The Lexus LS400 transformed the luxury sedan car market in 1989 in perhaps a similar way to Tesla created the electric luxury vehicle category with the Model S sedan in 2012.

Both cars are similar too in that despite being slightly “benign” in the styling stakes, they will be relevant beyond their years due to their high tech features and over engineered aspects for their time.

I still remember my first drive in one, it was the year 1990 in Sydney as a teenager with Dad at the wheel. I remember the whisper quiet (58 decibels at highway speed) ride, so quiet the engine was barely audible. Lexus’ noise levels on the LS400 are still impressive today.

Lexus was the brainchild of Toyota and planning began in 1983. The idea behind Lexus was to create an international market, outside Japan, for luxurious Toyotas. Until then, the luxury Toyota Crown and Toyota Century models were only sold in Japan.

Toyota invested US$1 billion in creating Lexus, which some people think stood for “Luxury Exports to the US” but the brand said “simply denotes a luxurious and technological image”. Toyota would now directly compete with Honda’s upmarket Acura brand and Nissan’s upmarket Infiniti brand for market share.

The LS400, standing for “Luxury Sedan” and the “400” denoted the 4-litre V8 engine which powered the car, saw the debut of Lexus in January 1989 at the North American International motor show. Until the launch of the LS400, the luxury sedan market was dominated by the Mercedes E-Class and S-Class, BMW 5 and 7 Series, Audi 100/A6 and the Jaguar XJ. In the US, the Cadillac brand was the king.

These were all accomplished cars in their own right, but Lexus brought a lower price point for all round value for money for the luxury experience. It shook up the established brands and the ripple effect of rapid innovation in their cars would be felt in future model releases.

Compared to its rivals the LS400 had a quieter cabin, a lesser drag coefficient, a higher top speed and more equipment. Lexus’ strategy was to better its rivals in all ways possible. And it needed to as what it lacked was brand cachet and in 1989 this was a big deal.

Lexus spent handsomely on advertisements in magazines to build the brand, portraying a story of exceptional build quality and innovation. Lexus also focused on an exceptional owner experience.

In New Zealand and Australia this included preferential car parking at events, specialised dealer service that was a cut above competitors and many other perks which had not been seen in the early 1990s.

The early years of Lexus were financially tough for Toyota, despite promising sales, with a worsening Yen and a Japanese recession in 1991, pushing up the overseas cost of the LS400.

However diversification was high on Toyota’s agenda and part of the Lexus story was to create a more robust international platform for luxury vehicle sales. In its first 15 of 17 years in the US, the LS was the top selling brand in its category. It also did extremely well in Japan.

However the LS introduction to the European market didn’t occur until 2007 and was trickier than expected as European buyers favoured existing more established brands.

Today the LS lives on in fifth generation form, which debuted in 2017. The V6 engine has become the only powertrain, after four generations of V8s.

In 2020, the luxury market is far more crowded and competitive than 1989. The LS no longer stands out as the category leader it once was. It still remains a choice, though, for limited buyers who don’t want to stand out and who favour impeccable built quality that is still part of the Lexus experience.

TradeMe doesn’t show any early 1990s LS400s but it does bring up one mint edition 1998 model with just two owners and 199,000km. At $6000 or nearest offer, this car is exceptional value for someone wanting a plush ride, on par with modern sedans. It seems a paintwork cut and polish is all that is needed.

With many LS400 owners having reported incredible kilometres without problem (the internet contains a number of examples of over one million kilometres) a well maintained LS400 could in fact be the ultimate second hand luxury car, especially given Toyota parts are easy to find.

Did you ever own an LS400? Tell us about your ownership experience at info@automuse.co.nz