Lexus Has Sold Over 10 Million Cars

Building an Empire

Starting back in 1989, Lexus began a mission to upset the contemporary luxury car manufacturers from America and Germany. 30 years later, that mission and the reputation they have built along the way have allowed Lexus to become one of the largest luxury car manufacturers in the world. Recently Lexus announced that they had officially sold over 10 million vehicles. To understand how they got here we have to go back and look at some of the cars it has produced over those 30 years, starting with the one that started it all.

Image courtesy of Autoblog

Strong First Impressions

The LS 400 was the first Lexus and was the car the entire brand was built around. Originally put into development in 1983 and codenamed the F1 Project, (Flagship One) Toyota set out to build a world beater. It is said that Toyota chairman at the time, Eiji Toyoda issued a challenge to build the worlds best car, period. By most arguments, they succeeded. The LS 400 was praised for its silky smooth 4.0L V8 engine, quietness, and very high build quality. In a time in history where panel gaps on cars could range from touching to grand canyon all on the same vehicle, the LS 400 showed up with perfect fitment on every panel. The LS 400 was such a hit that BMW and Mercedes saw sales drop 20-30% in the U.S. market.

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The First Lexus Coupe

Lexus started life with only two vehicles, the aforementioned LS 400, and the ES 250. The ES was basically a Camry, which while not exciting, went on to be a very large contributor to that 10 million sales figure. Lexus was in need of something more sporty to drive some more attention to its brand and compete with other luxury touring cars like the Mercedes SL. So in 1992 Lexus released the LS 400. Using the same 250hp V8 from the LS, the SC provided plenty of power and a sporty chassis. In fact, the chassis was so good that it was used to develop the infamous MK4 Supra. The SC 400 went on to win Motor Trends Car of the Year in 1992.

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Bringing Sport into Luxury

At this point, Lexus had an entry level car, a full-size sedan, and a sport coupe. To round out the lineup of cars they needed a midsize sedan. For this, they developed the GS sedan. Unfortunately, the first generation GS proved to be a bit of a flop, selling less than 50k units during its life span. That all changed with the redesigned second generation GS, which is this authors personal favorite Lexus of all time. The second generation GS moved over 30k units in its first year alone and earned Lexus yet another Motor Trend Car of the Year award.

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Hybrid Technology

Lexus continued to soldier on making great cars for all of the 90s and early 2000s. Then the market started to change. Gas prices began to rise and the need and want for large gas guzzling vehicle began to fade. Lexus and Toyota, foreseeing the future, took a preemptive approach to this looming issue. Using and adapting technology originally developed for the Prius, Lexus began a journey to hybridize its line up.

Join the conversation about Lexus's 10-million milestone right here in ClubLexus.com.

Continued Inovation

Lexus continued over the years to improve the LS platform and always kept the big sedan as its top tier vehicle. So it only made sense that the LS should be used to show off the versatility of its hybrid tech. In 2008, Lexus debuted the LS 600h, the worlds first V8 full hybrid vehicle. While not the overnight success that the original LS 400 was, the LS 600h showed just how dedicated Lexus was to offering hybrid options on all its models. Combined with the 2006 RX 400h and 2007 GS 450h, Lexus proved that hybrid technology wasn't just for tiny econoboxes and it was the way forward. Hybrid vehicles have continued to be a very large part of total sales for Lexus.

Join the conversation about Lexus's 10-million milestone right here in ClubLexus.com.

Best Selling Luxury SUV

Speaking of the RX, the little midsize SUV has proven to be the most popular model from Lexus. You can't drive through any city without seeing tons of these on the roads. Partially because they sold so well and partially because they are so reliable. The RX is a staple of the Lexus lineup and has not changed very much from its inception, following the old saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it." The RX started a trend for the design of midsize SUV's and continues to be the leader, being the best selling luxury SUV in America.

Join the conversation about Lexus's 10-million milestone right here in ClubLexus.com.

True Off Road Capability

Not much has been said here about the full-size SUV lineup from Lexus, mostly because they don't contribute as much to the overall sales figures as much as the other models covered so far. But that is not because they aren't good. In fact, the LX is legendary in its off-road prowess, build quality, reliability, and comfort. The LX rivals any of the big luxury SUV's from Britan or Germany, but also carries a price tag to match. While being too expensive to sell big numbers, the reputation the LX earned Lexus has gone on to sell many lower-priced models.

Join the conversation about Lexus's 10-million milestone right here in ClubLexus.com.

Into the Future

Lexus is not content with selling 10 million cars and continues to grow its lineup and continue to innovate. The company now has eleven models, seven of which are offered with hybrid tech. They have two coupes, four sedans, and five SUVs in every size imaginable. 30 years ago, Lexus began a mission to offer the best Luxury cars in the world, they managed to do it then and continue to do it to this day. Here's to another 10 million.

Join the conversation about Lexus's 10-million milestone right here in ClubLexus.com.

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