The first of the new line of luxury to be introduced was the LS 400. Introduced for model year 1989, the LS 400 led the way in making Lexus the highest car brand luxury sales worldwide. Toyota introduced Lexus in 68 countries and territories worldwide. Interestingly, Toyota did not introduce Lexus in the Japanese market in 2005, although the Lexus vehicles were fully realized it until 2003 when the assembly plant for the Lexus RX 300 opened in Ontario, Canada.
Since the launch of the LS 400 sedan in 1989, Lexus has expanded the line of popular vehicle to add another sedan, a coupe, a convertible and SUV models. In 2005, a hybrid line up has been introduced into the Lexus fold.
The first proposal of the company included a list of 219 potential monikers. Among the best choices included names: Alexis, Calibre, Chaparel, Vectre and Verona. Alexis was the favorite, but it was changed to Lexus as a combination of the words "luxury" and "elegance".
Because the US market is the primary launch platform for the new luxury line up a team of designers decided to look at your target audience closely to determine which would be more attractive in a luxury vehicle. To do this, several F1 designers rented a home in Laguna Beach, California to observe firsthand the lifestyle and tastes of buyers of upper middle class cars. This investigation led Toyota to the conclusion that a completely separate line distinct from the name Toyota would be preferable to introduce the new luxury line on the market. Another division, with new exclusive dealers Lexus, was developed for the US market.
In January 1989, the new Lexus LS 400 was introduced at the International Motor Show in North America in Detroit, Michigan. In 1991, Toyota achieved its goal line and new Lexus won the title as the best selling luxury vehicle in the United States.
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