The Century was released in November 1967 to replace the Crown Eight. With the purpose of creating a world-class luxury car, every part of the Century was designed from scratch. In contrast to the Americanized styling of the Nissan President that debuted in October 1965, the Century emphasized the traditional Japanese taste. Its styling was conservative yet stately, and in the end it persisted for a long time without looking old-fashioned.

Its wheelbase, length, and width were larger than those of the Crown Eight by 120 mm, 260 mm, and 45 mm, respectively. The treads remained the same, though the height was slightly reduced. To ensure the smooth and comfortable ride, the Century adopted an air suspension for the first time among Japanese passenger cars. Its equipment included as many automated devices as possible, and was finished with elaborate craftsmanship. The engine was initially a 3,000 cc V8 OHV (3V) -- an enhanced version of the unit used on the Crown Eight. The displacement was enlarged to 3,400 cc in April 1973 to comply with the 1973 emission standards, and again to 4,000 cc in October 1982. The three available transmissions included a 3-speed automatic with a column shifter, a 3-speed manual with a column shifter, and a 4-speed manual with a floor shifter. The 4-speed manual transmission was combined with split seats, whereas other transmissions came with bench seating. In October 1989, a limousine version with an extended wheelbase was added to the lineup. The length of its cabin was 650 mm longer than the standard model, and it came with a power glass partition between the front and rear seats befitting a luxury limousine. To facilitate boarding and exiting of rear passengers, the rear doors were widened by 150 mm and the steps were lowered by 40 mm.

The first-generation Century stayed in the market until 1997, making some minor changes but without changing its basic platform for 30 years.