Lexus

[Foulsbane]

I met someone today who informed me that Lexus got it's name because it was built primarily for the American market.

Luxury EXport to US

Anyone heard that one before ??

[PEPE]

I met someone today who informed me that Lexus got it's name because it was built primarily for the American market.

Luxury EXport to US

Anyone heard that one before ??

Yes, I've heard this from a fellow enthusiast who owns a lovely Bristol 603.

[Bluesman]

Yup that's true. Mike

[thatfatbloke]

I always thought it to be Luxury EXecutive United States,but a check on Wikipedia says differently.

'In 1986, Toyota’s longtime advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi formed a specialized unit, Team One, to handle marketing for the new premium brand.^[12] Image consulting firmLippincott & Margulies was hired to develop a list of 219 prospective names; Vectre, Verone, Chaparel, Calibre and Alexis were chosen as top candidates.^[19] While Alexis quickly became the front runner, concerns were raised that the name applied to people more than cars (being associated with the Alexis Carrington character on the popular 1980s primetime drama Dynasty),^[19][20] and as a result the first letter was removed and the "i" replaced with a "u" to morph the name to Lexus.^[20]

The etymology of the Lexus name has been attributed to the combination of the words "luxury" and "elegance,"^[21] and another theory claims it is an acronym for "luxury exports to the U.S."^[21] According to Team One interviews, the brand name has no specific meaning and simply denotes a luxurious and technological image.^[19] Just prior to the release of the first vehicles, database service LexisNexisobtained a temporary injunction forbidding the name Lexus from being used as they stated it might cause confusion.^[22] The injunction threatened to delay the division's launch and marketing efforts.^[22] Upon reflection, a U.S. appeals court lifted the injunction, deciding that there was little likelihood of confusion between the two products.^[22]'

[Foulsbane]

Nice research that man

[Colin M]

Yes, I think what Wikipedia says is correct.

I have a copy of The Lexus Story, which was written by people with direct involvement with Lexus/Toyota (e.g. Danny Clements, Group Vice President and General Manager, Lexus Division), and this is what it says at p 57:

"Lippincott & Marguiles, an image consulting firm in New York, presented the company with a list of 219 names, including Vectre, Verone, Chaparel, Calibre and Alexis. Alexis quickly became the front runner. At a marketing meeting, however, George Borst, then corporate marketing manager, pointed out that Alexis was the name of the conniving Joan Collins character on Dynasty. (She was the one who had the cat fight with Krystle in the lily pond.) Doodling on a notepad at the same meeting, Lexus project manager John French dropped the "A" to create "Lexis". From there it was a short trip to "Lexus" which the group thought had a more luxurious and high-tech feel. A luxury brand was born."

[Cotswold Pete]

I love the fact that one of the 219 names was Chaparel. Not sure where it comes from, but reminds me of sitting on the sofa with my Grandad watching 'The High Chapparal' in black and white while he smoked his pipe. Not the kind of image that could - in my mind - conjure up luxury driving

[mikeyv]

Yes, I think what Wikipedia says is correct.

I have a copy of The Lexus Story, which was written by people with direct involvement with Lexus/Toyota (e.g. Danny Clements, Group Vice President and General Manager, Lexus Division), and this is what it says at p 57:

"Lippincott & Marguiles, an image consulting firm in New York, presented the company with a list of 219 names, including Vectre, Verone, Chaparel, Calibre and Alexis. Alexis quickly became the front runner. At a marketing meeting, however, George Borst, then corporate marketing manager, pointed out that Alexis was the name of the conniving Joan Collins character on Dynasty. (She was the one who had the cat fight with Krystle in the lily pond.) Doodling on a notepad at the same meeting, Lexus project manager John French dropped the "A" to create "Lexis". From there it was a short trip to "Lexus" which the group thought had a more luxurious and high-tech feel. A luxury brand was born."

I wish I could get paid loads to come up with 219 names, none of which were good enough.

I wonder how much Toyota paid them?

[Malc]

I understand that the " new " BP logo ( yes, you wouldn't know the difference from the old, the curvature is miniscually different ) cost lots of £mns to arrive at thru' consultants !!!

Malc