I Just Bought A $20,000 Japanese Rolls-Royce - The V12 Toyota Century 

The best part of this is you can tell how happy Thomas is for James. True friends show enthusiasm when their friend is happy.

James! a stunning car, you can get a plug in replacement for a lexus and it will translate all of the navigation and let you add region appropriate maps (and radio). You'll keep all functionality but be able to read it. My mate did it on his, and it changed the game

Ever since seeing this review of the Toyota Century, I've been obsessed with this car. You guys perfectly showcased the elegance of this car. The luxuriousness of it, while it is still being subtle in many ways. This video made me want a Century of my own. I didn't have a driving license however, but this car combined with this review was the reason to finally get one. And so the journey began... I started taking driving lessons in the summer of 2023. Passed the exam first-try in December. Next step, finding a seller. This car is not sold where I live, and thus had to look in Japan for one. And so, since passing for the license, I have been looking at and bidding on auctions in Japan daily. Last weekend I finally won a bid at one of the Japanese auctions, and a Century is now being shipped to the EU! The Century I bought is very similarly specced as the one in this review. Black exterior. Wool interior. Fender wing mirrors. Shifter on the steering column. Even the granny lace curtains are included. I'm very very excited to have it delivered soon and to use it as a daily. Thanks Throttle House for this review and exposing me to this beautiful car (and making me get a driving license) 🔥

I legit couldn't care less about cars. I don't know why I clicked on it or decided to scroll to the middle of the video. But the guy who bought the car is so proud of it and so happy with it, it's almost infectious. It's nice seeing people have a childlike hapiness for something they got.

License tag suggestion: "IMPORTED" as a double meaning for James.

Toyota Century’s fail safe is amazing. Even if one bank of the V12 dies, it can still run with the other V bank. A chauffeur-driven car for VIP is not allowed to get stuck.

I actually want one. I like its simplicity and it is definitely very reliable too.

This is so cool. Feels so fitting for James to have such a beautiful and unique car. Truly for a collector/car-enthusiast!

Fun fact: The V12 in this car “1GZ-FE” is the same one which was used by Legendary tuner Kazuhiko Nagata aka Smokey Nagata in his V12 supra but in that it got the “Top Secret” (his tuning shop) treatment and it got fitted with twin HKS GT2540 turbos and two HKS ECUs (because technology wasn’t that advanced at that time and single ECU wasn’t enough to perform that many inputs and outputs) with in house custom made pistons and other engine parts built by “Top Secret” itself specifically for that car and all of this treatment turned that engine from making modest 280 hp to staggering 839HP and 1010NM of torque (it may not sound much now but these were numbers were unprecedented in that era) and he fitted this engine into his Supra and flew to Nardo, Italy at the famous Nardo ring test track to do a top speed run and he managed to 224mph. Thank you for reading all the way down :), like this so more and more people can know about this fact.

It shouldn't surprise anyone that James has absolutely impeccable taste, but goddamn, this is the grail! I'm finding the next ticket out to Canada!!!

That wool is just something else...actually not much of a fan of leather seats myself, fine for steering wheel, gear stick etc. though. You really need someone to be able to help you maintain this car on a regular basis though, trying to keep it clean and keep it in condition that is fitting for such a vehicle.

I already knew basically everything this video told me concerning this vehicle, yet I was entertained every step of the way, I enjoy your program greatly.

The Toyota Century is a dream car of mine. I'm so jealous. (Also if you could somehow squeeze Supra XXL onto the numberplate that would be hilarious)

I watched a special on the Toyota Century once and one of the reasons for the wool interior is that it is silent when you move over it and move around versus leather which makes noise. Plus the softness and longevity of the wool was superior to leather wearing out. Cool car!

Really love to see such a fascinating voyage into Toyota most premium epic car. Didn't know even such a gem existed and hovering around for dignitories. The craftmanship and attention to details is on next level. Thanks TH

Saw one in Dallas over the summer for the first time ever and lost my mind. Such a cool car!

19:37 Fun fact: those wing mirrors comes in handy when driving through the many narrow streets of Japan as they are situated far ahead and within the vehicle's width for the driver to be able to see the sides of the car, a normal side mirror would have been scraped as it protrudes out. Incidentally, such wing mirrors can also be found on all Japanese taxis.

License Plate - “IM JAMES” Absolutely fantastic content as usual! Having just bought a new WRX, I now feel like I’ve made a mistake and should have went with a luxury Toyota from the early 2000s, haha.

ive seen many car videos on youtube, but this is hands down the best one... i think your genuine joy and amazement made it

Funny, I felt the same way about my LS430 the first time I drove it. It now has 170K miles on it and is still absolutely silent and the rear window shade still works. It is also an amazing car.

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. The rest is history.

This V12 engine uses two sets of ECU to individually control the 6 in-line cylinders on each side, so that when there is a problem with one side, the other side can still drive the vehicle. The quality is very reliable.

The way James enjoyed making this video literally made me smile the entire video

I wanted one of these already, now I want one more! Beautiful, elegant, and above all reliable. Amazing car.

This car is a dream 1. v12 2. JDM 3. Sedan 4. A taste of luxury

JDMROLLS - for the plate, of course

Last December i was in Tokyo for four days because i was looking at several AE86s. A friend of mine is Japanese and the guy he bought his 86 from knew a guy who had 5 sitting in a lot. I was picked up and driven to the airport and the other way around i a Century. I always kinda knew that it existed, but fell completely in love over it while i was driven through Tokyo in it. At the end of the trip, i had the same driver with the same car, the guy was delighted i loved his car. When i was in the plane home, i started looking for a century right away. It had to be light blue tho, the car i was driven in was this colour, and i think it suits the car very well. And it is something different than the black, i saw a black one at the hotel as well, its a beautiful colour, but i prefer the light blue.We actually had a light blue for sale here in Germany around that time, but when i inquired for the car it was already sold. So i asked my friend in Japan to look for one and he found mine. 1997 model year, light blue with dark blue wool seats, little bit less than 120.000km on it, one owner. He wanted to stay anonymous, but i was told that he was an older gentleman, who was only selling because he has another one and he got a new third gen Century. The cars are currently on there way to the Netherlands, cant wait to pick them up. I was a little bit worried about servicing my future Century, even got laughed at for asking ath the Toyota dealership, where my parents bought they're Mirais. But i found a smaller dealer who knows hot to service the car, they have another customer with a Century as well.

Just came across this channel. Love his enthusiasm about the car. Stuff like this is what it's about. Not just skyline gtrs and supras

I’m a Honda guy, and I also love Lexus But I gotta admit the Toyota Century has always been a car I really wanted, as well as the VW Phaeton

You can just see how happy James is with his car throughout the video - he's literally grinning most of the time :) Very happy for you, James!

There is something wonderful about knowing you own a car that was built by hand by men who are the best in the world at what they do. And that car is their proudest, most sincere work. It’s a work of art, and thus is timeless.

I NEED THIS CAR IN MY LIFE. Great video!

I really love how this just feels like somebody sharing their excitement and interest for his new car with a friend, because that's exaclty what it is :)

This was an infinitely more interesting choice than really any other car available, EV or not. Well done!!

this review shows your genuine passion about cars. well done guys

I didn't know something that I would like this. Thank you for introducing this. And now, I have to do research on this.

"Despite all the sports car temptations that come with our job, he's driven the same Miata for 5 years." I felt that.

I've wanted a Century for a long time now, maybe one day. The V12 in this car (1GZGE) is actually two 1JZGE engines stuck together at the crank, it has an ecu for each bank and will run as a six cylinder if it detects a fault. To say this engine is strong is an understatement, it's also very buildable, just ask Top Secret as they used a twin turbo setup on a 1GZ in their insane Supra. Then there's the rest of the car, from the 7 layers of hand polished paint, the chrome and stainless trim, to the hand carved emblems, the Century is the absolute pinnacle of engineering and craftsmanship.... and I'm super jealous that you have one

You guys are the best car reviewers ever! So much fun to watch! Thank you!

Undoubtedly the Funnest video you guys have ever done!! Love it.

Plate suggestion: “N IM JAMES”

This is definitely one of my favorite Throttle House videos yet. You guys have given the Century the respect it deserves. And James, you definitely have the best car out there. Second to none.

I just saw this in Mississauga Ontario and had no idea what it was but I couldn't stop looking at it. Thanks RU-vid for somehow knowing to recommend this video to me.

Congratulations James! I watch all your videos, drop like and go but this one made me stop and drop comments too, to congratulate you!! Well done !!!

The happiness in this video is contagious. Thanks, James and Thomas! I'll keep rewatching.

Not gonna lie, I was expecting the paint to be good from the get go but I just drop my jaw when that reflection shot hit. The paint is beyond flawless, it’s almost disgusting that you pay only 28k CAD for that quality

Great video, I am subscribing for more. I had heard of the century, and knew it was a V12. Didn't realise it was so luxurious.

There is a guy down here in Portland Oregon that owns one of these. He has a great little used car lot and he just imported one of these. There is only a few of these in the United States. It’s absolutely an epic show of engineering by the Japanese I just love everything they do when it comes to cars ! Great video Guys !

Lived in Japan and used these quite often - lovely ride. Pity more manufacturers don’t use wool seats.

Mad respect for the build quality overkill for this car! Prices are definitely gonna rise after this video.

Legit made your case and some. I have seen it before on TV but never with that much background, or in depth feature review. Really cool. Truly a rare find and very unique vehicle. AND it will run for almost ever. #ToyotaLife

This is a gorgeous car ! I’ve driven Toyotas for many years . Never had a problem ❤

This is a monumental moment for James and Throttle House. I'm so happy for you both and all your successes!! This is an iconic vehicle fit for such an iconic voice of car journalism.

I remember seeing the Century for the first time during my visit to Tokyo, the car's got such presence even with such a simple design. It's a simple 3-box shape but every Century I saw had the cleanest silver trim, the deepest blacks, and all the proportions and subtle curves just worked really well. It really looked like either a Japanese official or a mob boss would've come out of one of these because it's so stately and imposing. I've always wanted one ever since! Sadly in my country they tax cars based on displacement and it would be far too expensive to import one over here. Would've loved to have a Century to call my own. Hope you enjoy your road trip in the car boys!

I appreciate James’ car choices. The best of both worlds

Bravo James, &Thomas. You guys are the coolest.

I fell in love with this car just from this video. All of a sudden,I want this and nothing else. We chase more and more options, leather, screens, features, but this. This is simple, pure luxury. It’s so clear with its intent and it’s insanely well-built. Truly a hidden gem in the automotive world.

Although I live in Tokyo, I don’t see them that often but when I do I just stop and appreciate the car. You can just tell it is a quality vehicle.

You two are the best car reviewers on RU-vid. Great work

This is what the BMW Rolls-Royce tries to be, but it fails miserably. The wing mirrors are a great idea. When I was a kid my Grandfather had a 61 Pontiac Laurentian with a Canadian Tire rear view mirror on the left fender. He put it there for the same reason you noted. The mirror was always in his peripheral vision for increased safety. That may well be the first, and likely only, Japanese car I truly would like to own. Spectacular!

20k for Japan's most luxurious car that happens to be a Toyota, and it only has about 27k miles on it. There is no greater bargain.

Love it. Definitely want to check one out now. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for your enthusiasm towards a true motoring experience

This video, about a year ago now when I watched it, launched me into the biggest love relationship I’ve ever had with a RU-vid channel. Great first watch, best channel there is.

James was so proud when he said “well done”.

I have sworn to myself "this year is the year I buy a Century" for years. Immense secondhand excitement for James, what a fantastic pick. Huge congrats.

That's my dream car right there! I daily drive an '05 Lexus LS430 which is about the closest we got stateside, and I love that thing

当時の日本車の頂点とも言うべき車

Having worked for Lexus since 2004 to present, I knew of the elite Toyota models. The two of you brought this presentation to life. The Century is absolutely beautiful and I wish you many many years of smooth driving. Quick note, the wood is all from the same tree so the grain / pattern matches in Lexus. I assume the Century is of this mindset as well.

Always believed the older Toyota Century's were underrated, especially with the amazing V12, amazing to see you guys own one now!

Had an old man '91 Chrysler New Yorker. So plush. Deeply quilted barcalounger seats, absolutely huge back seats. Literally over a foot of knee room. Always wished I could of have had a driver for that thing. Total chauffeur car actually. Funny stuff. Loved that gramp pa mobile

Awesome video guys and a awesome car. Congrats your your great purchase. My concern is that replacement parts might be very hard to come by and perhaps cost a few Miata’s 😊

“THE GENT” meaning for both the car and James Absolutely an amazing buy and what a timepiece! We love the car James and we are so excited to hear about your ownership overtime 🙌🙌

I love how much you both love and geek out about this obscure Japanese luxury car. Kinda makes me want to experience this car myself.

Well Done James !!!! Absolutely love this !!!

You know what?? I think this is the most relaxing review I've ever seen. The background music, the ambience, the curiosity to the button & switches in the car. I can watch this all day long...

4:54 Thomas’s😂 dramatic gasp is spectacular we need more

Canadians are so nice. It’s really sweet to see how James is into his new toy

Amazing video, as always!

This is epic. Toyota stands as my favorite Japanese company. From the V10 LFA , Toyota hilux to this v12 sedan to the 2jz Supra. The Land cruiser, Lexus ISF, Lexus IS300, LC500 v8 the new Corolla GR and Yaris GR… I can go on and go. Best Japanese company.

Congratulations on the new car 💥 enjoy it's pretty sweet, guessing that this will be reliable as well 👍

Does anyone else come back every few weeks to rewatch this video? Just me?

The best, most surprising car review ever? Didn’t see this coming.

This car is the very reason why I like Japanese cars. Especially JDM market cars. There's always that extra bit of care, that extra special feature, that 'surprise factor' when other people sit in it, rhat gives you that feeling of being more satisfied with your car each time you drive it ❤️

She is just like an elegant queen. Unmistakably beautiful, ruthless when you need the power.

I love to say that Century is so subtle about everything, you can see this on the road and it will blend with another W124, but when you get inside, you will find a palace. I love how everything even don't attract attention like rolls royce. Perfect rich introvert car's. Plus, it's Toyota.

So surprised to see Toyota Century in your channel. I’m proud of it as a Japanese person. And believe it or not, Akio Toyoda, the president of Toyota owns GRMN Century, a sport edition!

The smile on James' face @16:40 tells the whole story. I'm glad there are people like me in the world who just love cars.

I have a couple photos and a video clip of this exact car when it was in Niagara on the Lake in August 2021. Beautiful car

Awesomeness purchase! So much nicer… than the $100,000 cars other people buy to show off.

Extended mirrors allow the security services (driver and possible passenger) to see any threats coming close to the rear doors. The special "Phoenix" rising small storage compartment is for a pistol for the security person. The V-12 is even so that the armour on the door panels lets it respond like a V-6; makes it corner a little heavy, though. Super very cool car, and I now need one

As a 90 LS400 owner I approve this and appreciate how special that car really is.

I lived in Japan and loved these cars. There are a number of Toyotas that are amazing.

When they were about to talk about the LFA but their camera man came into frame 🤣

I’m proud of James for coming out of his EV fever dream. I was really into the Ionic 5 for about a week too.

Never stop doing what you do. Every video you guys put out is GOLD! Congrats on the beautiful find James!

Great car , thanks for sharing this !!!

What an unforgettable episode.

I have to say that I’m very impressed! Imagine if everything was build with this much thought and purpose!

James’s face at 16:40 when he gets to be a passenger in his own car, is priceless. Full joy.