New Toyota Century is Japan's challenge to Rolls-Royce, Bentley

New York

TOYOTA has just introduced a new Century. This is a big deal. The Toyota Century is the most exclusive car in Japan. Introduced in 1967 and named for the 100th birthday of company founder Sakichi Toyoda, the Century defines top-tier Japanese luxury, the kind reserved for heads of state, chief executive officers, and Yakuza bosses.

It is so iconic as a status symbol that it is exempt from stringent national restrictions on vehicle and engine size. It cannot even be purchased in a typical dealership, but only at specialised stores, and only by invitation. The emperor of Japan is chauffeured around in a modified Century.