Book Description
When Lexus launched fifteen years ago, the idea of a Japanese brand that would compete fender to fender with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Cadillac seemed preposterous. But Lexus' first sedan shocked the world. The result of hundreds of prototypes, the work of more than 1,000 engineers, and some $1 billion, the Lexus LS 400 pioneered new ground. Within just a few years, Lexus had transformed itself from an unlikely outsider into one of the industry's leaders as it redefined the idea of the luxury vehicle while also building a dealer network that gave unprecedented attention to service. The Lexus Story describes the brand's rapid ascent-and its travails along the way. The Lexus Story is the first journalistic telling of the history of this extraordinary company. And it is the only account afforded full access to the designers, engineers, dealers, and company leaders who molded the cars and the brand. The Lexus Story takes readers deep inside the making of first-class automobiles, from the creative sparks kindled in Lexus' far-flung design studios to the engineering refinements that translate ideals of performance and luxury into steel, glass, and rubber. Designed to be both readable and visually welcoming with more than 200 full-color photographs, The Lexus Story is a compelling history of a world-class brand.


About the Author
Jonathan Mahler is a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine. His articles, essays, and reviews have also appeared in the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the New Republic, and a variety of other publications. He also wrote the afterword to The National Enquirer: Thirty Years of Unforgettable Images.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When Lexus launched fifteen years ago, the idea of a " Japanese luxury brand that would compete fender for fender with "Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Cadillac seemed preposterous. But Lexus' " "first sedan shocked the world. The result of hundreds of prototypes, " "the work of more than 1,000 engineers, and some $1 billion, the Lexus " LS 400 pioneered new ground.

"Within just a few years, Lexus had transformed itself from an " unlikely outsider into one of the industry's leaders as it redefined the idea of the luxury vehicle while also building a dealer network that gave unprecedented attention to service. The Lexus Story describes the brand's rapid ascent-and its travails along the way. The Lexus Story is the first journalistic telling of the history of this extraordinary company. And it is the only account afforded full "access to the designers, engineers, dealers, and company leaders who " molded the cars and the brand.