At the last Japan Mobility Show, which took place near the end of 2025, Koji Sato, CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation, delivered the keynote address for the Toyota and Daihatsu brands, while chief branding officer Simon Humphries did the same for Lexus. But it was Akio Toyoda himself—chairman of the board of directors and the man whose great‑grandfather founded the loom manufacturing company that would later give rise to the undisputed automotive juggernaut of our time—who took the stage for the Toyota Group’s most surprising announcement of the event: Century is going global.
You would be forgiven for being unfamiliar with the Century nameplate. It has been around since 1967 but has, aside from a few exceptions, been exclusively for the Japanese domestic market. Although Lexus is globally known as the luxury marque of the Toyota Group, domestically Century is the true wearer of that crown. Throughout its history, Century saloons have focused on comfort and appointments, outfitted with large engines and new technologies. Over the years, it has also barely changed visually, even with a generational update in 1997—the intent seemingly being to cultivate a conservative, old‑fashioned elegance. Its most notable clientele include the Emperor and Empress of Japan, along with the Prime Minister. More recent updates comprise the third‑generation saloon, released in 2018, and an SUV, released in 2023; these finally introduced a touch of modernity and were built on shared Toyota platforms.
All that is history now, because the gist of the big news is this: Century is being spun off as its own marque, rather than existing as a sub‑heading under Toyota, and it will carve out a place for itself in the international market as the Group’s pinnacle automotive offering—above Lexus. The tangible embodiment of this announcement was the unveiling of the Century Coupe Concept, its concealing cover whipped away in front of an animated backdrop of flowing fabric. It is described as a ‘chauffeur‑driven coupé’ that sheds any trappings of yesteryear, presenting a minimalist speedform profile with architecturally defined edges.
Orange appears to be the brand’s signature colour, and the Coupe Concept’s vibrant gleam is reportedly the result of 60 layers of paint, achieving remarkable depth and lustre; a black roof and undercarriage ground its presence and add a dash of two‑tone dynamism. There was little else revealed about the car—it is, after all, merely a concept. The doors slide open like those of a van, however, revealing a glass divider that cocoons the driver away. There are only two rear passenger seats, one of which can slide across and angle outwards, elegantly depositing its occupant directly onto the pavement, without the inelegance normally associated with rear seating in a coupé.
Toyoda’s speech was a passionate one, linking the inception of the Century concept to Japan’s spectacular post‑war economic boom, and to the ambition and desire to compete with the very best that accompanied it. “What the people of Japan needed at that time, I believe, was a sense of pride in being Japanese,” he said, adding that Century was created to be something Japan could be proud of. He went on to lament the country’s economic stagnation over the past few decades, but observed that all the necessary ingredients remain—beloved cultural exports and a powerful base of manufacturing capability, automotive and otherwise. “I believe now, more than ever, we need the Century,” Toyoda concluded.
If that prominent, upright front grille is anything to go by, along with the ‘one of one’ tagline, Century appears to be setting its sights on the upper echelons of luxury automobiles—a space in which there are effectively only two occupants: the British duo of Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars and Bentley. Toyota is no stranger to luxury, via Lexus, but there are leagues of difference between the high‑end yet mass‑produced tier in which it operates and the bespoke creations emerging from Goodwood and Crewe. Then again, if there were a culture other than the British one to emulate as an expression of ultimate luxury, the Japanese would be a compelling choice. The ultra‑luxury automobile space is undoubtedly in for a shake‑up—and it may be about to become a great deal more interesting.
