History of Lexus

1983 - Toyota chairman Eiji Toyoda sets the challenge for Toyota to build the worlds finest luxury car, the beginning of the project that would yield Lexus.

1989 - The first production LS400 comes off the line at Lexus's Tahara factory.

1990 - Lexus is launched in Europe with a single model range, the LS400

1993 - The Lexus GS300 saloon is unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show. Sales begin in America and Europe later in the year.

1998 - An all-new Lexus GS300 and a revised LS400 are launched in Europe. In the USA, Lexus shows the RX300, a model which creates a new market niche for premium SUVs. Lexus becomes the USAs top selling luxury brand for the first time, out performing domestic manufacturers Cadillac and Lincoln.

1999 - The IS200 compact sports saloon is introduced, the first Lexus model to be specifically developed for the European market.

2000 - The RX300 goes on sale in Europe.

2001 - Lexus takes the Gold Award as overall winner of the J.D Power and Associates UK Customer Satisfaction Survey. Lexus SC430 UK sales begin

2002 - Steven Spielberg asks Lexus to design a futuristic sports car for the film Minority Report. Lexus Number One in Britains biggest satisfaction survey, BBC Top Gear Magazine.

2004 - Lexus wins its fourth successive Gold Award in the J.D Power and Associates UK Car Customer Satisfaction Survey.
Lexus wins its third successive top position in the BBC Top Gear magazines Satisfaction survey.

2005 - Lexus brand launched for the first time in Japan.