The Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) plant in Cambridge is celebrating becoming the first plant outside Japan to manufacture a Lexus vehicle, 20 years ago today.
On Sept. 26, 2003, a silver Lexus RX 330 drove through a banner and was presented to an audience of dignitaries and TMMC team members.
Twenty years, four generations and eight J.D. Power Vehicle Segment Awards later, TMMC continues to produce the popular Lexus RX, says a press release from TMMC.
In 2014, the Cambridge plant added the RX Hybrid, making Lexus the first luxury brand to offer a hybrid in the luxury crossover segment.
In March 2022, TMMC’s commitment to Lexus craftmanship was recognized again when the Lexus NX and NX Hybrid vehicles were added to TMMC’s family of vehicles, giving TMMC the designation of the first plant outside Japan to build two Lexus vehicles.
Today, the RX and NX account for more than 60 per cent of Lexus vehicles sold in North America.
“It is the exceptional skill of our world-class team at TMMC that earned us the opportunity to build Lexus in Canada back in 2003,” said Frank Voss, president of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, in the release.
“As a member of the audience that day in 2003, I can attest to the deep sense of pride that was in the air as we had put our heart and soul into the preparations for that moment,” said Robert (Bob) Ruggieri, vice president manufacturing at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada.
“This is a great opportunity for our team to celebrate our success over the past twenty years and look forward to what the next twenty will hold.”
In August 2022, TMMC produced its 10 millionth vehicle, a red Lexus NX 350h.
The introduction of the Lexus NX and the 2023 RX major model change in 2022 represents an additional Toyota investment of over $1 billion into our Canadian operations.
