Toyota’s Century brand is being groomed to battle Rolls-Royce, Bentley and the ultra-luxury elite
Does Toyota’s Century brand have the history to rival the best luxury car badges from Britain and the world? The bosses certainly think so…
Toyota’s incredibly luxurious, incredibly exclusive Century models have been the ultimate status symbol in Japan for nearly 60 years, but they could soon be stepping out onto the world stage. Toyota is grooming Century as an alternative to old-world luxury marques like Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
Last year, Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda said: “We want to cultivate it [Century] as a brand that brings the spirit of Japan – the pride of Japan – out into the world.” The brand boss showed his commitment to that by bringing a Century SUV to Detroit for his induction in the Automotive Hall of Fame.
According to Bloomberg, when asked about the chairman’s choice of ride, chief technology officer Hiroki Nakajima made it clear the intention is still to make Century a global brand, which will sit above Toyota’s other premium arm, Lexus. “We want to showcase the latest version of the Century,” Nakajima said. “It’s a global model, so we’re interested in getting feedback from auto industry officials in Detroit.”
Toyota Century coupe concept
The magnificent new Century Coupe concept revealed at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show offered us a glimpse of what’s to come from the pinnacle of Japanese luxury, and there have been reports that Toyota might bestow upcoming Century models – including a production version of the opulent, high-riding coupe – with a hybrid V12 powertrain.
For those that don’t know the history of the Century name or its golden phoenix emblem, they were first worn by a luxury saloon launched in 1967 that was designed for Japanese political elites, top corporate executives, and royalty. It would eventually be fitted with a V12 engine, was only built in low volumes and sold exclusively in the brand’s home market.
The current third-generation Century limousine is just as exclusive, and even features a twin-turbo V8 engine that’s unique to it. In recent years, Century has branched out with the introduction of an SUV that appeals to younger buyers, but these two models still in-effect operate under Toyota. This is what’s about to change.
The Century brand will now operate independently, producing ultra-luxurious models still in low volumes. According to Toyota’s chief branding officer Simon Humphreys, new Century cars will “take on the high-end market as the top of the top, one of one”. That suggests to us that, as with many luxury car makers, Century will put a lot of emphasis on customer personalisation.
What does the future of Century look like?
However, we still don’t know if Century cars will come to Europe, or exactly what its future plans are. The head-turning Century Coupe concept – which looks undeniably similar to the Bentley EXP15 concept from 2025 – gives us some idea though, even if technical details were nowhere to be found.
The concept’s silhouette is suitably extravagant, with its upright grille, rearward cabin and elegant roofline. The phoenix has been the symbol of Toyota’s Century cars for the past six decades, and there are plenty of emblems dotted around the concept, too.
The Century Coupe was only a two-seater, with the driver essentially walled off from the car’s other occupant, suggesting this has been designed to have a chauffeur at the helm. Meanwhile, the sliding doors on the passenger side should make getting in and out of the car as effortless as possible.
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