Toyota plans to go bigger than ever on its luxury Century brand. While most people around the world are not familiar with Century, it has been around since 1967 when the first Century-branded car was revealed. Since then several models have been sold in extremely small batches. However, Toyota is now ready to take on the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley in the very top end of the luxury segment with the Century, and not Lexus brand. Have a look at their new concept car here.
Lexus will remain the company’s premium segment brand, facing off with other established premium brands like Audi, BMW, Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz. Century however, has a different mission; to capture the souls of those who live in mansions and drive cars uncommon on the streets due to their high-end value. To illustrate the point, industry experts estimate that a mere 600-odd units of Century cars saw new owners in 2024.
In April I shot some pictures of three Century cars (posted above) while at the Shanghai Auto Show. Even then I realised Toyota was getting serious with that brand, although I did not get any official information or confirmation thereof back then. What this now means is that Century will go much more global, covering most if not all the continents, offering discerning customers super luxury and more choice. With its international distribution footprint, network and marketing prowess, this should be a simple, but perhaps not easy task for the mother brand.