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The limousines used to transport Japan's richest and most powerful will now be sold globally as part of Toyota's plans to chase more customers at the top end of town.
The Toyota Century could come to Australian showrooms officially for the first time as part of plans to turn the Japanese car giant's flagship limousine into its own high-end brand for global markets.
The Century name is applied to Toyota's most exclusive and opulent cars – as a sedan since 1967, before an SUV was added to the range two years ago – favoured by Japanese businesspeople, politicians and other officials.
Century models have long been exclusive to Japan – and sold under the Toyota brand – but that is set to change, as the badge will be spun off into its own brand above Lexus in the Toyota empire.
And it is poised for a global expansion for the first time, as part of plans to target Rolls-Royce and Bentley at the top-end of the luxury-car market.
There is no word on if Century will be sold in Australia, but its vehicles are made in right-hand drive – clearing one barrier in the way of local sales, if a global roll-out is planned.
Century limousines have grown popular in Australia in recent years with grey import firms, particularly 2000s examples with V12 engines.
The British brands were named in a presentation by Ian Cartabiano, president of Toyota's CALTY design studio, to global media ahead of the Tokyo motor show.
The event is being used by the Toyota group to reveal a high-riding Century coupe concept, pitched as a "one-of-one" offering prioritising chauffeur-driven passenger comfort over sporty handling.
A "one-of-one" example of the Century SUV was shown alongside it, with a matte black exterior and Flame Orange interior.
There is also a Century sedan in an updated version of the GRMN sports variant that, until now, has been a one-off for Toyota president Akio Toyoda, gaining a new front grille and Nishijin carbon-fibre details.
A sliding left-side door opens the Century coupe concept's cabin, which deletes the front passenger seat for easier access into the second row, claimed to offer as much space as the Century SUV.
The driver is partitioned off from the rest of the cabin, and faces a sporty steering wheel and instrument cluster arrangement for customers who don't want to be chauffeured in the rear seats.
Riding higher than a typical coupe, the two-door Century is sleeker and more contemporary in its appearance than other models from the brand, with a long bonnet, arch-like glass roof, and large black wheels hiding big brakes with red calipers.
It is only a concept car for the time being, but it appears ready for production.
More details of the Century brand's potential for Australia are expected in the days after this morning's reveal of the coupe concept at the Tokyo motor show.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
