Here we have a Lexus LS400, seen in the Chinese capital Beijing in 2016. The sophisticated Japanese sedan is in good shape for its age, painted in a classy color called ‘Dark Blue Pearl’. The windows are not tinted or darkened for a change, and the car still has its original alloy wheels.
Blue 京A license plates are not the same as black 京A license plates. The blue ones were issued to the first batches of privately registered cars in Beijing, as opposed to cars registered to companies or the government. Most blue 京A plates were issued in the early 1990s.
The blue-white sticker behind the window allows for access to a government-controlled facility. Sadly, I can’t see for which or what, as I didn’t take a close-up photo of the thing. This sort of sticker is quite common in China, the owner of the car may work at the government or have business there.
The owner also had 3 decorative Buddha figures on the top of the dashboard. They are believed to bring good luck to the driver. The one on the right turns round and round and round, powered by small solar panels. These figures were super popular in the 2000s, especially among taxi drivers, but nowadays they are quite rare.
The Lexus LS400 is a Japanese sedan. Lexus is a brand owned by Toyota, founded in 1989. The LS400 was the first Lexus model, manufactured from 1989 until 1994, with a facelift in late 1992. Our blue car is a pre-facelift example.
The owner has covered the seats with cloth seat covers. He went for white ones, which is probably not such a good idea in dusty Beijing. He also added a thick steering wheel cover. These covers, sorry to repeat myself, were popular in the 2000s. At the time, Beijing still had very cold winters and not many cars came with heated steering wheels. So drivers added these huge and thick covers over the steering wheel to keep their hands warm. To counter the problem of slippery hands, drivers would wear gloves.
The center stack seems in fine shape, with dozens of buttons and switches. The audio system has a cassette player and a CD player.
I love these stickers! This particular car is likely a gray import from the US. So it has US-market car alarm stickers. Lexus called it a Theft-Deterrent-System.
The Lexus LS400 has a 4.0 liter V8 engine under the hood, with an output of 250 hp and 353 Nm. The motor is mated to a four-speed automatic gearbox, sending horses to the rear wheels.
The Chinese plate is too wide for the license plate area, a clear indication of a US-spec car. In the 2000s, many cars that were not officially sold in China were imported gray from North America. The LS400 was a popular
Lexus started selling the LS-series officially in China only in 2004, with the facelifted third-generation LS430.
A beautiful Lexus LS400 sedan in China. It is super rare nowadays. Let’s hope this one is still somewhere around in Beijing.