The History of Lexus

Lexus is a world-renowned producer of upscale luxury vehicles. Established in the 1980s, it is a subsidiary of Toyota and has many of the same world-renowned qualities as its parent company, including safety and innovative technology. If you’re a Lexus fan or want to know more about the brand’s history before purchasing a car, we can provide a brief history of the popular automaker.

The Beginning of Lexus

Lexus was established as a company in the 1980s. It began as a project called F1, or “Flagship One,” which was an incentive to produce the world’s “best car.” The project was a challenge initiated by Toyota chairman Eiji Toyoda, and contenders included rival car companies Nissan and Honda. When the project was launched, rival automakers were developing their own luxury and highly competitive upscale vehicle branches called Infiniti and Acura, respectively.
The F1 project, and ultimately the Lexus brand, began with creating the Lexus LX 400. The LX 400 attempted to produce a more upscale Toyota that would compete with Infiniti and Acura. This vehicle proved to be a hit, and Lexus soon launched its second vehicle in 1989, called the ES 250. With the popularity of the two flagship cars, Lexus soon established itself as a brand that could (and would) focus on upscale vehicle production, and it focused its attention on catering to upper-class markets around the world.

Lexus Gains Traction

Lexus quickly developed a reputation for exclusive and high-end vehicle production, personalized service, and superior quality. Lexus continued to capitalize on its success by rolling out more models with the same concept of luxury and quality. The ES 300, SC 300, and SC 300 Sport were the following vehicles produced by Lexus, and they had a distinctive coupe-style design that marked the company’s foray into the world of luxury sports cars. Those models proved to be just as attractive and popular as Lexus’s original vehicles. By the end of 1991, Lexus sold more luxury vehicles in the U.S. than both BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Lexus Celebrates a Milestone

Lexus continued to produce and release more luxury vehicles through the 1990s. By 1999, Lexus reached a major milestone of selling its one-millionth vehicle in the U.S. By 2000, it was the top luxury automaker in the country.

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