Lexus research

Lexus history: from the Circle F project to the LS 400 and today’s lineup

By CarWhere Research · Updated

Lexus is Toyota’s luxury brand, launched in the United States in September 1989 with the LS 400 and ES 250. It grew out of the secret Circle F project, begun after Eiji Toyoda’s 1983 challenge to build a car better than the best in the world. Lexus later pioneered the luxury crossover (RX 300) and the luxury hybrid (RX 400h).

Lexus history timeline

Milestones link to a full history page with years and production numbers, key variants, what changed and what to check before you buy one.

  1. 1983

    A challenge from Eiji Toyoda

    Eiji Toyoda challenged Toyota to build "a car that is better than the best in the world." The work became the top-secret Circle F project, with F standing for flagship.[1],[2]

    Lexus LS 400 and the 1989 launch history →

  2. 1984–1987

    Circle F takes shape

    Toyota dates the start of LS 400 development to 1984. Project members spent months in the US studying luxury-car owners. The final design was approved in May 1987 after eight earlier proposals, and Toyota Motor Sales wrote the Lexus Covenant for dealers in August 1987.[3],[4]

    Lexus LS 400 and the 1989 launch history →

  3. 1989

    Lexus launches in the US

    The first LS 400 left Toyota’s Tahara plant on May 15, 1989. Lexus launched across the US on September 1, 1989, with the LS 400 and the ES 250, and adopted the slogan "The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection."[4],[5],[6]

    Lexus LS 400 and the 1989 launch history →

  4. 1989

    The first service campaign

    In December 1989 Lexus recalled early LS 400s to replace a cruise-control actuator and a brake-light housing. Lexus’s own timeline credits the campaign, begun after a consumer complaint, with setting its service reputation.[6],[7],[8],[9]

    Lexus LS 400 and the 1989 launch history →

  5. 1990–1991

    Quality awards and a wider lineup

    Lexus topped the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study in 1990 and in 1991 won the IQS, Customer Service Index and Sales Satisfaction Index together. The SC coupes and the ES 300 joined the range in 1991, when Lexus became the best-selling luxury import brand in the US.[4],[6]

  6. 1996

    The first Lexus SUV

    The LX 450, revealed in New York in 1995, went on sale in 1996 as the brand’s first sport utility vehicle.[6],[10],[11]

    Lexus SUVs and crossovers history →

  7. 1998

    RX 300 creates the luxury crossover

    The RX 300 debuted at the 1998 North American International Auto Show as the first luxury crossover, built on a car-based unibody. Lexus says about 42,000 were sold in its first year.[6],[12]

    Lexus SUVs and crossovers history →

  8. 2000

    Top-selling US luxury brand

    The IS 300 sport sedan arrived, and Lexus became the top-selling luxury brand in the US.[6]

  9. 2003

    First Lexus built outside Japan

    Lexus announced the RX 330 would be built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada in Cambridge, Ontario, the first plant outside Japan to build a Lexus.[6]

    Lexus SUVs and crossovers history →

  10. 2005

    RX 400h, the first luxury hybrid

    The RX 400h, revealed in Detroit in January 2004, went on sale as a 2006 model: the first luxury hybrid SUV and Lexus’s first hybrid.[6],[10],[12]

    Lexus hybrids and electrified models history →

  11. 2007–2008

    The F marque begins

    Lexus launched the F SPORT parts line at SEMA in 2007. The IS F, the first Lexus to wear the F badge, went on sale in January 2008 with a 416-hp V8.[2],[6],[10]

    Lexus F performance cars history →

  12. 2010–2012

    LFA supercar

    The V10 LFA was scheduled to enter production in December 2010; the first US car arrived in January 2011, and the last was built on December 14, 2012, completing a 500-car run.[6],[10],[13]

    Lexus F performance cars history →

  13. 2014–2016

    RC F, GS F, NX and LC

    The RC F (2014) and GS F (2015) premiered in Detroit, the NX in Beijing (2014) and the LC 500 coupe in Detroit (2016). In 2015 the ES 350 became the first Lexus built in the US, in Kentucky.[6]

    Lexus F performance cars history →

  14. 2019

    Ten million Lexus vehicles

    Lexus marked its ten-millionth vehicle sold.[6]

  15. 2022–2023

    First EV and first US-built Lexus SUV

    The RZ, Lexus’s first battery-electric model, premiered in 2022. The three-row TX premiered in 2023 and became the first Lexus SUV built in the US, at Toyota Indiana.[6],[10]

    Lexus SUVs and crossovers history →

  16. 2024–2025

    35 years and record sales

    Lexus marked its 35th anniversary in 2024 with a record 345,669 sales, per its US newsroom, and introduced the LX 700h hybrid. In 2025 it premiered the eighth-generation ES, offered as a hybrid and an EV, and recorded 370,260 sales.[6],[14]

Lexus firsts

Milestones Lexus and Toyota describe as firsts (Lexus USA Newsroom; Toyota 75-year history)[2],[5],[6],[10],[12]
YearModel or eventWhat it was first at
1989LS 400 and ES 250First Lexus models, launched in the US on September 1, 1989
1996LX 450First Lexus SUV
1998RX 300First luxury crossover utility vehicle
2003RX 330First Lexus built outside Japan (Cambridge, Ontario)
2005RX 400h (2006 model)First luxury hybrid vehicle and first Lexus hybrid
2006GS 450hFirst luxury hybrid sport sedan
2007LS 600h LFirst full V8 hybrid
2008IS FFirst Lexus to wear the F marque
2009HS 250hFirst hybrid-only luxury vehicle
2015ES 350First Lexus built in the US (Kentucky)
2022RZFirst Lexus battery-electric vehicle
2023TXFirst Lexus SUV built in the US (Indiana)

When each nameplate reached the US

First US model year of each Lexus nameplate as listed by EPA fuel-economy data (current models in 2026 marked)[15],[16],[17],[18],[19],[20],[21],[22],[23],[24],[25],[26],[27],[28],[29],[30],[31]
NameplateFirst US model yearListed for 2026
LS1990Yes
ES1990Yes
GS1993No (last 2020)
LX1996Yes
RX1999Yes
IS2001Yes
GX2003Yes
HS2010No (last 2012)
CT2011No (last 2017)
NX2015Yes
RC2015No (last 2025)
LC2018Yes
UX2019Yes
RZ2023Yes
TX2024Yes

Every Lexus model history

The launch

Performance

Hybrids and electrified

SUVs and crossovers

How to check a Lexus's factory build

Standardized 17-character VINs began with model year 1981[32]. For a 1981-or-later Lexus, CarWhere can check a VIN for licensed factory build data and, when it exists, list the equipment the vehicle was built with in plain English: see the Lexus build sheet by VIN. Coverage varies by VIN and model year. Earlier vehicles are identified by their original serial number, vehicle data plate and engine stampings instead.

Frequently asked questions

When did Lexus start?

Lexus launched in the United States on September 1, 1989, selling the LS 400 and ES 250. The first LS 400 came off Toyota’s Tahara assembly line in Japan on May 15, 1989.

What was the Circle F project?

Toyota’s secret program to build the first Lexus flagship. A circled F marked an all-new model, and the F stood for flagship; the LS 400 itself was known as F1, for Flagship One. Toyota dates the start of LS 400 development to 1984.

What was the first Lexus car?

The LS 400 full-size sedan, launched alongside the smaller ES 250 in 1989. The LS 400 had a 250-hp 4.0-liter V8.

Who owns Lexus?

Toyota. Lexus began as a Toyota sales network for luxury cars in the US, and the cars were developed and built by Toyota Motor Corporation.

What was the first Lexus SUV?

The LX 450, which went on sale in 1996. The RX 300, which debuted in 1998, was the first luxury crossover built on a car-based unibody.

Where are Lexus vehicles built?

The LS 400 was built at Tahara, Japan. Lexus later added North American plants: Cambridge, Ontario, announced in 2003 for the RX 330; Kentucky, where ES 350 production began in 2015; and Indiana, where TX production began in 2023.

More Lexus research

Sources

Production figures, dates and ratings come from Lexus AG and Lexus of America press and heritage materials, official race results and reputable automotive press wherever available. References marked secondary are encyclopedic or enthusiast sources used only where a primary figure was not available. Market medians are CarWhere's own analysis of live US dealer listings from licensed vehicle-data providers.

  1. The Engineering Revolution: How Toyota Made "The Best Car in the World" — Lexus Europe Newsroom
  2. Lexus F SPORT – Performance at Every Level (Sept. 25, 2013) — Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. (Lexus USA Newsroom)
  3. 75 Years of Toyota: Developing the Lexus (the "Yet" concept and "fixing problems at the source") — Toyota Motor Corporation (75-Year History)
  4. 75 Years of Toyota: Developing the Lexus (the Lexus Covenant) — Toyota Motor Corporation (75-Year History)
  5. Lexus Production Begins (May 15, 1989) — Toyota Motor Corporation (global.toyota)
  6. The History of Lexus — Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. (Lexus USA Newsroom)
  7. Recall 89V211000: speed control (cruise-control actuator) — NHTSA (via data.transportation.gov recall dataset)
  8. Recall 89V212000: center high-mounted stop lamp housing — NHTSA (via data.transportation.gov recall dataset)
  9. Lexus recalls LS400 sedan (December 4, 1989) — United Press International (UPI Archives) (secondary reference)
  10. Celebrating Luxury: A Look at Lexus’ 35-Year Legacy — Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. (Lexus USA Newsroom)
  11. 1996 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  12. Looking Back: The Evolution of the Lexus RX (Dec. 6, 2022) — Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. (Lexus USA Newsroom)
  13. Lexus Announces Price of All-New LFA Supercar (Feb. 24, 2010) — Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. (Lexus USA Newsroom)
  14. Five Things to Know About the First-Ever Lexus LX 700h — Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. (Lexus USA Newsroom)
  15. 1990 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  16. 1993 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  17. 2001 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  18. 2003 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  19. 2010 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  20. 2011 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  21. 2012 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  22. 2015 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  23. 2017 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  24. 2018 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  25. 2019 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  26. 2020 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  27. 2021 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  28. 2023 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  29. 2024 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  30. 2025 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  31. 2026 Lexus models listed by EPA (fueleconomy.gov model menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
  32. 49 CFR Part 565 — Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) requirements — eCFR (U.S. Government)

Independent reference compiled by CarWhere Research — not affiliated with or endorsed by Lexus or Toyota Motor Corporation. Lexus, F SPORT and the model names are trademarks of their owners.