Akio Toyoda is a fashionable guy, and as such he knows how to arrive in style. At the recent Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival at Fuji Speedway, the Toyota CEO arrived in his custom Toyota Century GRMN, a version of Toyota’s flagship sedan tuned by his company’s racing division. At the time of this event, there were reportedly just two examples in existence (there should be another one at the Tokyo Auto Salon this weekend), built for internal use. It just might the ultimate Toyota unobtainium.
There’s an easter egg on Toyoda-san’s car. If you’ll notice the license plate, it reads 18 – 67. It looks like your standard-issue 4-digit Japanese plate, but 1867 was the year his great-grandfather, Sakichi Toyoda, was born. Sakichi Toyoda founded Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, which would later spawn Toyota Motor Corporation as we know it today. It’s a nice, subtle tribute to the man that launched one of the biggest and most successful companies the world has ever seen, and it belongs on a car steeped in tradition.
You’d think they would’ve run out of four digits by now.
It’s four digits plus one hiragana character in front, a weight class, region of registration, and kei vs commercial vs passenger car. So, a lot of factors involved.
It’s a good-looking car.
Just a shame Toyota didn’t come up with a better, more sophisticated design (like this one) for the new cabs. Those things are F U G L Y.
Kamui Kobayashi X Akio Toyoda… interesting!