Dallas News has a great article looking back at the origns of Lexus:

On the day 19 years ago that Bill Owens bought his Lexus, the saleswoman assured him it would be good for 500,000 miles. “She just might be right,” says Owens, a retired auditor in Plano whose 1990 LS 400 sedan has more than 420,000 miles on it. Twenty years ago this month, Toyota’s new Lexus luxury division promised buyers high quality, exceptional reliability and industry-leading customer service – and delivered on a scale few had anticipated. Lexus redefined what luxury is, said James Bell, executive market analyst at Kelley Blue Book. “In prior times, luxury vehicles were the fastest or handled the best or had the best styling,” he said. “Lexus has defined luxury as peace and quiet.” – from Dallas