long, low and
imposing sedan that embodies quality. The opulent cabin is trimmed
in high quality patterned fabrics. For the Century and the extended
wheelbase Century limousine, fabric was preferred for its superior
comfort in all conditions, as well as the ability to dampen sounds
and keep cabin noise levels to a minimum. In addition, it remained
silent during passenger ingress and egress. The seats, which are in
excellent condition, are adorned with custom fitted crochet lace
covers, a tradition in Japanese car culture particularly in the
highly professional Tokyo Taxis as well as in most private
limousines. Carpets and the remaining soft trim are all excellent,
showing very little use and made with high-quality materials. A
mixture of English and Japanese labeled switchgear controls the
countless functions and systems on the Century. It features cabin
adjustable suspension, sport and comfort modes on the transmission,
fully automatic climate control and power seats front and rear. One
of our favorite discoveries was to find the air conditioning vents
in the dash automatically oscillate to circulate the air evenly.
Toyota's 4.0 liter V8 engine (known as the 5V-EU) is unique to the
Crown Century line, and in this late specification produces 165
horsepower and 215 ft/lbs of torque. It may not be a powerhouse,
but it operates in near silence, wafting the big Century along
effortlessly. We found it to be smooth, exceptionally quiet and
quite enjoyable to drive. The Century offers an altogether
different kind of luxury than the leather-swathed techno-marvels
from Germany; it is an experience that melds traditional, old
school ideals of understated luxury with the high levels of
technology and precise engineering that are simultaneously embraced
in Japanese culture. This lovely Toyota Century has clearly led a
charmed life, perhaps shuttling dignitaries or powerful executives
around Tokyo in its distinctly traditional manner. It is a
beautifully presented example that will surely start conversations
wherever it appears, providing an enjoyable and unique motoring
experience along the way.
