Lexus originated from a clandestine flagship sedan project which began in 1983.Dawson, Chester (2004). "Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit", p.4. John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd., Singapore. ISBN 0470821108. This effort developed into the original Lexus LS, which was the first vehicle to wear the Lexus marque upon its launch in 1989.May 2006, p. 43 In following years, Lexus added sedan, coupe, and SUV models. Hybrid drivetrains arrived in 2005, and the F-marque performance division debuted in 2007. From the start of production, Lexus vehicles have been consistently produced in Japan,Mahler 2004, p. 182 with manufacturing centered in the Chūbu and Kyūshū regions. Assembly of the first Lexus built outside the country, the Ontario, Canada-produced RX, began in 2003.

Since 1989, Lexus has developed a reputation for vehicle reliability and customer service, as measured by independent surveys. In 2007, consumer ratings firm J.D. Power and Associates named Lexus the most reliable brand in the U.S. for the thirteenth year based on its Vehicle Dependability Survey, a measure of over 53,000 vehicle owners and problems experienced in the first three years of vehicle ownership. In recent years, Consumer Reports has also named Lexus among the top five most reliable brands in its Annual Car Reliability Surveys of over one million vehicles across the U.S.

Lexus' slogan is The Pursuit of Perfection.

The F1 project

Toyota researchers visited the U.S. in May 1985 to conduct focus groups and market research on luxury consumers.Dawson 2004, p. 35, 41 That summer, several F1 designers rented a home in Laguna Beach, California, to observe the lifestyles and tastes of American upper-class consumers. Toyota's market research concluded that a separate brand and sales channel was needed to present its new luxury flagship, and plans were made to develop a new network of dealerships in the U.S. market.

Brand development

Just prior to the release of the first vehicles, database service LexisNexis obtained a temporary injunction forbidding the name Lexus from being used as they stated it might cause confusion.Dawson 2004, p. 128-130 Upon reflection, the court lifted the injunction, deciding that there was a low likelihood of confusion between the two products.

The original Lexus slogan, developed after Team One representatives visited Lexus designers in Japan and noted their obsessive attention to detail, became "The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection."