Right-Drive 1991 Toyota Celsior Type B Available in Colorado

Sold as the Lexus LS400 in the U.S., the Celsior was Toyota’s pinnacle luxury sedan in Japan.

When the LS400 introduced the North American market to the Lexus brand back in 1989, Toyota Motors saw the demand for the premium luxury sedan in their domestic market, but they were unable to launch the entire brand. In seeing domestic interest in the LS400, the company created a Toyota-badged, right-hand-drive version of the first Lexus sedan and they named it the Celsior.

The Celsior was never offered in the United States since a left-drive version would just be a rebadged Lexus LS400, but for those JDM fans who want a big, beautiful luxury sedan with V8 power, these big Toyota sedans make for a cool project. Of course, importing one to the United States is a difficult and pricy project, but there is a Celsior Type B listed in the ClubLexus Marketplace that is being sold in Colorado.

In other words, the Toyota-branded, left-hand-drive version of the Lexus LS400 is in the United States and it is listed for just $8,400. Best of all, in addition to the fact that it is already being driven on American roads, this Celsior has been modified a bit, but there are a few dings and dents.

The Introduction

When “OneJay” first listed his 1991 Toyota Celsior Type B for sale earlier this month, he shared an assortment of pictures and some basic information, including when this JDM sedan came to the USA.

-1991 Celsior Type B
-158k KM (98k miles)
-Paint is a very dark green that’s almost black (Black Jade Pearl). You can seethe green metallic flake in the sun.
-Originally imported in 2016. I can include all import paperwork from the initial process

He also included two sections with more information, one called The Good and one called The Bad.

The good:
–HKS Hipermax LS+ Coilovers
-UCF20 4 piston front brakes with brand new pads & rotors
-Custom exhaust with Vibrant Ultra Quiet resonator and twin mufflers in the rear. It’s a great volume for a daily. Pretty quiet unless you get into the throttle and doesn’t drone at all.
-Timing belt, water pump, tensioner, thermostat, coolant flush, NGK plugs, NGKwires, caps & rotors done earlier this year at 138k KM (85k miles).
-A/C converted to R134
-New battery a week ago
-Two sets of wheels. 18″ late model IS350 wheels with nearly new Firehawk Indy 500 for summer. 17″ Aristo wheels with Michelin X Ice for winter.These tires will likely need replacing next winter.

The bad:
-Has some very minor hail damage. It’s very hard to see unless you’re looking for it, but it is there.
-A couple paint chips that I’ve filled in with color matched touch up paint.
-Speedometer, Tach, and temp gauge currently don’t work, but I have a replacement instrument cluster on the way from Japan, so these will be fixed.Should be here in a couple weeks.
-Some curbing on wheels.
-Climate control bleeding.

Sharp, Lightly-Modified Celsior

So, this 1991 Toyota Celsior has brakes from a newer LexusLS400, aftermarket suspension components, two sets of wheels and it has seemingly undergone a thorough tune-up, but the exterior is not perfect. The OP claims that the gauge cluster will soon be fixed, at which point the only problems will be the hail damage and the random paint chips. Those are easily fixed with a little body work, but as it sits for $8,400, this Toyota Celsior looks like a great option for a plush, JDM daily driver.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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