In a city where image often arrives at full volume, Zen Cardona’s Toyota Century takes a more considered approach. Finished in rare Zuiun blue and powered by a silky-smooth V12, it’s a car that trades spectacle for presence, and earns admiration precisely because of it.
There are plenty of cars that suit Tokyo after dark, but very few carry themselves with the same quiet authority as the Toyota Century. In a city where car culture can swing between the extrovert and the impeccably curated, Zen Cardona’s second-generation Century feels like something altogether more self-assured. Finished in the rare and rather beautiful shade of Zuiun blue, it doesn’t clamour for attention, but instead draws it in the way all truly special cars tend to do.
We caught up with Zen in Tokyo, where the Century fits seamlessly into the rhythm of the city that surrounds it. At 27 years old, his background already stretches across cultures. “My mother is Japanese, and my father is from Argentina,” he tells us. “I lived in Texas from the age of nine to 15, so I spent much of my childhood in the States.” That international upbringing perhaps helps explain the breadth of his automotive tastes, but the fascination itself began long before adulthood. “I’ve been into cars ever since I was little,” he says. “I played soccer my whole life, but for some reason I was always drawn to vintage cars. Mustang and Rolls-Royce were my favourites growing up.”
At 22, Zen bought his first car, a 2015 Toyota Crown. It wasn’t simply a practical choice, nor a passing whim. “I bought it because my grandfather had owned one before he sold it,” he explains. “When I spent my summer vacations in Japan, I used to ride with him, so that car always stayed with me.” It was a sentimental beginning, and one that established a theme that still runs through his choices now: cars, for Zen, are as much about memory and atmosphere as they are about performance or status.
After three years, the Crown made way. At the time, he had been living in Fukuoka, but a move to Tokyo and the demands of work meant he was barely driving it. “I sold it, but after about six months I decided to buy another car again,” he says. “I really loved driving at night.” That feeling, the need for a car not merely as transport, but as a companion to the city, led him back to the Century name.
The first encounter was fleeting, but decisive. “I saw one during my lunch break, stopped at a red light, and instantly fell in love with it,” Zen recalls. That same evening, he began searching online for dealers and examples across Japan. What followed was a three-month hunt, patiently waiting for the right car in the right colour. “After three months of searching, I found the exact colour I was looking for and bought it instantly.”
It’s easy to understand the appeal. The Toyota Century has always occupied a unique space in the automotive world, not just because of what it is, but because of what it represents. Long regarded as Japan’s answer to the world’s great luxury saloons, it is a car steeped in ceremony, craftsmanship and restraint. Where many flagship cars are designed to impress in obvious ways, the Century’s confidence lies in not needing to explain itself. Zen understands that quality better than most. “What I love about the Toyota Century is that it’s an ‘if you know, you know’ type of car,” he says. “Not a lot of people have one, and when I’m driving around Tokyo, especially the older generation gives me love for the car, which I really like.”
That appreciation is changing, however, as the Century’s reputation stretches further beyond Japan. “Recently it’s been getting more popular overseas,” he says. “Whenever I’m at Daikoku or at a car meet, I notice more tourists coming up to ask me about the car.” Even so, it remains an object that feels all the more compelling because it resists the obvious. In black, the Century can appear imposing, even faintly intimidating in certain contexts. Zen chose differently. His car is finished in Zuiun, a light blue that lends the imposing saloon a softer, more distinctive character. “To me, it has that pop luxury taste to it,” he explains. “It’s not too flashy, but it has a unique taste to it.” He also notes, with refreshing candour, that black examples can carry certain associations in Japan. Zuiun, by contrast, feels lighter, rarer and perhaps even more elegant for it.
Beyond the colour, the Century’s appeal lies in the details. This is a car powered by Toyota’s remarkable 5.0-litre V12, paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission, a specification that feels almost unthinkable today, especially from a manufacturer better known globally for pragmatism than excess. Cars like this rarely need embellishment, and Zen has wisely resisted the temptation to interfere. “I haven’t done any modifications to it,” he says. “To me, I think it’s perfect the way it is.” In today’s world, where even the most complete cars are often treated as blank canvases, there is something admirable in that restraint. There are, of course, other details that make the car special in quieter ways. Zen points out that the emblems are hand-engraved by Toyota, a touch that encapsulates the Century’s appeal perfectly. It is a car built around craft, subtlety and pride, and one that reveals more the longer you spend with it.
For the future, Zen’s plans are pleasingly simple. “I really don’t have any plans for now,” he says. “It truly is my favourite car at the moment, so I just want to take really good care of it and drive it around Japan.” It’s a sentiment that suits both the owner and the car. Not every special machine needs reinvention, nor does every enthusiast dream in project lists and parts catalogues. Sometimes the greatest pleasure lies in recognising that you’ve already found the right thing.
You can keep up with Zen and his Toyota Century here.
AloJapan.com