It was more than a philosophical matter for Toyota Motor because of the money involved. The company, while comfortably in the black, could ill afford to pursue a misguided vanity project. But some argued it stood to lose more from staying out of the luxury market than by jumping in when its most loyal customers – baby boomers – were moving into their peak earning years and would soon be looking to buy more expensive cars. Toyota Motor wanted a high-end product line to prevent these loyal customers from defecting to other brands. The idea was to build a gilded bridge between the compact-car buyers of today and the luxury-car buyers of tomorrow. What’s more, it also needed to safeguard its revenue in an era of increased U.S. import barriers, to stay neck-and-neck with Japanese rivals who were planning their own luxury lines, and to keep its engineers motivated with new challenges.
At home, it sold the stately Century, a boat of a car with a 5.0-liter V-12 engine, used to chauffeur Japanese CEOs and cabinet ministers around the crowded streets of Tokyo. The often empty front passenger seat on this and other Japanese luxury cars was built with a removable cushion so that the back-seat passenger could stretch his legs through to the front seat. But at the equivalent of US$125,000, the car was deemed too expensive to compete in the mass luxury market in the U.S. Besides, Toyota Motor needed to update its export line-up with a car-lover’s car designed primarily to be driven by its owner, not a stately limousine to be driven around in.
Most significantly, Toyota Motor sensed opportunity. Present manufacturers of high end vehicles had risen and gone beyond the needs of the brand new era of car purchasers. Hence, Eiji Toyoda presented the strategy to penetrate towards the high end market. 6 years along with 50 percent of a billion dollars later, the initial Lexus was born. To Toyoda, it was not a matter of cost, only a matter of time. In his words: “For us, this was not only a tremendous challenge and a dream to fulfill but also an inevitable decision.” Yet even the most zealous proponents of a Japanese luxury-car program in the early 1980s could scarcely imagine what Toyota Motor would unleash upon unsuspecting rivals a decade later.
The company’s luxury division, the Lexus brand, has grown from a car enthusiast’s afterthought into the leading luxury brand in the U.S. It usurped Cadillac for that title in 2000 and has kept it ever since. In its debut year in 1989, sales of the untested brand’s two models – the flagship LS and entry-level ES sedans – totaled just 16,302 cars. Two years later it became the best-selling luxury import in the U.S. and had added a third model, the SC coupe. Today, just over two decades since the brand debuted, millions of vehicles sporting the Lexus L are being driven on the roads of America, a testimony not only to the brand’s popularity but also the durability of its cars. Indeed, it is not uncommon to see a vintage 1990 model year LS 400 or ES 300. Today, Lexus has expanded from the first two pioneer models to an industry-leading fleet of nearly a dozen different cars and SUBs, three of which have been added within the past two years.
Volkswagen Malaysia has applied an exclusive mixture of automation and human skill in a system so effective that each new Volkswagen Malaysia car, with countless feasible style variations, is often created to fulfill each customer’s individual choices.
HARRISON AUTO ACCESSORIES, MALAYSIA pt 2
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MALAYSIAN PRIDE Vinyl Decal Car Window Malaysia Sticker $4.94 |
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Sticker White 8″ Barcode UPC Pride Patriot Made In Malaysia A435 $3.95 |
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Sticker White 8″ Malaysian Malaysia Country Silouette Pride Map A271 $3.95 |
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MALAYSIA MAL Country Code Vinyl Decal Car Sticker EU152 $3.74 |
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Boon Squirt Baby Food Dispensing Spoon The Squirt baby food dispensing spoon allows for convenient feeding, one bite at a time. The easy-to-fill bulb holds up to 3 ounces of baby food and attaches firmly to the spoon end. Simply squeeze the bulb to dispense just the right amount of food. Squirt comes with a protective cover to seal food in and keep the spoon clean between feedings. By combining the spoon and food container into one pro… |
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Black & Decker LI4000 3.6-Volt Lithium-Ion SmartSelect Screwdriver with Magnetic Screw Holder $27.89 Ideal for around-the-house jobs, the Black & Decker LI4000 3.6-volt lithium-ion SmartSelect screwdriver with magnetic screw holder is an ideal tool for basic home repairs. Perfect for professionals and weekend warriors alike, the LI4000 prevents stripping, stays charged for up to 18 months, and boasts a compact, portable design. LI4000 ScrewdriverAt A Glance: Magnetic tip preven… |
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Shaver Cord fit most Norelco, Braun, Remington & others $4.99 Norelco replacement shaver cord… |
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JJ Cole Collections Diaper Caddy, Green Stripe $23.95 JJ Cole Diapers and Wipes Caddy- Green Stripe With the diapers & wipes caddy parents can keep all the necessary changing supplies in one easy-to-access place. Simply grab and change. • room for diapers, wipes case and lotion • coordinating changing pad included • drawer for cotton balls, balms and other small items • stylish colors and fabrics coordinate with any nursery … |
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Motorola Standard Dock and Power for MOTOROLA XOOM (Motorola Retail Packaging) $49.99 Let the Motorola XOOM ecosystem redefine the line between your laptop and your smartphone. With a suite of smart accessories and the unique webtop application, you now have the freedom to access and manage your files, photos, emails and the web on a larger screen with a full keyboard, virtually anywhere you go. The Motorola XOOM is the first smartphone with dual-core processing and webtop, an app… |
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5000mAh External Backup Battery Power Bank with DuaL USB Port Charger Adapter Pack for iPad2 / iPad, iPhone 4G/3Gs/3G (AT and T and Verizon), iPod Touch, Motorola Droid Phones, HTC Android Phones, Blackberry, Kindle DX, Samsung Galaxy S, Samsung EPIC, Nintendo, Sony PSP etc. $15.99 Product Specifications:-Input: 5.0V, 1A(max)-Output: USB1 5.3V, 500Ma-USB Port: 5.1V, 1.5A(max), can charge Apple ipad-Cell: Lithium polymer-Capacity: 5000mAh-Size: 110x71x16 mm-Weight: 160g-Charge State: 3 LED display… |
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Targus Sport Rolling Backpack Case Designed for 15.4 Inch Notebooks (Black with Grey Accents) $42.99 FITS NOTEBOOKS WITH UP TO 15.4″ SCREENS INCLUDING MODELS WITH AN EXTENDED BATTERYCOMPREHENSIVE BUSINESS WORKSPACE WITH COMPARTMENTS TO CARRY FILES BUSINESS CARDS KEYS STORAGE DRIVES & MOREREAR PROTECTIVE FLAP HOLDS SHOULDER STRAPS IN PLACE SO STRAPS ARE SECURE WHEN THE CASE IS USED IN ROLLER MODE;REMOVABLE NOTEBOOK SLEEVEPADDED HANDLE & SHOULDER STRAPSShipping Dimensions : 19.50in X 14.50in X 5.90… |