Largest Non-American Cars

"472CID" (472CID) 05/12/2015 at 13:06 • Filed to: USELESSLISTS

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Stop and think about it, before the debut of the Lexus LS the largest Japanese car you could buy (in the US) was a Toyota Camry. Even then Camrys and Accords of the 1980s were smaller than today’s Civics and Corollas. So while American cars have a reputation for being huge, what about big cars from all those metric countries?

The focus of this list is pre-1990 cars, because the number of large luxury cars increased significantly since then. On a similar note no pre-war cars as well. I’m basing “size” totally on overall length, it’s not a perfect metric but it’s quick and easy. Anything longer than today’s Honda Accord (192 in/488cm) to be large.

Below are the largest example of each model, before 1990. Limousine models excluded.

197”/500cm Maserati Quattroporte (first gen)

198”/503cm Holden Statesman (HQ) possibly larger examples

198”/503cm BMW 7 Series (E32)

200”/507cm Jaguar XJ6 (Series III)

203”/516cm Mercedes S Class (W126)

204”/518cm Ford Fairlane (Australia)

207”/527cm Every Bentley and Rolls Royce (no really exact numbers but they’re all >204”)

208”/527cm Toyota Century (L type)

208”/528cm Nissan President (250)

208”/528cm Aston Martin Lagonda

Since 1990 there have been many more big cars from Europe and Asia. While putting this together I nearly fell down the rabbit hole looking at weird Asian limousines. Here’s a partial list of newer big cars.

Lexus LS
Infiniti Q45
BMW 5 Series
Mercedes E Class
Mercedes CLS
Infiniti M/Q70/Nissan Fuga/Mitsubishi Prougia
Hyundai Equus
Hyundai Genesis
KIA K9/K900
Hyundai Grandure
Mitsubishi Debonair
Mitsubishi Dignity
Holden Commodore
Ford Falcon
Toyota Avalon
Toyota Aurion
Rolls Royce Ghost
Bentley Contiental/Flying Spur
Maybach models

Jedidiah > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 13:08

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This car is freaking cool

TheHondaBro > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 13:10

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such class

Cé hé sin > Jedidiah 05/12/2015 at 13:11

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But not as cool as a Merc 600.

472CID > Jedidiah 05/12/2015 at 13:12

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I can’t tell how closely related they are to US Fairlanes but they look nearly identical.

HammerheadFistpunch > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 13:15

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I want a century.; V12, RHD, JDM (YO), Murdered out look, comfy as all get out.

Yup, I want a century.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 13:21

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ZIL 117. 572.5 cm (225.4 in)

Coffeetogo > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 13:24

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The Russian ZIL limos are also pretty cool

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 13:58

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I believe that the early to mid 70’s in Australian Ford’s was basically a couple year old American Fords with facelifts and sold as new.

I could be mistaken, but I believe that’s the gist of it.

ciscokidinsf > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 13:59

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Forgot the VW Phaeton - Son, I am dissapoint....

LongbowMkII > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 14:06

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mmm XJ6

KamikazePigeon > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 14:10

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It’s so hard to believe these are roughly a foot longer than a Tesla Model S! They don’t look very large in this photo.

I just can’t picture this being as large as it is.

505Turbeaux > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 14:14

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I was always on the fence about how to designate the Volvo 264TE. I never thought it was a limousine per se, since it was a 4 door factory model with semi normal seating (barring the jump seats)

RedPir8Roberts > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 14:15

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Bugatti Royale, 252 inches, 6.4 meters.

EL_ULY > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 14:16

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oh yes!!!!!!!!!

472CID > RedPir8Roberts 05/12/2015 at 14:34

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no pre-war cars

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Jedidiah 05/12/2015 at 14:35

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Smaller is cooler with 70’s Aussie Fords.

Check out the 73 XB GT Falcon

472CID > 505Turbeaux 05/12/2015 at 14:40

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It’s a pretty vague line between limousine and a standard car which makes trying to figure out what car is “biggest” tricky. From what I can tell the Top Executive here is a special production version meant for politicians, not a regular production model.

505Turbeaux > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 14:49

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even that line is tricky, because it had it’s own sales brochure just like a lowly 245, and you could go order one at the dealer - not in the US. Although most of them went to politicians of some sort

RedPir8Roberts > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 14:56

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Missed that restriction.

Brian Silvestro > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 15:15

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472CID > Brian Silvestro 05/12/2015 at 16:00

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no pre-war, and all BentRolls fall in that catchall entry.

Brian Silvestro > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 16:04

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no

472CID > Brian Silvestro 05/12/2015 at 16:18

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no indeed

Vicente Esteve > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 16:38

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This is so menacing I just wet myself.

Jedidiah > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 05/12/2015 at 17:01

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Anyone who knows anything knows the Falcon XB as a quintessential Australian car.

Certainly is cool, but the ones I never see I think are cooler.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Jedidiah 05/12/2015 at 17:06

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Fair enough.

I want to import one of these to the US so bad.

If only I had moneys

Jedidiah > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 05/12/2015 at 17:11

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I always wanted one of these. It is the Chrysler Valiant Charger with a hemi-head straight 6.

Imagine rolling up to Classic Mopar meet with a car nobody has ever seen and then telling them it’s a hemi only to to surprise them with a 6 banger under the hood.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > 472CID 05/12/2015 at 17:57

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What am I, chopped liver?

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Jedidiah 05/13/2015 at 09:37

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WAT

That’s crazy, I had no idea that existed.

And I know how that feels I go to plenty of car shows an people have no idea what a Mercury Montego is hahaha. And these are guys who’ve been showing up to car shows for 30-40 years.

JR1 > 472CID 05/20/2015 at 15:41

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http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/top-100-longes…

Here is a list of the 100 longest I made for reference

Berang > 472CID 05/28/2015 at 09:51

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Austin Princess: around 200” overall for all generations. 215” for limousine versions.

Daimler DK400, and Majestic both over 195”. Surprised to find the Rover P5 comes up just a tad short at about 186”