The Lexus origin story is one of the greatest tales in the automotive industry. By the 80s, Mercedes-Benz and BMW had established themselves as leaders among manufacturers of luxury cars. Audi was still a second-rate luxury automaker, and Cadillac and Lincoln were both losing their loyal customer base... to the elderly. Toyota became interested in the luxury car segment during this time, but they knew they couldn't just sell their high-end models as Toyotas, as that wasn't what their consumer base was after.