Although the GS / Aristo shares the Toyota Crown platform, it will be documented here as part of the Century family to mark it's position as a premium-class automobile. It is slotted between the compact Lexus IS and the full-size Lexus LS and stands alongside the more subdued front wheel drive ES. It is an upmarket line with no true predecessors.
The Aristo deuted in 1991 and was exclusive to the Toyota Vista dealerships as the top level luxury sedan, positioned above the Cresta and Chaser.
The Lexus GS300 began to be exported in early 1993 and was not as well received as the LS400 had been three years earlier. High list prices and an abundance of competition in the market segment are often cited as the reasons. A new generation was released in 1997, which was in line with Toyota's model change philosophy but appeared somewhat desperate from the American point of view, not knowing that it was already six years old.
