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?-July 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
At $2,900, Might This Converted 1991 Toyota Camry Pickup Convert You Into a Believer?
At $2,900, Might This Converted 1991 Toyota Camry Pickup Convert You Into a Believer?
The Camry may be one of the most utilitarian cars around, but as today’s pickup proves, it could always work a little harder. Let’s see if this custom car-truck’s price works for you. Close by no cigar is a phrase not bandied around all that much anymore. I attribute its...
Jul 10, 2026
You Can Get an Awesome Discount on a New MX-5 Miata if You Live in the Right Area (Updated)
You Can Get an Awesome Discount on a New MX-5 Miata if You Live in the Right Area (Updated)
These are exciting times for fans of the MX-5 Miata, However, if having those extra ponies isn’t all that important and you want to keep some serious cash in your pocket, now is the time to get a 2018 with a huge discount. Our friends at got access to some...
Jul 10, 2026
The 2018 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet Is the Best Way to Kill Hypercars and Get a Tan
The 2018 Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet Is the Best Way to Kill Hypercars and Get a Tan
When you look at the last few batches of headline-grabbing , and , they’ve had one thing to offer: lap times. Nürburgring records. Extreme track performance. I say unto you now: who actually gives a shit? One of the best and fastest cars I’ve ever driven is the 580 horsepower...
Jul 10, 2026
At $23,500, Is This 1989 Lotus Esprit Turbo 'The One' to Buy?
At $23,500, Is This 1989 Lotus Esprit Turbo 'The One' to Buy?
While there may not be such a thing as a cheap exotic, today’s Esprit is still pretty cheap and hella exotic. Let’s see if its price means it’s also a good deal. Some people say that we should regulate Sawzalls, that there are too many Sawzall-related incidents in society to...
Jul 10, 2026
This 2018 Study Lists Which Cars People Keep The Longest
This 2018 Study Lists Which Cars People Keep The Longest
Once again, our friends athave compiled the cars that people hold onto the longest. The list is quite different from the data they got last year and has both some predictable entries and surprising rankings. Last year However, this year most of the sports cars are gone except for the...
Jul 10, 2026
Here Are the Cars People Are Trading For a Tesla Model 3
Here Are the Cars People Are Trading For a Tesla Model 3
Now that has finally reached its , it’s comfortable bragging a little bit about the car and its owners. In today’s investor call, the company released a list of the cars people are trading in for the . The list isn’t necessarily very surprising, with a range of cars that...
Jul 10, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved