Random Thought: 1994 Lexus LS400
Parked next to one at the supermarket yesterday it occurred to me that there's probably not a nicer car in the world to be had for a couple grand than a first-generation big Lexus. I mean, if all you cared about was silly stuff, like comfort and reliability. (Pssssh.)
Seriously: torquey, efficient V-8, leather and power everything, and it's a freakin' Toyota? Who cares if it's got a quarter million miles on it, as most of 'em do. Thing'll go forever. How do you go wrong here?
Click on the pic to check out the auction.
posted by pph at 9:37 AM
1 Comments:
I think you've stumbled onto the last truly "rebel ride" left out there.
I mean, for this particular moment in time.
What could be less expected?
For that ultimate, subversive ride, I've long leaned toward the minivan (most any would do); but they're too obvious, aren't they?--and too practical. Anyone caught driving one could always fall back on the excuse of utility. No, this car is much better, cut off from all its original claims on our attention due to age and irrelevance--the war it was built to fight is already won!
A first year Lexus like this is truly revolutionary, (and hence worthless, now that the revolution is over), because it proved (so spectacularly!) that any manufacturer--of anything--can remake themselves into a luxury brand if they've got the proper concept and engineering. That merely being aimed at the luxury segmet in and of itself makes a product worthy. That any product luxurious enough can even create its own market, where before none existed! And said product does this not just by looking quality enough, but by creating a place for itself in the imaginary utopia every consumer is buying their way toward.
This car, and its brethren, made it all look easy!
There'd always been authoritarian Mercedes (Der Fuhrer), ruthless BMWs (Himmler), efficient Audis (Speer), and brilliant Porches (Rommel--they don't call 'em Panzers fer nuthin'!); also the American idea of the luxury car, (every Lincoln and Caddy of note, just so many grounded B-24s and -52s); and various other national entrants from Britain, Italy, etc. But at a time when these manufacturers were trading as much on heritage as innovation, out of nowhere the company of the Cresida gives us this weird test-tube machine, a silly-putty imprint of what Toyota execs thought they were seeing when they looked at a German luxury car ad.
I didn't think they'd sell a one.
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