We experience true luxury in one of the few Toyota Century units in Malaysia

Toyota isn’t exactly one you would associate with the ultimate form of luxury and it’s likely that most of you might think of Lexus when it comes to a luxurious Toyota. Yet, in Japan, there is one model that represents true luxury and it sits higher than the oval L badge – the Toyota Century.

Welcome to the first article of Cult of Cars, a series where we feature some interesting tidbits on all kinds of cars, from local heroes to legendary JDMs and some rare rides in between. Right off the bat is a Toyota exclusively known for its Japanese gangster appearance mainly because of its ties to the underworld.

If you love weird and interesting cars as much as some nearly 2 m-tall YouTuber, you might have heard of the Century with its boisterous V12 engine and majestic chicken phoenix badges adorning throughout the car.

Unfortunately, that massive engine was only offered for the second-generation which was launched about two years after this particular Century. Even with a “smaller” 4.0-litre V8 engine underneath, there’s a lot that can be said about the first-gen Century starting with its design.

3 decades of untouched grandiose

The Toyota Century was introduced in 1967 to commemorate founder, Sakichi Toyoda’s centennial birthday. The company first began as a loom maker and a very successful one that is still around today.

Car manufacturing became one of the core businesses of the Toyota Group and we’re not here to wax lyrical about how good Toyota sewing machines are. The Century was meant to be the ultimate luxury car for the discerning Japanese including politicians, the emperor, and yakuza bosses.

The latter group might give the Century a threatening aura with its huge size that was inspired by the American land yachts of the time. According to chief designer, Kenya Nakamura, large Cadillacs and Lincolns were the biggest (literal) influence but he and his team added some dignified and traditional Japanese elements to the design.

The result was an imposing yet majestic design that became the hallmark of the Century. However, the Century wasn’t alone in the massive Japanese luxury barge segment. There was also the Nissan President, the Mitsubishi Debonair, and to a much lesser extent, the Mazda Roadpacer and Isuzu Statesman de Ville.

Also read: Few realize Isuzu’s pioneering work, and this is why you don’t hear much about them

While these competitors saw new generations introduced or were just discontinued completely, Toyota stuck with the Century’s design for 30 years. Though this Yamato Illusion Grey Mica unit is from 1995, it’s largely similar to the one from 1967.

The true crystal ball to the future of the automobile

Toyota only builds a certain number of units of the Century annually and since many owners are from the upper echelons of society, it is a very exclusive car to be in, let alone see outside of Japan.

Being the ultimate flagship Toyota, the Century was given updates to keep it fresh though the exterior design is largely untouched. For instance, the V8 engine was updated 7 times in the 3 decades it was in production either by making it bigger or to comply with emissions standards.

This 1995 model is known by Century enthusiasts as the late VG40 generation. In fact, the owner, Maison, said that the production year for this Century is actually 1997 which makes this one of the last production units of the first-gen Century.

Though the outside still screams late 1960s Toyota, the inside has an air of familiarity for those who are accustomed to Toyota models of the early 1990s. There’s a digital dashboard, a cassette player, and way too many buttons all over the car.

Also read: Quick Review: The Toyota Sera is a 30-year-old bubble car that is quite liveable in 2022

In the middle of the floor lies a 4-speed automatic transmission that you might see in a Corolla or Land Cruiser of the time. Yes, this nearly 2-tonne behemoth is paired to a conventional 4-AT and its large engine only produces 165 PS and 289 Nm.

Also read: Toyota says ‘Ninja Turtle’ Land Cruiser 80 is the benchmark for Land Cruiser 300, not the 200

Performance is clearly not what the Century aims to achieve though. It’s a car that is best enjoyed in the back seats than behind the wheel which we’ll get to in a bit.

Besides, whoever is behind the wheel needs to learn Japanese or at least whip out the good ol’ Google Lens to translate the buttons and switches. Since it’s only available in Japan, almost  everything is in Katakana or Hiragana including the buttons to control the A/C and the power windows.

Features in this Century include heated seats, adjustable suspension, cruise control, a digital dashboard, and automatic self-levelling headlights. Yes, this car has an early version of adaptive headlights before it is even mainstream!

That’s not all the quirkiness one can find on just the front of the cabin as the power-operated windows also apply to the quarter/vent windows (common in cars of that era) of EVERY door while the middle air-cond vents oscillate like a table fan. Let’s not forget the soft and supple red velour seats which are rare combinations for the Century.

First-class, nay, premium-class back seats

A lot of thought and effort were placed on the convenience of the Century’s rear occupants which is where the luxury car excels the most.

Also read: Top Rank: From Rolls-Royce to Hongqi, the 8 most luxurious cars in the world

The rear bench seats are electrically adjustable with heated and massaging functions which in the late 80s and early 90s might be a game changer but are faint by today’s standard. At least everything still works though.

There is also rear seat entertainment in the form of a cassette player and recorder. Rear occupants can choose to play their favourite Huey Lewis and The News Casiopea tapes or record meetings in the back.

Then, there’s the main party piece of the Century’s rear seat – a reclining function. Open the latch on the front passenger seat and it is transformed into a bed for a quick nap before the next meeting with some power brokers, ministers, or a rival gang leader.

Speaking of, we managed to experience what it’s like to be driven around a Century and to put it simply, nothing else comes as close when it came to comfort. Not even a modern-day Rolls-Royce or an S-Class.

Sitting on the soft seats is akin to being on a cloud and as Maison chauffeured us around his detailer in Subang, we felt nothing more than blissful zen as the Century soaked up the bumps of the heavily pockmarked roads.

More exclusive than a Rolls?

You bet. The Century commands a very high price and is exclusively JDM which makes it a good combination in terms of quirkiness and as a high-class symbol. It makes a Rolls feel pedestrian by comparison.

Also read: 2021 Rolls Royce Ghost launched in Malaysia, with prices only the poor will be bothered to ask

This particular Century is currently for sale and the asking price is in the mid-six-figure range. That might sound steep for a Toyota but this is more than just a badge more famous for reliability. It’s the most majestic luxury car ever made and since it’s from the largest Japanese carmaker in the world, it’ll certainly last a lifetime.

Also read: 10 weird Japanese cars that will blow your minds!

Special thanks to Maison and his crew from Cartec for allowing us to spend some time with this majestic Toyota.