Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit
Product ID: 1863825
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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. Review: Five Stars - Excellent read, should be supplied with every Lexus LS400! Review: Well Written and Researched - This book is well written and researched. Its main achievement is bringing together information from a variety of different sources both in English but particularly in Japanese. It briefly covers the history of Toyota before and after WWII and establishes the context for the launching of the Lexus brand in 1989 with the LS400. An alternative title might be: "Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit of German Luxury" since the company's main focus during the initial planning stages was to exceed in quality and reliability but significantly undercut in price the BMW 7-series and Mercedes-Benz SL500. The references are extensive and include the author's own articles for BusinessWeek as well as his interviews with Lexus officials in the US and Japan. It is no doubt challenging to construct a coherent narrative to describe the history of the most profitable division of one of the world's largest manufacturing companies in one of the most competitive global industries. This is particularly so since Toyota has a social and business structure quite unfamiliar to Western readers. Chester Dawson's proficiency with Japanese and links to the Japanese automotive press distinguish this book from that of another related book also written by a journalist: The Lexus Story: The Behind-The-Scenes Story of the #1 Automotive Luxury Brand . That other book provides numerous photos, charts, and timelines which complement the main text well; something which this book does not include. The Coda at the end of the second edition, written by Japanese journalist Hisao Inoue, provides important insights into the internal turmoil during the 2008 financial meltdown which led to the company's dark period of massive recalls and consumer complaints regarding product quality and reliability during 2009/2010. This really ought to have become a separate chapter. The book, which ends coverage in 2010, is in need of an update to describe exciting developments in electric/hybrid drivetrains and advanced driving assistance systems.
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,160,735 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #82 in Transportation Industry (Books) #157 in Automotive History (Books) #358 in Company Business Profiles (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 out of 5 stars 87 Reviews |
P**N
Five Stars
Excellent read, should be supplied with every Lexus LS400!
A**O
Well Written and Researched
This book is well written and researched. Its main achievement is bringing together information from a variety of different sources both in English but particularly in Japanese. It briefly covers the history of Toyota before and after WWII and establishes the context for the launching of the Lexus brand in 1989 with the LS400. An alternative title might be: "Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit of German Luxury" since the company's main focus during the initial planning stages was to exceed in quality and reliability but significantly undercut in price the BMW 7-series and Mercedes-Benz SL500. The references are extensive and include the author's own articles for BusinessWeek as well as his interviews with Lexus officials in the US and Japan. It is no doubt challenging to construct a coherent narrative to describe the history of the most profitable division of one of the world's largest manufacturing companies in one of the most competitive global industries. This is particularly so since Toyota has a social and business structure quite unfamiliar to Western readers. Chester Dawson's proficiency with Japanese and links to the Japanese automotive press distinguish this book from that of another related book also written by a journalist: The Lexus Story: The Behind-The-Scenes Story of the #1 Automotive Luxury Brand . That other book provides numerous photos, charts, and timelines which complement the main text well; something which this book does not include. The Coda at the end of the second edition, written by Japanese journalist Hisao Inoue, provides important insights into the internal turmoil during the 2008 financial meltdown which led to the company's dark period of massive recalls and consumer complaints regarding product quality and reliability during 2009/2010. This really ought to have become a separate chapter. The book, which ends coverage in 2010, is in need of an update to describe exciting developments in electric/hybrid drivetrains and advanced driving assistance systems.
S**S
Page Turner!!!
I was very pleasantly pleased to find this book so engrossing that I did not want to put it down!
B**S
If you own or sell Lexus you need this book.
A compelling story of how the greatest car ever built was made. Not a Toyota PR piece, Inside and around California and Japan you get the real human story of how this great brand was created. A great book if you love cars.
T**Y
Starts hot but gets dull
I started this book and was really engrossed they dive deep into the original LS400. Foolishly I thought they would continue that detail with other models (like the SC models or the Prado rebadge) It gives a decent job on the NSX but nowhere near as lofty as the LS. A lot about the factories and the company ownership not so much about the models or engines.
F**S
The live the motto
An interesting, if long, read about a fascinating company. The pace varies between boring detail and that which is intriguing. Worth a read for anyone looking to improve an industry or an interest in cars.
P**L
Outstanding history of Lexus.
Business writer Chester Dawson's 2012 update of his 2004 classic on the history and development of the Lexus brand, the most sucessful new car company started since World War II.
R**O
This is LEXUS.
At least I got the answer why the LEXUS is a great product and how the engineers took care of all challenges.
T**.
Sehr lesenswert, nicht nur für Lexus-Liebhaber
Das Buch ist sehr gut zu lesen, auch der nicht perfekte English-Kenner kommt gut damit zurecht. Man erhält nicht nur einen sehr schönen Einblick in die Geschichte und Entstehung sowie Weiterentwicklung der Marke Lexus, sondern kann auch die sehr ausführlich beschriebenen Herangehensweisen, die zur Etablierung einer Marke, zur Gewinnnung von neuen Kunden und zum Erreichen von hoher Kundenzufriedenheit notwendig sind, nachvollziehen und in sein Tätigkeitsfeld übertragen. Das Buch ist ein Muss für jeden, der sich damit beschäftigt, wie man Kundenwünsche antizipiert und nachhaltig erfüllt und damit Kunden gewinnt und an sich bindet - besser noch: begeistert. Viel Spaß beim Lesen!
A**G
a fascinating insight into the development and launch of the Lexus brand from 1989 to 2011.
Having recently purchased a 2000/X Lexus LS400 I was curious as to the launch history of the original 1989 Lexus LS400. This book is a really good read from cover to cover!The concept story begins way back in 1983 with a 'limitless open cheque book' approach. A figure of $1 billion is indicated in the amount expended to both match and exceed the then quality standards of both Mercedes Benz S Class and the B M W 7 Series. This publication does not disappoint!
Z**S
Great value on this book
Great value on this book. Took a while but that's expected as the used booksellers ship via media mail and that takes at least 6 weeks from USA to Canada. Thanks
A**G
recomendable pero solo esta en ingles
historia de lexus y toyota paralelamente, en ingles y con muchos datos
B**E
Four Stars
for Lexus owner only
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