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The Toyota Century (Japanese: トヨタ・センチュリー) is a large four-door limousine produced mainly for the Japanese market, serving as Toyota's flagship car. Production of the Century began in 1967 and the model received only minor changes until a redesign in 1997. The Century derived its name from the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Industries. The Century was available with only a V8 engine, the third Japanese built sedan post-war, at its introduction in 1967 until a major redesign in 1997, and is now only available with a Toyota built V12, an engine unique to the Century. Although the Century is a premium, full size luxury sedan, it is not available at Japanese Lexus dealerships; it can only be purchased at specifically identified ''Toyota Store'' locations. The exterior styling of the Century has, with some modifications, remained unchanged since its introduction, primarily due to its perceived social status as the "preferred vehicle denoting conservative success". Its appearance is iconic in Asian countries, usually painted black. The closest Japanese competitor is the Nissan President, with a similar reputation, although during the 1960s and '70s, the high market positioning was also shared with the Mitsubishi Debonair. The Century briefly saw other Japanese competitors introduce large sedans called the Isuzu Statesman de Ville and the Mazda Roadpacer (derived from General Motors-Australia products) which were short-lived. ==First generation (1967–1997)== | width = | height = | layout = FR layout | body_style = 4-door sedan | weight = | wheelbase = }} The original Century was based on the 1964 Crown Eight, which featured the 2.6 L V8 ''Toyota 3V engine'', and appeared almost two years after the October 1965 introduction of the Nissan President with a 4.0 L V8. The 1967 Century was equipped with an upgraded version of the Crown Eight engine, the 3.0 L ''3V''. 1973 saw the introduction of the 3.4 L ''4V-U'', and the engine was once again changed to the 4.0 L ''5V-EU'' in 1982, with the installation of fuel injection, and the installation of emission control technology Toyota called "TTC". Note that the ''3V'', ''4V-U'', and ''5V-EU'' do not refer to the number of valves in the engine but simply denote model names in the Toyota V engine range. In 1971, automatic climate control became available, at that time a very innovative feature.〔http://www.toyota-global.com/company/history_of_toyota/75years/data/automotive_business/products_technology/technology_development/electronics_parts/index.html〕 The first generation Century remained largely untouched during its impressively long 30-year production run, apart from minor cosmetic changes and engine upgrades. The Century was produced in limited numbers and was built in a "nearly hand-made" fashion. It is often used by the imperial family, the Prime Minister of Japan, senior government leaders, and high level executive businessmen. The Century is comparable in purpose to the Austin Princess/Daimler DS420, ZIS/ZIL, Chinese Red Flag, and Rolls-Royce limousines. For model year 1982, the Century received its first model change, updating the entire vehicle inside and out, and installing a larger engine. It is this appearance that has virtually remained unchanged to the current version, as the appearance of the Century introduced in 1982 is very much desired of its clientele. A fiber-optic multiplexing communications system was installed.〔http://www.toyota-global.com/company/history_of_toyota/75years/data/automotive_business/products_technology/technology_development/electronics_parts/index.html〕 During Japan's Bubble Economy, sales of the Century doubled (from 1,027 in 1985 to 2,117 in 1989).〔 A Toyota Century with a GT45 gas turbine and electric motor was shown as the Century gas turbine hybrid concept vehicle at the 1975 Tokyo Motor Show.〔Toyota brochure from the 1975 Tokyo Motor Show (Japanese)〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Toyota Century」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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