Buy An Ostrich-Feather Duster, Get A Free Toyota Century

We love the Toyota Century at Car Throttle. The go-to mode of transport for Japan’s elite, its sheer JDM uniqueness, and the fact that it wears the badge of the same manufacturer that also makes the Yaris, both make it infinitely cooler than the obvious uber-luxe choices from the likes of Bentley and Rolls-Royce.

It also helps that the second-generation Century is powered by Japan’s only domestically-built V12, a 5.0-litre unit known as the 1GZ. It’s very much the sort of V12 built for silent, buttery-smooth wafting rather than high-revving theatrics, but still – a Toyota saloon. With a V12.

That’s why when we see a Century pop up for sale in the UK, we can’t help but be drawn to it, and this one we’ve found on Collecting Cars is ticking all the right boxes.

All the Century features you could possibly want are present and correct. On the outside, the multi-spoke 16-inch wheels – hilariously small by modern standards, but wrapped in lovely thick sidewalls for an extra-cushty ride – have the Century’s ‘Golden Phoenix’ emblem on their centres. It’s also replete with the front bumper-mounted parking poles, designed to help you guide this behemoth into a tight space outside a five-star hotel/embassy/your local branch of Asda.

It’s on the inside, though, where we really hit peak century. Obviously, you have the car’s trademark woollen upholstery, complete with a front passenger seatback that folds down to provide a footrest for rear passengers, and the signature cloth antimacassars that make everything feel weirdly like your nan’s living room.

You’ll also find a gamut of the finest tech the 1990s could offer: a cassette stereo with sat nav, a mobile video system from Panasonic, and even – get this – a Century-branded Walkman.

Our absolute favourite option, though, is the ostrich-feather duster for keeping the interior absolutely spotless. This is quite possibly the single greatest optional extra ever offered on a car. Although the ostrich might disagree.

It’s not the freshest Century ever – it’s currently displaying 182,679km (around 113,500 miles) and it’s on its fourth owner since arriving from the UK in the summer of 2020. Still, we can’t help but find ourselves seriously considering popping a bid of our own on this one, especially because, as we write this, there’s a little over 29 hours left on the auction and bidding’s only just crept over £7000. Could it be the bargain of the – ahem – century?