Toyota launched its Lexus division in September 1989 with two 1990 models at opposite ends of the spectrum: the LS 400, a rear-drive V-8 flagship, and the ES 250, a front-drive cousin to the plebian Camry. In their first month, the two cars combined for 4,135 sales. Fast-forward nearly 25 years and Toyota has sold 4,397,799 Lexus cars and SUVs in America. Lexus led all luxury-brand sales from 2000 to 2010. All without building a single car here. That’s right. Toyota, whose Kentucky- and Indiana-built Camry has led Cars.com’s American-Made Index for four years in a row, imports its Lexus cars from Japan and Canada. That’s about to change, however. The…
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