Which of the long line of cars is most typical of the Land of the Rising Sun ? Nissan Skyline? Toyota Corolla? Honda Civic? All three are Japanese legends , sold for several decades, but only one car can be the most iconic. In the case of Japan, it is the Toyota Century , a luxury limousine almost unknown in Europe.
At the same time, the Century has been offered since 1967 , and at that time it was only the third sedan produced in post-war Japan. The sedan's name refers to Sakichi Toyoda , the founder of Toyota Industries, who celebrated his centenary in 1967.
The remarkable journey over the 5-meter-long Century sedan with a wheelbase of 2860 mm began in 1967, when the limousine went out into the world on the basis of the Crown Eight model (which the Century replaced), then the top car of the brand. In addition to the chassis, the front-mounted eight-cylinder engine with a volume of three liters was also borrowed from the Crown, the power of which was transmitted to the rear wheels by an automatic or manual with three or four steps. Similar to the main competitors Nissan President and Mitsubishi Debonair , the Toyota Century was painted black, complemented by a chrome radiator grille , bumpers or door handles. The car had to look presentable, because it was used by the imperial family from the beginning (although it was not the official car of the emperor), but also by the prime minister of the Japanese government or high-ranking businessmen. Of course, they used their own driver , so the greatest comfort had to be in the back seats. Thanks to the already mentioned huge wheelbase , there was enough space in the longitudinal direction, and the width of 1890 mm ensured that the shoulders of the passengers certainly did not suffer. Upholstery and paneling with the highest quality materials was added to this. Thanks to its uniqueness, Century also received its own logo , different from the rest of the brand's production.
The first modernization came in 1973 , when a 3.4-liter eight-cylinder with 170 horsepower got under the hood, replacing the already somewhat outdated three-liter unit. Just two years later, the three-liter manual transmission with three or four steps came to life, which was fully replaced by an equally stepped automatic. These were the last changes that took place inside and outside the Japanese sedan for a long time. The production was strictly limited and thus approached the hand-made cars of much more famous brands . Sales are always in the hundreds per year, with the only exception being the period between 1985 and 1989, when during the rapid growth of the Japanese economy , sales doubled – from 1,027 units in 1985 to 2,117 units in 1989. However, we were a little ahead of the curve. the sequence of events.
First, we have to get to 1975, when the Century Gas Turbine Hybrid concept was presented at the Tokyo Motor Show. Already from the name, you can deduce what was taking care of the car's propulsion – the engine powered by a gas turbine was connected to a generator, which gave energy to 20 batteries with a voltage of 12 V. These, for a change, powered two electric motors , on the left and right front wheels. If the entire system worked together, the Toyota could drive up to 160 km/h, but a purely electric drive with a maximum speed of 120 km/h was also possible. It is interesting that the concept was already produced in 1971 , but was presented to the public only four years later.
In 1982, the Century of the first generation received a single, but very significant appearance modernization . The delicate rounded lines of the predecessor have been replaced by the strictly angular shapes of the radiator grille, front and rear headlights, and chrome bumpers. At the same time, the 3.4-liter eight-cylinder disappeared from under the hood, replaced by a four-liter eight-cylinder with a capacity of 162 horsepower, which also had fuel injection or an emission control system. In this way, the Toyota Century remained on sale for another five years, before the next modernization came in 1987 . This had an effect mainly on the interior, which received a completely new dashboard and steering wheel, and for the D-Type versions, also the shifter head between the front seats , which no longer formed a bench, but was divided into two separate seats. However, it was still true that the passengers in the back came first.
They could have been even more excited in 1989, as the 650 mm longer version of the Century Limousine went on sale. The overall dimensions were impressive – a length of 5770 mm and a wheelbase of 3510 mm could satisfy even the pickiest statesman or businessman. For a better design balance, the rear doors were extended by 150 mm , the Limousine version also received a vinyl roof, and in the place of the body extension, we find a window dividing the driver's seat and the rear passengers. In the back of this version, there is wood paneling , leather upholstery or a small TV. In total, the plan was to produce 60 units of the Century Limousine , which used a standard four-liter eight-cylinder engine for propulsion.
Somewhat less impressive was the second extended version of the Toyota Century . The L-Type model, introduced in 1990, has a length of "only" 5270 mm and a wheelbase of 3010 mm , but even then it is enough for a more than decent stay in the back seats. Especially when the L-Type shares a 150mm extended rear door with the larger Century Limousine. In this form, including two extended variants, the first generation Century was produced until 1997 .
In 1997, the world saw the second generation , which at first glance was not far from its predecessor. Of course, it got a more modern-looking body with a modified radiator grille , smaller headlights and a differently shaped rear, but the basic lines did not change. The second generation, which is still on sale, is 5270 mm long, 1890 mm wide, 1475 mm high and has a wheelbase of 3025 mm . The weight is just under two tons. The drive of the "crumb" is no longer an eight-cylinder, but a five-liter twelve-cylinder VVT-i , which makes the Toyota Century the only Japanese sedan with a V12 in the front and rear-wheel drive . The engine has a power of 280 hp and a torque of 481 Nm, the transmission of power was initially handled by a four-speed automatic, in 2005 it was replaced by a much better six-speed automatic.
Compared to its predecessor, the interior has also been completely changed, equipped with air conditioning (exhausts at the front and rear), airbags and a radio. However, the principle remained the same – maximum comfort for rear passengers . For example, Toyota adapted the door opening, which is done electronically, because the mechanical sound was simply too intrusive . Passengers can also enjoy the massage functions of the seats, which are also ventilated, or the reclining part of the front passenger seat, thanks to which the rear passenger can comfortably stretch his legs. Since 2008, satellite television has been the standard . The choice of upholstery is interesting. Although leather remains in the offer, customers are far more likely to go for wool , which is much quieter when sitting in the seats or moving on them while driving. In most models, you will also not find blackout windows, instead of which additional curtains are used.
The second generation Century is based on the even larger and more luxurious Toyota Century Royal , the current official car of the Japanese Emperor . The Century Royal replaced the Nissan Prince Royal , which had been in use since 1967, but which began to have reliability problems in its last years. That is why the Toyota Century Royal was introduced in 2006, which was to be produced in five pieces, each with a price tag of 500,000 dollars (approx. 10.1 million crowns). However, due to the high cost of individual production of each piece, only four cars were produced in the end. The length of the sedan is a monstrous 6155 mm , the width is 2050 mm, the height is 1770 mm, and the wheelbase is 3510 mm long . Compared to the base version of the Century sedan, the Royal has unspecified safety equipment, granite steps descend upon entry, and the rear is lined with Japanese rice paper. While the driver and his front passenger sit on leather seats, the rear passengers use wool upholstery for obvious reasons. Throughout the body, you will find the sixteen-petal chrysanthemum symbol, which is the emblem of the Japanese imperial family. Under the hood we find a standard five-liter twelve-cylinder engine with an output of 280 horsepower in combination with a six-speed automatic. This combination takes care of moving almost 3 tons of heavy machine.
Even today, the Toyota Century has a supreme position in the hierarchy of the Japanese automaker's concern, even though it is officially one of the brand's two flagships (the other being the Crown Majesta sedan). Of course, it stands above all Lexus models and, together with the Crown models, is sold only in the Toyota Store network. Currently, the basic price is at the level of 12,538,286 yen (approx. 2.5 million crowns). Although a few pieces reach beyond the borders of Japan (mostly as cars of Japanese diplomats or government officials), 99% of the cars produced remain in their homeland.
Source: Toyota, wikipedia.org, autopolis.wordpress.com
