30 Cool Facts about Lexus and Its First 30 Years
Toyota launched the Lexus brand at the 1989 Detroit Auto Show, and 30 years later it’s still one of the auto industry’s most successful releases.
Hence, 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the Japanese premium marque. To celebrate that milestone, we have compiled a list of the 30 coolest facts about Lexus and its first three decades…
1. Lexus was the brainchild of former Toyota USA Honcho, Yukiyasu Togo
In his book The Toyota Way, Jeffrey Liker revealed that Yukiyasu Togo came up with the idea of creating a luxury vehicle for Toyota. “His friends and associates were also well-to-executives,” wrote Liker. “But few would consider buying a Toyota. Mercedes and BMW were more their style. This bothered Togo.”
2. To develop the first-generation LS, Lexus spent $1 billion
The company recruited 1,400 engineers and 2,300 technicians to develop the LS and it built more than 450 prototypes of the sedan. “Quite an effort went into this. Just to put that into some perspective, the number of people that Toyota had assigned to work on the first Lexus in the 1980s was a little over half the number that Boeing assigned to build its first 777 jumbo jet in the 1990s,” said Chester Dawson, author of the book, Lexus: The Pursuit of Perfection. Of course, the first-generation LS was a sales-hit and it also won numerous motoring awards.
3. Since its founding in 1989, Lexus has sold over 10 million vehicles
The company announced that it had reached the milestone earlier this year. Meanwhile, Lexus sold nearly 700,000 vehicles in 2018, making it the fourth-best-selling luxury carmaker in the world last year. As you’d expect, it trailed Mercedes, BMW and Audi.
4. From 2000 to 2010 Lexus was the best-selling luxury brand in America
Lexus lost its leadership crown in 2011, after the horrifying Tohoku Tsunami had disrupted the company’s production. FYI: in 2018, it was the third-best-selling premium brand in America.
5. For Lexus, the American market is far more important than the Japanese market
In 2018, the American market accounted for more than 40 percent of Lexus’ global sales. Meanwhile, the Japanese market accounted for less than 10 percent of Lexus’ total sales. Not to forget, Toyota launched Lexus in Japan in 2005, 16 years after it had launched the brand in the US.
6. Lexus does not have a dealership in Mexico
Mexico has the 15th largest economy and the 13th largest car market in the world. Meanwhile, Lexus says that it has a presence in over 90 countries. However, the Japanese marque does not have a dealership in a country as prosperous as Mexico(!).
Just so you know, Lexus’ rival, BMW, sold more than 25,000 cars in Mexico last year.
7. The Lexus RX was the first Lexus vehicle built overseas
It went into production at Toyota’s plant in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, in 2003. At present, the RX350, the RX450h and the Toyota RAV4 vehicles are produced at the Cambridge plant.
8. Lexus is a hybrid pioneer
Lexus has sold more than 1.45 million hybrid vehicles since 2005, when it launched the RX Hybrid (the latter is also Lexus’ most popular hybrid model). Moreover, 96 percent of the cars sold by Lexus in Europe are hybrids. “Drivetrain technology (hybrid) is the number one purchase reason for Lexus cars in Europe, followed by brand loyalty and design,” says Etienne Plas of Lexus Europe.
9. Lexus is also the king of reliability
It has topped the J.D. Power’s “Vehicle Dependability Study” for eight consecutive years. “Dependability, reliability and durability are key to delivering long-term value to our customers, and have helped build unprecedented trust and loyalty in the Lexus brand,” says the company. Indeed, YouTuber, Matt Farah’s 1996 Lexus LS400 has covered more than one million miles.
10. It is very easy to understand Lexus’ nomenclature
Body Type – S (Sedan), X (SUVs/CUV), C (Coupe), T (Hatchback/Touring), M (MPV)
L – Long-wheelbase
t – Turbocharged engine
h – Hybrid Powertrain
d – Diesel
F Performance – High Performance Models
F Sport – Sport Package
LF – LFA and Concept Cars (Eg: LF-1 Limitless, LF-FC, LF-SA)
