by Chester Dawson (Author)

A behind-the-scenes look at Lexus's surprising twenty-year success story--in a revised new edition

In the 1980s, German brands BMW and Mercedes-Benz dominated the luxury car market and had little reason to fear competition from Japan. But in 1989, Toyota entered the market with the Lexus LS 400, a car that could compete with the Germans in every category but price--it was US$30,000 cheaper. Within two years, Lexus had overtaken Mercedes-Benz in the United States and made a stunning success of Toyota's brave foray into the global luxury market.

Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit reveals why Toyota decided to take on the German automakers and how the new brand won praise and success for its unparalleled quality, unforgettable advertising, and unprecedented customer service. From the first boardroom planning session to Lexus's entry into the mega-luxury supercar market, this is the complete and compelling story of one of the world's most admired brands.

• Includes a new Foreword by legendary designer Erwin Lui, an Afterword with updates since the first edition, and a new Coda by leading Japanese automotive journalist Hisao Inoue
• Covers the racetrack triumph--and tragedy--behind the new US$375,000 Lexus LFA supercar
• Offers important business lessons for brand managers and executives

For car enthusiasts, business leaders, and anyone interested in branding and marketing, Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit offers an amazing story of excellence and innovation in the automotive industry.

Front Jacket

In 1989 German brands BMW and Mercedes-Benz dominated the luxury car market. Overnight, their world was changed by the launch of a brand new vehicle. The maverick newcomer was quicker, quieter, more economical and a full US$30,000 cheaper than its rivals. That car, the Lexus LS 400, sent shockwaves throughout the world's automotive industry. It was Toyota Motor Corporation's first foray into the global luxury market. Within two years of its introduction, Lexus overtook Mercedes-Benz for the crown of best-selling luxury import brand in the U.S. and had clinched top place in J.D. Power & Associates influential ratings for quality and service.

This revised edition of Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit includes a new Foreword by legendary designer Erwin Lui, an Afterword with updated material and a Coda by leading Japanese auto journalist Hisao Inoue. Plus:

• Find out what drove the Lexus brand's success: the how's and why's of its reputation for top-notch quality, those unforgettable advertising campaigns and bespoke customer service
• Get the inside story on the growing pains of Toyota Motor's luxury division, its vehicle development plans and the lawsuits that almost derailed the brand
• Discover how Lexus stumbled into its most successful line of vehicles: the luxury SUVs typified by the RX series
• Understand the boardroom intrigue as Toyota--and the Lexus brand--survived constant leadership change in Japan and U.S.
• Take a virtual tour of Toyota Motor's crown jewel factories
• Delve into the race track triumph--and tragedy--behind the new $375,000 Lexus LFA "Supercar."

This book is essential reading for automotive and business professionals.

Back Jacket

20 Years of Defining Perfection

The author takes us on a breathtaking "genchi-genbutu" (meaning "go and see") as if we are in Toyota City. A must-read for a car nut.
Shin Sano
CEO, Sano Research
Assistant Research Professor, Illinois Institute of Technology's Institute of Design

With his strong focus on the personalities behind the brand, Chester Dawson has crafted a compelling insider look at Lexus and its whirlwind history, from the company's risky beginnings and earliest setbacks to the current challenges it faces as the number one luxury car manufacturer in the United States. Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit is an essential read that I would recommend to both Lexus enthusiasts and anyone else looking for real insight into one of the world's most successful business stories.
Kevin R.E. Watts
Editor, The Lexus Enthusiast

Praise for the Hard Cover Edition

Toyota is the best car company in the world. From a truck-maker in World War II to a carmaker in the 1950s to a Lexus maker in the 1980s, it excels everywhere. Chester Dawson is a Japanese-speaking investigative reporter who has got the inside story of Lexus and made it come alive.
Ezra F. Vogel
Henry Ford II Research Professor of the Social Sciences, Emeritus
Harvard University

Chester Dawson brings to life the story of Lexus. This is a tale of invention, consumer insight, dedication and resolve. Dawson tells the story with drama, vision and insider detail. He unlocks the keys to how Toyota took a vague idea and turned it into a flagship brand and a new automotive icon.
Michael Silverstein
Senior Vice President, The Boston Consulting Group

While Detroit is still trying to figure out how Toyota made Lexus the best-selling luxury brand in the United States, Chester Dawson has dissected the Lexus story in an enlightening way. Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit brings to life the personalities who brought about an automotive phenomenon. This is a must-read not only for car buffs, but for any manager or executive who wants to understand how to create, sustain and expand an elite brand.
Micheline Maynard
Author of The End of Detroit: How the Big Three Lost Their Grip on the American Car Market

Author Biography

Chester Dawson has worked as a business journalist and editor at several top media outlets, including BusinessWeek, Dow Jones & Co., The Associated Press and Bloomberg News. He spent 10 years as a foreign correspondent in Tokyo reporting on the Japanese economy and specializing in the automotive and financial industries. After serving as International Finance Editor at BusinessWeek magazine's headquarters in New York, he entered high finance--first at a Japanese hedge fund and then, most recently, in the institutional asset management unit of a Wall Street bank. Mr. Dawson earned his M.A. in East Asian Studies at Harvard University and a B.A. in history with an economics minor at Ohio University. He spent his junior year abroad at Sophia University in Tokyo.

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