1993 Toyota Century - Jay Leno's Garage
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- čas přidán 29. 09. 2018
- Get to the Yakuza meeting with elegance in this rare example of a Toyota Century! Chris Marion from Original Rare introduces Jay to all the quirks and luxury features and watch out for that trunk latch!
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1993 Toyota Century - Jay Leno's Garage
• 1993 Toyota Century - ...
Jay Leno's Garage
/ jaylenosgarage - Auta a dopravní prostředky
One thing they failed to mention is the paintwork. The Century was lacquered paint and required a lot of hand work, much like the older Rolls Royce’s. They had multiple layers of hand rubbing to create incredible depth. One of the other videos on the Century said there are only about five people in Japan qualified to paint a Century. So, if you had a a fender bender and wanted the paint to be original it would cost you a fortune.
5 people and theyre ancient
I love how they just casually talk about the blood stain in the trunk as if it were just a feature of the car lol
It’s where the Yakuza put the bodies
@@jimmy22334 😈
@@jimmy22334 exactly 💯
Ikr someone died there😂
Super casual like it was a sticker or something innocent haha!
Worked for a Japanese company in the 2005 and they had the company chauffeur take me to the airport in one of those. Was very special and still remember how smooth and comfortable this car felt! Thanks for the blast from the past!!
13:24 "This is really a six passenger car..." Yeah.... 2 in the front, 3 in the back and 1 in the trunk!!!
At 7:53 he said the trunk is big enough to hold a body
cicci0salsicci0 and the one in the trunk should have a first aid bag in case of injury!
Yakuza car.
remember, avg Japanese are about 1/2 the size of fat americans...
It has 3 Seats at the front
Doug would have a field day with all of those quirks and features.
He could probably even fit in the trunk while telling us how tall he is.
We don´t do this here!
Lock that twerp in the trunk
Corks.
Doug s Jay's illegitimate love child. Jay supported Doug growing up.
The Century is a wonderful car, and handbuilt at that. The fit and finish is flawless. I have driven the later V12 version, which is superb.
Looks like a big Toyota Crown, love the crowns have collected 7 over 40 years.
Yeah I noticed that too, have you had any jzs171's?
@@bipu496 no all mine are 1979 ms85 or earlier
Why haven't you contacted Jay to be on his show??? ;)
@@drivestowork Down sized and sold them all and moved to the coast and also we live 5,000 klms away.
That's exactly what it really is.
A spectacular car! We owe the Japanese so much for their technological contributions. Also, the thing I like and appreciate so much about Jay Leno is his graciousness and respect for things and people. I can't imagine him EVER making someone feel uncomfortable for any reason. He's a good guy. I'm a fan. He deserves his success.
Not Velour..
It's Wool.. For the cooling and wicking properties that are appreciated in humid climates...
And it's considered more "luxurious" than leather.
IT'S KNOWN THE JAPANESE CONSIDER WOOL MORE LUXURIOUS. LEATHER IS NOISY, VULGAR TO THEM.
Leather seats were for drivers because it doesn't wear out as quickly as fabric. But then it was added to all seats for durability
I did not know that, thx.
That's funny because all the leather seats i've had in my automobiles never OUTLASTED the cars that had fabric. Lol
Indeed, even British and American cars that used to have open driver's compartments used leather for all leather durability but the masters of the household who were enclosed always sat on cloth as it was often brocade or tapestry and very costly.
A 26 year run for a body style. Classic. Also featured in the opening scene in Lost in Translation as Bill Murray rides backseat on the way to the Tokyo Hilton
I bought one of these two weeks ago and now it's my daily driver. Great fun car :)
Samuel Brown hahahahaha
Post a vid of it or it's made up
hows the gas haahha
@@badcornflakes6374 why would you just assume some random stranger is just making something up, that sounds so insecure.
@@AimForTheBushes908Because people don’t realize how cheap they are so the idea of daily one sounds ridiculous.
9:50 Door closing sounds to die for. Soft, solid and heavy.
this car will go 1,000,000 miles no problem
So will the interior.....wool wears like iron.
1 000 000 boring and comfy miles
That's right, just ask scotty kilmer!!!
I want one
@Eric L bingo
That shot at 18:24 is awesome, nice synchronization, kudos to cameraman and the one who drove the camera car.
I love when this guy brings theses cars on Jays show, they’re pretty amazing! Thanks again Jay for this channel I love it!
I love 90’s cars of all countries. It can be classified as an affliction at this point considering the work to keep them running.
He didn't mention it in the video, but these cars are hand built in a special factory. Also the engine is the 5V-EU and was only used in the Century
Charlie Denbigh Same steering wheel as on the LS400, the Lex also had the 4.0L V8, but I guess its a diff version?
@@tinhinnh LS400 had a 1UZ-FE. Completely different engine, just the same displacement
Whats the performance difference between the two? The LS’ was silky smooth...
@@tinhinnh the original 1990 LS400 made 250hp/250tq. I have a 1998 LS400 and that has a revised 1UZ with VVT, makes 290hp/300tq. Mine balanced a nickel on the intake manifold with original engine mounts at 236k miles. Smooth as hell, I replaced the engine mounts and you cant even tell its idling.
They mentioned in the video "primarily in this vehicle" and later "used in Lexus" correct or incorrect....it was mentioned
That's not a 'registration' sticker, nor a 'shaken (mandatory inspection)' sticker; it's simply evidence of a recommended but not mandatory annual check. In this case with an expiration date of June 2017 (Heisei 29). This often coincides closely with the date that mandatory inspection 'shaken' comes due; cars in Japan at the end of a 'shaken' cycle often fetch less at sale due to the inspection fees, taxes and repairs that may be required at that time. The optional annual sticker can be an indication that a vehicle was especially well looked after.
I don't blame the guy for not fully understanding, there's quite a bit of paperwork required here to own a vehicle. I've been through it many times during my nearly 30 years in Japan.
Do you have an email? Im looking to start both importing and exporting whatever is wanted to japan. If you have time i had some questions
I believe that what you are proposing would be quite difficult. Best of luck to you in your ventures though.
Great video. A good friend of mine, a year ago bought a 1993 Toyota Century in Black with a leather interior. Absolutely stunning car. I've been lucky enough to drive It twice so far.
25 years later and all the buttons and features still work. That's craftsmanship my friends.
Of course, Toyota and Lexus products of the late 80s and early 90s were the best.
Toyota never used leather because a wool interior is quieter than leather , even the latest generation
Yeah even the 2018 got no leather
But those seats stink like hell if you don't care for them properly.
@@merkantelismo any seat will stink if not cared for
Its also cause the car is supposed to hold a degree of traditionalism and prestige from an older era
riding on the carcass of an animal is strange as well.
3:03 Production varied greatly as each car is built to order. However, closer to 1800 cars were built annually for this generation.
6:21 The Century was and is sold only in Japan. A few very used vehicles were spotted in Russia in the 90s. Toyota's presence in the South Korean market initiated in 2002. The same demographics in Korea are served by the Ssangyong Chairman. Toyota's joint venture with GAC Automotive sold their first cars in 2006. The Century, which must be ordered in person from a Toyota Store showroom, is not among their offerings. Neither China nor South Korea issue plates to LHD cars.
6:50 The local registration and inspection on this vehicle ended in the sixth month of the 29th year of the Heisei era, the reign of Emperor Akihito; June 2017 to the rest of us.
7:10 Sakichi Toyoda, one of the fathers of industrial Japan, founded the Toyoda Loom Works in 1926. He died a mere four years later. He did not survive to see his company become an international superpower.
7:30 Japanese, especially those who are likely to own one of these vehicles, abhor the sun. They don't want to look like a peasant laborer with tanned skin. They sell a lot of sunscreen lotion throughout Asia.
8:26 Fugu
9:18 Lace curtains are provided for protection from the sun and discretion. It is a standard feature. The lace to provide a washable surface at the tops of the seats are missing from this car. Replacements are available from Toyota in Japan.
9:44 If the seats have the original factory coverings, they are wool. It is warm in the winter. It is cool in the summer. It is the quietest automobile seating surface.
12:34 Leather was never available. The Australian leather used in Japan was determined to be fine for a plebeian car, but not for the Century.
Excellent information, I too noticed the top of the seat covers white lace things were missing.
Cheers!
I think you mean RHD, LHD is what North America uses. Also, I live in Korea and you for sure can register RHD JDM cars here. While not common, they do exist. In fact there's a RHD Corolla wagon parked in my apartment parking garage at this very moment.
Stan W. Baker century was sold in HK.
I like the fact that it's a right hand drive
that would explain all the lace and lace curtains I saw in multiple taxis I rode in around there XD
Love it when Jay features Japanese cars! Thanks for sharing!
The guy sounds so enthusiastic. Fun fact: his mad, sad, normal and happy expressions are all the same. :)
He's as understated as the car. BTW, I always wondered what happened to judge Ito after the OJ Simpson Trial. Now I know ...😂
The dash, I wanna see the dash - all the high end features etc.
same. They shouldn't have skipped that just cause it's a luxury car. The review of the commodities in the back were cool though !
Gotta wait for a Doug DeMuro piece for that haha
They put that dash in a lot of 80's/early 90's cars like the Cressida from about 82-88(US Model) Japan got digital dashes in Cressida/X chassis cars until 92. Just search up.Cressids or Mark II digital dash
Yeah sorry - wrong channel.
Watch regular car reviews for that.
That's a really cool car. So many amenities and features, and still has a nice look to this day
I don't know why but I have always absolutely loved this car. Incredibly dignified and restrained
Awesome now that some JDM only cars can be imported to US. Some of the finest cars ever built.
This is better than anything from Rolls Royce at the time.
Cars1999 show me a 30 year old Rolls Royce I’ll wait 😂
I say Rolls Royce marketing is much better than Toyota. Rolls fooled everyone.
even the modern Rolls aren't this good to be honest; more buttons =/= luxury
Define 'better'?
In 1993, RR was selling the Silver Spirit/Spur.
@@MatrixDiscovery fooled them how exactly...?
WHAT A STUNNING LUXURY SEDAN!!..ICING ON CAKE IS THAT IT IS JAPANESE!! WHICH MEANS SOLID AS A TANK!!😍😍😘😘
SUBTITLES FOR DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING.
Please like so they can see this.
I think they auto-populate after some time, his other videos show it as an option. I'd suggest checking back in a couple of days and see if its updated.
If people don't know, you need to view media that supports the hard of hearing and visually impaired. For example, not all movie theatres have the technology available. I'm in support of higher theater prices (variable cost, non-profit) to get these technologies widespread for all movies and all viewings. If you haven't already thumbs up for subtitles in all commercial media, be sure to thumbs up for Closed Caption and Described Services for the hearing impaired and visually impaired. No one should ever have to pick and choose what and when they can enjoy the same media you view whenever they want to.
Nice!!
They could also help two things at the same time, as someone who has difficulty interpreting while listening to the English language.
Absolutely agreed. If you 're supplementing a regular viewing with English captions, alternate language should also be available.
The audio on all of jays videos is quiet. Sometimes i have the volume all the way up on my phone and i still have a hard time hearing the speaking. Might not be a problem with headphones but i prefer to just listen through the phone speaker
Solid af. As soon as i heard the hood latch pop it was the exact same sound as the GS400 and LS400 i once owned. Toyota in the 90s were unstoppable
My uncle owns one. Very nice car and very rare here in America.
I saw the Doug Demuro review but this one is just as great and informative. I have a 1992 Century V8, not the 1993 which has the airbag on the steering wheel. I just imported it and vlogged on finally receiving it. It is sleek just as you guys mentioned. Prestigious look indeed.
@@tooltime9260 🚙
The Lexus grandma! Lovely... The amazing mix of 60s vintage with 90s high tech!
Body style came out in 1967. That’s amazing!
chip leach it looks like a 1960's body. When they said 1993, I thought I misheard... Then I saw the headlights and a few other modern features. I thought it was a modified old car.
David James it does indeed look like a late 60’s-70’s European car. My knee jerk reference is American cars. This does look more like the European influenced American cars of that era.
Re; David James, Toyota also continued the 1987 Toyota Crown, as a Crown Comfort taxi package until 2017. I guess traditional looking cars are prefered for certain purposes in Japan. I notice some taxi drivers use the new generation Toyota Crown (looks a bit like a Lexus GS) instead of the (goofy looking) Toyota JPN Taxi hatchback that is supposed to replace Crown Comforts as the designated taxi model. I guess there is a certain prestige to the conservative styling of a traditional sedan? Especially since taxi drivers in Tokyo, are usually older gentleman. Having a traditional looking sedan lends a certain prestige to the job perhaps (I dunno). [I find it ironic there almost no Priuses used as taxis in Tokyo, unlike most everywhere else!]
@@TassieLorenzo although there are no priuses it is important to keep in mind that most cars used there as taxis (except the old body crown) are hybrids. Almost all new cars are preferably hybrid in Japan, it is only recently that the hybrid models of the traditional japanese cars are making it to the west.
Surprised we didnt get a “...good day Mr Bond” from Jay on this car review.
I've always loved this car - even if I've only seen it in photos and videos. It's just so charming in some way. Great to see it on your channel however.
Quiet ride is an understatement, the sound of you inside was like a recording studio.
Thanks for sharing your stuff with us commoners Jay! Awesome channel.
I'm sorry your poor
Joe Framer
I’m sorry you don’t understand the difference between your and you’re. Go hate online somewhere else to feel better about yourself.
Wow. Blood spots on the trunk. I reckon yakuza owned
The black Centuries were owned by politicians, bureaucrats, corporate executives and hire companies.
Now guess who owned the white and silver Centuries.....
Upstarts or men from Nevada.
Ya Think???
master of deduction
@@ohmyjapan4182 not the politicians.In Japan,all politicians rode a car that was known as 'Nissan Fuga'.I believe it was sold overseas as a Skyline-badged car while the Japanese PM ride the Century although he would prefer Lexus sedans nowadays
Always a pleasure. Mr.Leno rocks!!
Wow. Great tour of the seemingly unending list of features.
This reminds me of a late 80's CRESSIDA.
Smokey Nagata is the name of the guy with the Supra. He is a great guy.
@@Slicks21 yep
I watched a documentary about this car and it’s truly amazing. There’s only I think 5 people in the whole world that’s allowed to paint them. They have to work as a painter for Beau Coup years before they are allowed to be trained on how to paint them, and when the Body and Painters graduate from their special school that they have to go through they’re presented with Custom made tools that’s made for each person’s hands. I don’t know anybody that’s got tools made for their hands only
Love this channel. Thanks Jay.
I love my classic Chevrolet's but I really love this car.
This is a gorgeous vehicle!
I saw one of these beauties in Holland this summer. My mouth fell open. Never expected to see this car outside of Japan.
I saw one of these here in Sydney Australia about five years ago. They are a good looking car and very quiet as they float by.
Love the more “obtainable” cars on this channel please do more like this!!!
How funny to see this, I was just looking at buying one, so I'll look forward to this. Best bought directly from Japan & you can choose the exact model you like, as there are so few in other countries, myself in the UK. Thanks Jay. Why does the Century always make me think of the original series of Hawaii 5-0? ;--)
I love how the guy, Chris, tells a lot of the jokes with a straight, deadpan face and a super casual tone.
Chris Marion has such a mellow voice. He does great reviews.
8:50 omg that sound is so satisfying
If Toyota engineered a full size truck the way they engineered this, they would be the market leader.
Yeah, if everyone were willing to pay 200 grand for a pick up. DUH!
Its simply the best. Better than all the rest!
Chico Little It’ll happen soon enough 😂 The MSRPs on all trucks have gotten out of hand
Or just give the landcruiser a flatbed.
its already the market leader outside of USA.
I thought I heard that the interior of the Century is upholstered in wool as Japanese view it as a premium to leather. Thanks Jay, you make my Mondays more interesting.
Mr Original Rare is pretty neat. He absorbs all Jay's questions and answers very coolly and knowledgeably.
Beautiful example of old Japanese technology......😎👍😁
As always great Show Mr Leno.
"built for comfort not for speed"
So could you say this is the Howlin' Wolf of cars?
Great video as always Jay! One thing about those white, lacy privacy curtains, they lower the light in the cabin making it difficult to see into the cabin and exceptionally easy to see out of and they may lower the interior temperature slightly giving the air conditioning a chance to work.
My neighbour has one the same year in a dark blue color I will never get over the little doily curtains in the back such a cool car
I cringed when Jay plopped his work boots on the velour seats @ 10.50
He really needs a new set of shoes. I honesty thought he was going to remove his boots. Shows arrogance.
Me too! Although how dirty do you think they really get? Lol
Right, worse still the seats are actually wool
Why? It’s a car.
How about I come up and run a key down the side of your car? After all, it's just a car.
6:50 "..that's a registration sticker.."
😂
Just laugh the dead pan reply
Thanks for making me laugh Jay and guest!
Love your vids Jay
Real treat to see this on Jays garage. This has to be the premier luxury model out of Japan & wish I knew the name of the coach works builder, I dont think it was Mitsuoka. Back in 2015 we sent a maroon one off to a small importer in the south, ended up in Alabama. Regret not making a road test video. And true story with Mr.Nagata from Top Secret, he was on a war path for a long while, s, im certain he's still planning a return haha
I just road in one of the 2ed gen century’s last month NRT airport to the Park Hyatt in Shinjuku I loved the pass thru for my legs.
This and the Nissan President are up there on my must have import list
Rathanak's Life Just stay away from the first and second generation President unless you are a mechanic !
Yah but this Toyota is better.
@Mr Calcium V12 version for me tho
Back in the 1970's Japanese diplomats lived in an apartment building on East 96th Street in Manhattan and one of them had a President...fantastic car.
yep, this and the nissan president are up there
My 1982 Lincoln Mark VI Signature Series Coupe had a complete digital dash that even told you how many miles to empty and warned you when you were within 50 miles of an empty tank. It also had an electronic eye for the high beams that would sense another car coming and turn the high beams off. Not to mention the softest ride this side of a marshmallow. American luxury at it's finest!
My dad had a Buick Electra with the automatic high beam eye way back in 1965. I was just a tiny kid and thought it was the coolest thing ever.
Oh cool....nothing to do with this video
+elvistwatty
You weren't paying attention if you think this son..lol.
I have one as well with under 70K mi!!! Only problem I have is that my digital display is slowly going out. Already lost the onboard diagnostic computer display in the center. However; you are RIGHT about the ride. NOTHING upsets the ride. I did like the kick-out center section of the seat to stretch out and sleep, but that was it. The front of that Century is F-'ing ugly with stupid mirrors and looks Soviet. I'll take my Lincoln any day of the week over that 'yota.
'56 Caddy had the electronic high beam detector. a Ford LTD when it was new was a fine ride.
Now that's luxury. I thought my Dad's 1972 Toyota Corona was luxury back in the 70's. Thanks Jay, good one.
I enjoy this guest, he knew very much about the car but at the same time not cocky and aloud Jay to get his words in too. Not all guest are like that
I was a Toyota mechanic for six years from '69 to '75. There is an untold story about the Century that Toyota will probably not admit to, but a little bit of research digs it out. You probably aren't going to believe it, but the Century was an afterthought. Here is the story.
Toyota initially entered the American market in the mid-fifties with the Crown sedan in California. Sales were tepid and by the early sixties Toyota was looking for a way to break into the north American market in a bigger way. Their dilemma was how to do so without incurring a huge amount of debt. That's when they began casting around for an American car company to partner with. From Toyota's point of view, partnering with a large American car company where there was already a dealer network in place, instead of purchasing millions of dollars of real estate and building thousands of dealerships, was the best of both worlds.
Around the same time that Toyota was looking for a way to break into the American market, the principals of the Studebaker Corporation in Hamilton, Ontario were struggling to keep Studebaker afloat. They'd shut down production in South Bend, Indiana, in California and at all overseas plants, but knew that if they didn't find a solution within two or three years, they would be facing bankruptcy. That's when they hit upon the idea of pairing with one of the Japanese manufacturers who were trying to break into the American market. They flirted with Nissan for a bit but then settled on wooing Toyota and in the '63/'64 timeframe entered into talks with representatives from Toyota.
Toyota was interested in a ready-made sales network and Studebaker was interested in the idea of maybe selling a re-badged Toyota under the Studebaker name while keeping the Studebaker plant in Hamilton going. The problem was, Toyota's cars being sold in the US, though they were Toyota's largest model, the Crown, were too small and were so underpowered that the team from Studebaker felt that they'd probably flop. After all, Toyota had been selling the Crown on the American market in limited numbers in California since the mid-fifties and sales had been underwhelming - Studebaker needed a shot in the arm, not an anchor. Talks stalled.
Toyota, not wanting to lose the chance at that ready-made network of dealers, decided to try and salvage the deal by producing a car that American buyers would look more favorably upon. They based their new model on the existing Crown model but with modifications. They'd already dumped the stodgy old Crown 4-door body, that had resembled a mid-fifties Dodge, and had debuted a new Crown body style. The new Crown was more squared off and its lines somewhat resembled the Studebaker Lark. To make that model more desirable for American buyers, Toyota decided to widen the Crown model by six inches. This provided more interior room, so the car more comfortably fit the average American body size. Knowing that the 4-cylinder engine powering their Crowns already being sold in America was not powerful enough for most American buyers, and that V8 engines were the default standard for power in America, Toyota decided to power the new model with an entirely new engine, a hemi V8 (Japan's first V8). The new model was christened the Crown Eight.
While Toyota went about designing the new engine, tooling up for its production, and setting up a separate production line at a remote facility in order to build a test run of the new model. The mucky mucks at Studebaker continued casting around for new business partners. At one point, they were talking to representatives from Nissan when the Nissan reps learned they'd previously tried to woo Toyota, their biggest rival in Japan. At that point, the Nissan folks refused to meet with the Stude folks.
Back in Japan, Toyota didn't want to have to commit to full scale production of the new model if a partnership with an American firm wasn't successful. If a partnership did work out, they were ready to add a proper production line at the existing Crown plant and begin producing the Crown Eight in large numbers. After about a year of frenetic activity, Toyota managed to debut a test run of the new Crown Eight in Japan and began selling it domestically.
As 1966 rolled around, Studebaker's execs found the company hanging on by a thread. The Lark, which by then was the only model they still manufactured, hadn't been selling that well and they'd had to resort to using Chevrolet V8 engines as a way to save cost on production. Worse, they were facing a rebellion - they'd passed on the idea of partnering with a Japanese firm to their dealer network and a lot of dealers had balked and said they'd close their doors before they'd take on Japanese cars. Memories of WWII were still strong in the minds of many in the US and Canada. Despite this, a deal with Toyota was finally inked out and a final meeting was set at a hotel in Toronto to sign the papers.
The two top execs at Studebaker arrived at the hotel the night before the meet. While having drinks together that night, one of the two expressed misgivings about the deal before he went up to his room. In the morning that exec said he couldn't go through with it and he left the hotel. The other Studebaker exec was caught between a rock and a hard place. If he went ahead and signed with Toyota, they might end up facing a dealer rebellion. If he didn't, and they couldn't find another way to save the company, Studebaker would have to cease operations and thousands of workers at the Hamilton plant would lose their livelihoods. By and by, he made up his mind that Studebaker would have to take its chances and try again to find another way to save the company. He walked out of the hotel less than thirty minutes prior to the time set for the meeting. Shortly thereafter, after over a hundred years of constant vehicle production - horse-drawn wagons, electric vehicles, and then gas-powered cars and trucks - Studebaker closed its doors for the last time.
Toyota found itself holding the bag with an entirely new model and engine. The investment in designing and tooling up for production of the Crown Eight's V8 engine had been significant - they weren't willing to throw all that effort away. Toyota had been toying with the idea of vying for the Imperial car fleet. Now that they had a larger, more powerful engine, the time seemed right to produce a new larger luxury sedan with which to compete with Nissan, who'd been providing cars for the royal fleet for decades. They began designing and new model, the Century, to be powered with that new V8 engine, and built a limited run for the upcoming competition. When the next selection process was set for the royal fleet, the Toyota Century, with its very smooth and quiet little hemi, won handily. Since 1967, the Century has remained the choice of the royal fleet. That same year, after less than 4,000 total units had been produced, the Crown Eight ceased production. Today, Crown Eights are extremely rare; and, if one finds one for sale, it will cost a pretty penny.
Among car folks, the story of how Packard got royally screwed when it bought Studebaker, and how trying to keep Studebaker afloat eventually resulted in Packard's demise, is legend. However, not much has ever been said about Toyota's near miss with Studebaker in the sixties. One has to wonder - if Toyota had been successful at buying Studebaker, would Toyota have eventually experienced the same fate as Packard, or would Toyota have been able to pull Studebaker out of the hole it had dug itself, and would Studebaker have survived?
Toyota probably learned a lesson that day about how to deal with north Americans. Instead of trying to deal with one single manufacturer, they went about breaking into the north American market another way - they sought out individual dealers from all other marques who were interested in taking on, as a sideline, an additional, smaller and less expensive brand. This enabled Toyota to quietly feel out the American market, develop additional models targeted at this market, and grow to the point where, by 1975 Toyota had overtaken VW for the largest number of imports sold per year in the US, and people were lining up to be dealers. The rest is history.
What a beautiful car!
That's definitely an awesome car. I'd love to drive it
The privacy shade is to prevent people at a distance taking photos of you in the car doing meetings. Can't photograph through that, but it will let light in.
The Toyota 2000GT was another car not appreciated enough & unfortunately not enough were produced. Amazing that this body style lasted 30 years.
Someone should make a compilation of jay talking about Japanese hood mirrors hahaha
They're wing mirrors, not hood mirrors.
VERY CHRYSLER LOOKING.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO SEE THE DASH.
This car fits Jay perfectly, nice and floaty
A guy at my job has one of these, and and it has a small bar in the rear. He says finding parts is difficult. Looks awe.
If I would have the money and I would only be able to get one Japanese car. It would be a Century! I love 'em.
I'm surprised that the owner never mentioned one of the more interesting aspects of this car; that the engine is a pushrod Hemi V8. The same V8 engine family was manufactured by Toyota from 1963-1997
It´s a Hemi? Thougth it´s all Toyota?
The hemi is the Century displaced 2.6L - 4.0L depending on the year and was all Toyota. Chrysler was not the only manufacturer to make hemi engines.
I know the displacements.
Then I didn´t understand you right. Sorry. Yes not only Chrysler. Thought you mean that the Toyota engine was the Chrysler one just manufactured by Totoyta. Like the A engine Nissan did after the design of the Austin engine. License based.
Not pushrod. And all toyota engines are hemispheric head.
Chrysler literally just trademarked the term HEMI
@@TheRumbles13 ALL Toyota engines are NOT Hemispherical combustion chambers
Its not a registration sticker its just a maintenance reminder for the 1 year mark. The shaken or registration sticker is by the mirror center of the window. Great car great info. Love seeing these being saved and enjoyed.
I just found out about this car yesterday and It's one of my favourite cars ever now
Jay, time to investigate a 1994-96 Cadillac Fleetwood.
The japanese "Grand Marquis" in terms of comfort and like a real car with column shifter!
More like a hand built Bentley.
Or a Lincoln MK6 from Asia
So happy Jay is back in Double Denim
Hay to you Jay Thanks for the huge range of unique cars you present on a weekly basis Regards to you and your team
Got some brown on that nose...lol
Nice to see the Majestic Chicken again. ;)
(Doug DeMuro sent me)
Still wishing Toyota never gave into the groupthink complaints of “boredom” and kept to smart luxury with Lexus. Chasing everyone else via silly sport aspirations and excessive styling made themselves far less unique.
well with Lexus all they want to do is sell cars, howsoever with this Century nameplate they could careless of what ppl thinks of it... in fact i think they don't care if the car sells or not (if you go into the showroom in Japan and ask for too many options they'll actually give you directions to the nearest RR dealer)... they don't even make a LHD model...
There are several models of Toyota Crowns and Mark Xs, and newer Centuries
same rlly miss the older Lexus
I've never driven/ridden a Century, but i remember taking a ride in it's class-lower brother Crown of roughly the same age as this specimen, it was very comfy
I dream of riding in the back of a 2023 Century, what a car
awesome Jay!
Beautiful vehicle. Toyota the best. Really refined look that few can compare with.
no car can compare with the century its something really special
not the best... nothing is...
Me and my friend went out together and bought one, it was imported from Japan. They wanted $13,000 and we got it for $10,000 NZD. 75,000km on the clock, so low mileage!
My roommate in college was from Osaka Japan. I went to visit him and his family in 1997 and took me out to a high end tradition style Japanese restaurant. I always remember several of these cars in the parking lot. Something was going down in that restaurant that night 😬
We had this car in Saudi Arabia. I remember seeing them in Toyota dealers showrooms from the late 90s to around 2002. However, they didn't sell many of them because of the high price. They were offered with left hand drive and V12 engine.
Wow, interesting info. It was later body style then.
no you didnt, you couldnt buy them new anywhere outside of Japan, maybe you had some used ones which someone converted to LHD
Luka Brkić Conversions and RHD are strictly prohibited here. According to Wikipedia, starting from 1998, Toyota produced around 100 LHD Centuries which some of them went to the Middle East. I saw the Century several times in ALJ dealer showrooms. They are the biggest car dealership in the Middle East.
Basel - yea 1998 is the 2nd gen, the car in the video is the 1st gen
Luka Brkić If you read my comment carefully, I specifically talked about late 90s to 2002
That blood probably came from a body that the Yakuza put in the trunk.
Jay looks like a kid with his favorite toy. He Really liked this car.
Beautiful amazing car. Thank you for this video on this Japanese legendary car.