Exclusivity is a powerful coin. Sometimes exclusivity is deliberate just as Lamborghini doesn’t want too many people driving Urus SUVs after all, for instance.
For the super luxury marques, the combination of materials, design, and customization drive prices up so high that only the privilaged few can afford them. Such is the case with the $400,000 Rolls-Royce Cullinan (customization excluded).
And for some hardcore, high-end automotive luxury freaks, there is a luxury vehicle that is even harder to get than a Rolls-Royce. It’s called the Toyota Century which started similarly to Nissan’s Patrol.
Toyota and Nissan were both competing on a project and instead of a four-wheel drive SUV, the companies were competing for the chance to build a car for Japan’s Imperial Household. Debuting in 1967, the first-gen Century eventually became available to other VIPs like the CEOs, diplomats, and so on.
Since then, the Century has only been updated two more times. The second-gen debuted in 1997, according to Automobile. The third-generation did not appear until 2017.
But even when Toyota sold the Century outside the Emperor’s immediate family, there weren’t many takers outside of Japan. Although Toyota made 100 left-hand drive second-gen Centuries, only 27 were sold. The third-genenration is not being sold outside of Japan at all.
What makes the Toyota Century a rival to Rolls-Royce’s finest?
True, as Jalopnik reports, the Toyota Century doesn’t have the latest infotainment system. But that’s because Toyota wanted to ensure no Century would ever break down. Rather like the 4Runner in that regard.
And when it comes to customization, Rolls-Royce does have just a bit more to offer. Roadshow reports that Toyota only offers the current-gen Century in four colours of black, burgundy red, silver, and blue. But this paint, like the rest of the Century, is more than what it seems.
Only four people in the whole of Toyota are allowed to paint the Century. One of them has apparently been working the Century line since the first-gen car. It isn’t just hand-painted, it is also hand-sanded and hand-polished and more like lacquerware than the average factory paint line. And the rest of the car shows that, while Toyota doesn’t offer many options on the Century, that doesn’t make it any less luxurious.
The phoenix badge at the front of the car of the 2018 Toyota Century is a reference to the Imperial House of Japan, and takes 45 days to hand-carve. The bodywork itself is finished by hand by three craftsmen.
Rolls-Royce prides itself on the quality of its leather. Toyota, while it does offer leather in the Century, places equal pride in its wool upholstery. Japan is a very humid country, and wool is both more breathable and quieter than leather. The seats are also coil-sprung, as opposed to foam-filled, for maximum comfort.
Century, then, isn’t necessarily about the latest technology. It is about refining every aspect of car craftsmanship into making the most serene and unobtrusive experience and even a previous-generation unit has a lot to offer.
While the current-gen Century uses a hybrid V8 and does have upgraded safety features, earlier Centuries are no less impressive and not just because of the second-gen with a 5-liter V12 which, incidentally, wasn’t shared with any other Toyota vehicle. Even first-gen Centuries had a Sport Mode for their engines, and electronically-adjustable suspension.
Both the front and rear quarter-windows are electric. The front passenger seats (the second-gen car had bench seating up front) had a pass-through so the VIP in back could stretch their legs out and nap.
In the rear armrest, there is a built-in cassette recorder. The climate control and stereo could be controlled by a remote from the back seats. Those back seats also have a massage function, one of the earliest systems fitted to any car. The engine is fuel-injected, meaning you won’t have to mess around with carburetors.
MIKE OCHONMA
