Lexus originated on Alexis?!

[Will1991]

Well, according to Creative311 and Carbuzz, it seems that Lexus come from a derivate of the name Alexis!

意外な事実？レクサスの語源は「ラグジュアリー＆エレガンス」等の造語ではなく「アレクシス」という人の名前だった！更にレクサスは過去に「酷い車を売っていた」ことも？ | Creative Trend

てっきりレクサスというブランド名は「ラグジュアリー」をベースにした造語だと思っていたが… トヨタの高級車ブランドであり、海外市場にも展開されるグローバルブランドでお馴染みとなるレク...

creative311.com

Quite a read!

Does anyone have any info on this?

 

[Sulu]

This story is similar to what I have read elsewhere.

Behind the Badge: The Origins of the Lexus Name and Logo - The News Wheel

You see automotive emblems adorning the grilles and trunks of vehicles every day, but do you ever wonder where they come from? The latest study in our Behind the Badge series uncovers the fascinating story of the Lexus name and its connection to the Lexus logo. Read on to learn something new...

thenewswheel.com

How Did Lexus Get Its Name?
New York-based brand consultancy Lippincott & Margulies was commissioned by Team One, Toyota’s advertising unit for its new luxury brand, was commissioned in 1986 to come up with a fitting name.

You might be surprised to learn that “Lexus” wasn’t the first name the group developed. In fact, Lippincott & Margulies presented Toyota with a list of 219 prospective names–and “Lexus” wasn’t even on the list! At that time, the front-runner was “Alexis,” which eventually was reduced to “Lexis” and finally “Lexus.” That title beat out entrants like Verone, Chaparel, Vectre, and Calibre.

Two main theories still persist concerning the meaning of the Lexus name: it’s an acronym for “luxury exports to the US” and it’s a combination of “luxury” and “elegance.” However, according to Team One, the name never had a specific meaning.

Still, Lexus’ website claims it’s a combination of root words. “Among these are the Latin “luxus” and the French “luxe” for elegance and sumptuousness, as well as the Greek “lexicon” for language and words.” The website explains that the result is a fresh, distinct word that conveys luxury in any language.

Lexus - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[RAL]

The Father of Lexus, J Davis Illingworth, Jr. former Vice President General Manager, Lexus Division and former Senior Vice President, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.

writes of the creation of the name ‘LEXUS’ in his memoir God, Guts, Heartbreak, Headaches - The Start of Lexus.

In the section entitled: FLAGSHIP 1 GETS A NAME ...

"… the management team that was working on names for F1 had zeroed in on several different options. There were 219 names considered; the five finalists were:
'Vectre,' 'Verone,' 'Chaparel,' 'Calibre,' and 'Alexis.' 'Alexis' was the favorite, but at that time there was a television show called Dynasty that had a controversial female character named Alexis Carrington.

One of the team members, John French, proposed to make up an all-new name. Drop the 'A' and replace the 'I' with a 'U'.
The name 'Lexus’ was born."

 

[mikeavelli]

Yup, aligns with the book “the Lexus Story”…

Category: God, Guts, Heartbreak & Headaches: The Start of Lexus

godofhope.net

I wasn’t aware of this memoir but it’s there!

 

[Tragic Bronson]

I remember this

#44 - Lexus vs. LexisNexis Round 4: A No-Name Luxury Division

On Wednesday, April 20, 1988, a bitter courtroom battle between LexisNexis and its chief competitor, Westlaw, in a Minneapolis court came to an end. It was a lawsuit between the two leading legal…

godofhope.net

 

[Levi]

Yup, aligns with the book “the Lexus Story”…

Category: God, Guts, Heartbreak & Headaches: The Start of Lexus

godofhope.net

I wasn’t aware of this memoir but it’s there!

That book is interesting. I am going to read it. It is somehow nice, makes Lexus a “Christian” brand.