I grew up in a time where American cars weren’t cool to most of my peers. They spent their formative years listening to the bitching of their parents who got screwed over with Malaise-era automobiles that were either large and fuel-inefficient (not exactly wrong) or were the absolute worst thing to ever happen to the Interstate system and public roads. These were kids who where shuttled around in Audi 4000s, BMW E30s, Mercedes and, annoyingly enough to younger me, what I perceived as an overstuffed and lengthened Toyota Camry. The Lexus LS was the giant killer that actually served the German brands a very surprising notice: the Japanese could do a luxury sedan, too, and do it very well. They were well-built, well apportioned, and durable, almost to a fault.
Speaking of that last bit, a moment of Craigslist hunting in the Las Vegas market turned up this gem: a 1992 Lexus LS400 that has recently emerged, give or take unscathed, from the automotive torture experiment known as the Gambler 500. The premise is supposed to be that the car cost $500 and that it was beat until either the end of the event or the beater’s timely death. We are highly doubtful that this Lexus was ever a $500 build, but what it does have us picturing is a culture bomb that will screw with just about every head at a Cars and Coffee. Is it a rally car? A demolition beater? Did someone turn Dad’s old sedan into an art project? Do you care, really? No. You have a 4.0L V8, comfy seats and you look like you’re ready to go touring off-road. We would have to build a skidplate or guard for the lower front of the Lexus, but picture that thing airborne on a muddy two-track. You know you’re smiling just a little. Your $1,500 has gone so far…
Craigslist Link: 1992 Lexus LS400
