Seriously: This V12-Powered Toyota Is Rarefied Luxury

Built to an almost impossibly high standard of quality, with unique finishes, sumptuous interior materials and a paint job that is so lustrous you’d expect it to glow in the dark, these vehicles scream upscale… in a polite, understated way, of course. So understated that it's a JDM vehicle that Americans can't even buy. This is a true sleeper luxury car that you'll never see coming, but it remains the cars of Japanese royalty and government officials. All-around automotive expert and AutoEsoterica contributor Jim Hall shares the history and little-known features of the Toyota Century in this episode of “Jim Hall Knows it All (or so He Thinks).”

AutoEsoterica is home to the under-appreciated and fantastical in car culture. Frontman Craig Cole is a life-long car enthusiast whose videos range from the restoration progress of his vintage Fords to design analysis and industry insights from contributors Jason White and Jim Hall.

The TTAC Creators Series tells stories and amplifies creators from all corners of the car world, including culture, dealerships, collections, modified builds and more.

A transcript, cleaned up by AI and edited by a human staffer, is below.

[Image: YouTube Screenshot]

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Transcript:

[Opening Scene]

Host: Jim, based on my calculations, we’ve got at least 300 years’ worth of cars to talk about right here.

Jim: Am I out of frame?

Host: He’s hard to work with, folks.

Jim: Or so he thinks.

[Music]

Host: I know a little about old Fords—from the Model T up through the early ’50s—but I’ll admit, I have some automotive blind spots. Especially when it comes to classic Toyotas. Fortunately, I know someone who doesn’t. Jim, come on up here. How are you?

Jim: I’m good. How about you?

Host: Can’t complain. We’re here at ADOM—the All Toyotas of the Midwest car show—celebrating its 10th anniversary. About 200 vehicles are expected to show up. We’re in Detroit at the Lexus Velodrome, where they race bicycles. You can see the signage right there. There’s a lot of great stuff to check out. I know we usually cover domestic cars, but there’s some fascinating metal here.

These caught your eye as soon as we walked in. What are we looking at?

Jim: They did. This is the Toyota Century.

Host: The Century—Toyota’s flagship luxury sedan.

Jim: Exactly. The Century was first introduced in 1967. This one’s a second-generation model, code-named G50, powered by a V8 engine.

Host: I like that.

Jim: It has a relatively small fuel tank and was primarily used to chauffeur government ministers, executives, and hotel VIPs around Tokyo. It’s a chauffeur-driven luxury car—very few were privately owned. If you wanted to drive your own luxury car, you didn’t buy a Century.

Host: So it’s all about the back seat.

Jim: Exactly. The passenger-side front seat even folds down so rear passengers can stretch their legs.

Host: I always thought the “Century” name came from a Buick, after the average age of its buyers.

Jim: Not quite. It’s named in honor of Toyota’s founder, who was born in 1867. When the car launched in 1967, he would have been 100 years old—hence, Century.

Host: Makes sense. You said this is the second generation—how different was it from the first?

Jim: The car evolved very slowly. The first generation was extremely low-volume—hand-built, really. Lots of precision work. They were assembled with a tremendous amount of handcraftsmanship, even using lead filler in the bodywork well into the 1980s, something unheard of in mass production.

Host: So they were basically handmade.

Jim: Very much so. These cars are about refinement, not performance. Quiet, smooth, and tuned for torque—perfect for being chauffeured through Tokyo traffic.

Host: Wafting along, as they say.

Jim: Exactly. The G50 was eventually replaced by the G60—the two we’re looking at here are G60s, or third-generation models. These got more sophisticated styling and a 12-cylinder engine.

Host: A full dozen.

Jim: Yep. They’re buttery smooth.

Host: I’d love one.

Jim: They actually referred to the two main trims as the “Driver’s Century” and the “Owner’s Century.” The driver’s version had fender-mounted mirrors—those were a Japanese requirement for decades, since mirrors had to be within the area cleared by the windshield wipers. It also helped drivers park precisely in tight Tokyo streets.

Host: So practical and elegant.

Jim: Exactly. These mirrors are still available on the latest hybrid Century, though the V12 has been dropped in favor of a V8 hybrid setup.

Host: What about the lace doilies, like in Japanese taxis?

Jim: Factory options. People could buy them for their company or chauffeur cars. Over time, the doilies even got stylized patterns—mountains, scenery, all very Japanese.

Host: And practical, too, I assume.

Jim: Yeah… let’s just say they also served a hygienic purpose in case someone, uh, passed away in the back seat.

Host: That got dark quickly.

Jim: Yeah. Anyway—look at the back seat here. Tons of space. Sorry to the owner for using your car as a demo.

Host: So this one’s the “Owner’s Century”?

Jim: Right. The main difference is the mirror placement and the option for leather interiors, introduced with the G60 generation.

Host: The fabric’s interesting. It looks like bus upholstery.

Jim: It’s actually a high-end wool blend—breathable and comfortable.

Host: Still looks like a tour bus seat to me.

Jim: Trust me, it’s nicer. The craftsmanship is incredible—trim pieces are nickel-chrome plated, then glass-blasted to achieve that matte finish. The work is painstaking.

Host: So, maybe not “fun” to drive, but incredibly refined.

Jim: Exactly. Smooth, quiet, and precise—everything a luxury car should be.

Host: Everyone’s chasing Nürburgring lap times these days. I’m guessing this car would take 15 or 20 minutes to get around the ‘Ring.’

Jim: That sounds about right.

Host: You mentioned the V12 is tuned for torque. Still a quad-cam, four-valve-per-cylinder engine, though?

Jim: Correct. Toyota’s approach is evolutionary—refine what works. The original Centuries used 3.0-liter pushrod V8s tuned for torque, not revs, ideal for city driving.

Host: Makes sense.

Jim: That first engine actually came from a rare Toyota Crown 8—a widened Crown sedan with a V8, built only for Japan. Very few survive today.

Host: Probably rusted apart where they were cut and widened.

Jim: Exactly. The Toyota Museum in Nagoya has one, and interestingly, so does Nissan.

Host: Why would Nissan have one?

Jim: Their museum includes historically significant Japanese cars, not just their own.

Host: Fascinating. And what’s the deal with that gold bird emblem?

Jim: That’s not a chicken—it’s a phoenix. It’s the Century’s mascot, symbolizing rebirth, and ties back to the Imperial House of Japan. The latest models have an updated version that’s even more intricately detailed.

Host: Couldn’t they have just used the chrysanthemum emblem?

Jim: That’s reserved for official government and royal vehicles—so no.

Host: Got it. So, if you parked a first-gen Century next to this one, you’d still recognize the lineage.

Jim: Absolutely. The design has evolved, not changed. The newest Century even includes an SUV variant, created to compete with vehicles like the Rolls-Royce Cullinan in the luxury chauffeur market.

Host: Of course—everyone needs an SUV now.

Jim: Exactly.

Host: So your pick would be the third-generation V12 model?

Jim: Definitely, especially in that dark metallic blue—it looks black until sunlight hits it. I can’t explain it; I just love this car. It’s not flashy, but it’s perfectly executed.

Host: The ultimate expression of quiet craftsmanship.

Jim: Exactly. Everything from the hand-finished lead bodywork to the grain-matched wood trim and multi-layer lacquer shows Toyota spared no expense.

Host: “Budget-be-damned” engineering.

Jim: Pretty much. Every panel is inspected meticulously before it leaves the factory. Production volumes are tiny, so quality control is unmatched. The new SUV version, though, will sell in higher numbers.

Host: Do you think you’ll buy one before you turn a century yourself?

Jim: Twice in one interview? I’m leaving.

Host: Come back, Jim—I didn’t mean it!

[Outro]

Well, this is something I didn’t expect to see at ADOM—a Ford Mustang with a 2JZ straight-six from a Supra. Fascinating swap.

For more Ford history, Jim and I recently visited a Cars and Coffee event at Ford’s World Headquarters to check out some historical concept cars. Click the on-screen link to watch that next.