History of the Lexus ls part 2

Lexus conducted 15 months of testing beginning in May 1986 on both the Autobahn in Germany and American roads. A year later, the finaldesign of the F1 was approved on the ninth presentation to management, far more then was customary at the time for new Toyota models. In May of 1988, the first production LS 400 rolled off the line at theTaharaplant in Japan.

 

On September 1, 1989, the Lexus LS 400 (and ES 250) sedan went on sale at 65-70 Lexus dealerships across the country. Equipped with a 4.0-liter, four-cam, 32-valve aluminum V8 engine with 250 horsepower, the 1990 LS 400 also included a long list of luxury features.

LS 400 also introduced over 300 engineering and “design firsts”to the world including: a standard four-speed automatic transmission with its own computer that “talked”to the engine’s computer to ensure smooth shifting; a Traction Control System for better control on slippery roads; use of sound dampening material combined with engineering details to minimize NVH (Noise, Vibration, Harshness); and a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel combined with driver’s side airbag.

At the end of the first year of sales, Lexus faced what could have been a major set back for the new nameplate. After limited complaints about cruise control malfunction and stoplight house distortion, Lexus decided to recall all 8,000 of the LS 400 sedans sold in 1989. Turning the recall into a Special Service Campaign, Lexus used the opportunity to establish itself as the industry leader in customer service. Dealers contacted LS owners personally, picked up the cars from homes, fixed the problems, and quickly returned the vehicles freshly washed with full tanks of gas and, in some cases, provided small gifts to make up for the inconvenience.

In 1991, Lexus became the No. 1 luxury import in the U.S. for the first time, topping Mercedes Benz and BMW with over 70,000 units sold. Fifty-two percent of Lexus sales that year were LS 400 sedan.

Another example of the attention Lexus pays to customers was the freshened 1992 LS 400, which contained more than 50 changes, many of which were in direct response to dealer and customer requests.