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Article: Chairman Eiji Toyoda had a dream; today, it's known as Lexus. (history of the Toyota Lexus)(The 100-Year Almanac and 1996 Market Data Book)
- Article from:
- Automotive News
- Article date:
- April 29, 1996
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Crain Communications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Lexus was introduced in the fall of 1989 by Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., but the history and tradition behind Toyota's luxury division go back to the days of the Toyopet Crown and the Corona.
The predecessor to today's Toyota Motor Corp. was established in 1937 by Sakichi Toyoda, who was considered Japan's "king of inventors." He challenged his family to stay ahead of the times, encouraging them to get into auto manufacturing. His challenge meant building efficient, trouble-free cars that provided good value.
Sakichi's son, Kiichiro, and the newly formed automotive department met and exceeded that challenge, developing such innovations as Toyota's ...