zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
At $7,500, Is This 1990 Toyota Century a Once in a Lifetime Deal?
At $7,500, Is This 1990 Toyota Century a Once in a Lifetime Deal?-October 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:19

Nice Price or No Dice 1990 Toyota Century

Toyota named today’s contender the Century to honor the 100th birthday of founder Sakichi Toyoda in 1967. Let’s see how honorable this ex-pat limo’s price tag might be.

I started my day last Friday the way I enjoy spending most of my Friday mornings — sipping on my cup of coffee and watching the votes roll in on the day’s candidate. Last Friday was especially interesting as it took exactly nine minutes and 38 votes before anyone stood in support of our contender’s $33,000 asking price. That one stoic vote remained the Lincoln’s only supporter for 10 more minutes and 45 more votes before it was joined by a compatriot. That was far from enough, however, as the Mark LT ending the day with an insurmountable 94 percent No Dice loss.

Image for article titled At $7,500, Is This 1990 Toyota Century a Once in a Lifetime Deal?

As we discussed on Friday, Ford long ago lost its mojo in regards to what to do with its luxury brand, Lincoln. That’s not the same case with a lot of other manufacturers, and when it comes to luxury models, Toyota figured the whole thing out decades ago.

It was in 1967, in fact, when Toyota introduced its most luxurious car ever, the Century. The model continued in limited production as the company’s flagship for the home market for a remarkable 30 years before seeing a significant refresh.

Image for article titled At $7,500, Is This 1990 Toyota Century a Once in a Lifetime Deal?

That long and somewhat immutable model run is why today’s looks like it’s from another age and not the MTV era. As is obvious in the pictures, the car’s styling carries hints of the early ’70s Corona rather than of anything Toyota was building in the ’90s. Overall, it lind of looks more like a 1960s Mopar product than anything else. The only giveaways of its origin are the flush headlamps that would have been illegal in 1960s America and the fender-mounted side-view mirrors that contrastingly were the law in Japan at the time.

The Century’s V8 engine is appropriate to its size and stature. The all-alloy 4-liter engine was co-developed with Yamaha and by the time this edition hit the streets it sported multi-point fuel injection giving it around 190 horsepower. Backing that up is a four-speed automatic with column shift. According to the seller, the car has only 65,000 miles under its belt. It’s said to have “No leaks, or noise.” aAdditionally, the claim is made that it “Rides like a Cadillac on sedatives.”

Image for article titled At $7,500, Is This 1990 Toyota Century a Once in a Lifetime Deal?

The interior is a ’70s riot too. In the cabin, there’s leather upholstery, a smattering of both wood and brushed metal trim, and carpet deep enough to lose pocket change in. This is a JDM car so the steering wheel does dress to the right. That shouldn’t be an issue for the back seat passengers who get to enjoy a ton of legroom and dipped door openings for no-step entry. There are also heaters for the seats back there and remote controls for both the stereo and automatic climate control.

Image for article titled At $7,500, Is This 1990 Toyota Century a Once in a Lifetime Deal?

What is possibly the car’s best party trick, however, is the ability to fold down the backrest on the front-left seat, thus offering lounge-like accommodations for the seat behind. Have you ever stuck your legs through a car seat to kick back? Yeah, me neither.

Per the ad, there are a couple of flies in this Century’s ointment. Of greatest note are issues with the front door window mechanisms and peeling paint on the roof. That latter issue brings up an interesting feature of this car which is the removable roof section above the lounge seat. It looks to be too big and unwieldy to be manhandled (or woman-handled) by a single chauffeur. Plus, where would you put it when it’s off? Still, for parades or the occasional opportunity to be adored by one’s lessers, that could prove an effective vantage point.

Image for article titled At $7,500, Is This 1990 Toyota Century a Once in a Lifetime Deal?

The car is advertised in Reno Nevada and the seller does warn interested parties in neighboring California that this car can’t be registered there without serious (read expensive) modifications to bring it into compliance with the state’s emissions requirements.

Image for article titled At $7,500, Is This 1990 Toyota Century a Once in a Lifetime Deal?

For everyone else, though, this could be a fabulous ride and a magnet at any car meet, royal outing, or Dollar Tree shopping trek. To make that happen, the seller asks $7,500.

What’s your take on this most luxurious Toyota of its time and that $7,500 price? Does that seem like a fair deal for such an interesting car? Or, do the issues — and the desire to someday move to California — quell that interest?

You decide!

Reno, Nevada, . Or, go if the ad disappears.

H/T to Bob Maples for the hookup!

Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up at and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your Kinja handle.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
The 797-HP 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Proves Power Never Gets Old
The 797-HP 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Proves Power Never Gets Old
The Dodge Challenger is as as it is impractical. It’s based on an ancient platform, and its looks haven’t changed that dramatically since its . It has the turning radius of a bus and the traction of a cat on hard floors, it guzzles gasoline like its job is to...
Oct 20, 2026
The 2020 Range Rover Evoque Is a Bold Way to Withdraw From the World In Style
The 2020 Range Rover Evoque Is a Bold Way to Withdraw From the World In Style
The old Range Rover Evoque was a big departure for the brand, offering something compact, stylish and fairly capable—and even a bit curious when it comes to the coupe and . The new has lost a bit of its stylish charm, but it remains a car that can be bold...
Oct 20, 2026
Here's Where Women Pay More for Car Insurance Than Men: Study
Here's Where Women Pay More for Car Insurance Than Men: Study
Those of you familiar with the “” shouldn’t be at all that surprised to learn that women tend to pay more than men for car insurance in half of the United States. And this is despite men being found to be the overall riskier drivers. Go figure! In ,...
Oct 20, 2026
The 341-HP Subaru WRX STI S209 Is What the Base STI Needs to Be
The 341-HP Subaru WRX STI S209 Is What the Base STI Needs to Be
The has been in America for around 15 years and it’s still one of the most attractive affordable sports cars available, even though its base formula has barely changed. But how long can Subaru keep that up for? It’s not like the Japanese automaker is incapable of improvement, though the...
Oct 20, 2026
A Brief Reminder That Cars Are Meant to Be Driven
A Brief Reminder That Cars Are Meant to Be Driven
I have given a name to my pain, and it is . Aside from being a clearing house for fantastically well-maintained cars I can’t afford, even if their prices are questionable—$15,000 , what the hell?—it has become my go-to place to get depressed over very good cars that are never...
Oct 20, 2026
At $35,000, Is This S54-Imbued 1990 BMW 318i Touring the Holy Grail or Just Holy Cow?
At $35,000, Is This S54-Imbued 1990 BMW 318i Touring the Holy Grail or Just Holy Cow?
Today’s E30 isn’t just an amazingly desirable ride owing to its E46 M3 drivetrain, it’s also a learning opportunity since its manual windows will let you demonstrate to kids what it means to “wind them up.” Could that two-fer be worth its new car price? Asking $15,000 for yesterday’s did...
Oct 20, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved