The Toyota Century came out in 1967 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Toyota Motor Corporation.
If it were possible to get the Century with the steering wheel on the left, I'd absolutely want to buy one of the second generation (1997-2017). It's the coolest imaginable vehicle and a perfect match to my needs. An understated example of extreme high-end manufacturing an interior quality with none of the gimmickiness of the European competition. Like a Rolls Royce in sound deadening, ride quality and fit and finish without that many maintenance headaches. Mercedes S Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8 and even Rolls Royce and Bentley in terms of cost of maintenance are left in the dust. Typical Japanese approach.
The problem with older and thus more affordable luxury cars is that while they may be cheap to buy, they can be and usually are nightmarishly expensive to maintain. Out of somewhat lower end luxury cars, Lexus is the best choice in that regard. While the parts and labor can be expensive, statistically, one is much less likely to have to fork out wheel barrel loads of cash to fix problems because there will be fewer.
As for the price, ReDriven mentioned that the price of the 3rd gen when new is between 200,000 and 600,000 AUD (€114,000 and €342,000) depending on options, of which there is a very long list to choose from. 2nd generation examples are for sale between €20,000 and €40,000 in Europe. Like all Toyotas, the Century tends to depreciate more slowly than its European and American competitors.
The idea of an ultra-high end luxury Toyota with a V12 engine and with loads of classic charm, good enough for Japanese captains of industries, Yakuza bosses and the Emperor himself is simply compelling.
The nearest 2nd generation example for sale I could find last year was in Riga. The other problem is what mechanic can such a vehicle be trusted with. My local Toyota dealership has slipped up with a couple of simple things (no harm done at all in the end) so I'd likely have to take the Century somewhere else should I ever buy one.