Product Code Database
A luxury car is a passenger automobile providing superior comfort levels, features, and equipment. More expensive materials and surface finishes are used, and buyers expect a correspondingly high build quality.
The term is relative and unavoidably subjective, reflecting both objective qualities of a car and projected and perceived brand image of the vehicle's brand. Luxury brands rank above premium brands, though there is no clear distinction between the two. (2025). 9780749454777, Kogan Page. ISBN 9780749454777
Luxury cars span from to large saloons and sport utility vehicles. "Compact car" luxury vehicles also fill a niche.
Luxury vehicles can be a status symbol for conspicuous consumption. However, to sort the theft of the most exotic models in a line, and cater to European luxury car buyers who shy away from being identified with conspicuous consumption, brands offer buyers the option of removing exterior badges that identify the model name or engine size.
The suspension system of most luxury cars is tuned to prioritize ride quality over handling; however, some are marketed as "sports luxury" and have a greater emphasis on handling characteristics, while others seek to optimize both.
Some American luxury cars during the 1970s through the 1990s switched to a front-wheel drive layout with a transverse engine provoked by the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973 and the 1979 oil crisis, which caused automakers to discontinue many FR Car platform in favor of the more economical front-wheel drive (FF) layout. From the early 2000s, several of these American luxury cars reverted to FR layouts.
Since the introduction of the Bentley Continental GT in 2003, additional luxury grand tourers have adopted all-wheel drive.
France was a leading producer of powerful luxury automobiles before World War II. After World War II, the French government used puissance fiscale tax regulations to encourage manufacturers to build cars with small engines and French motorists to buy them. The Maserati-powered Citroën SM and the Citroën C6 were arguably the last domestic French luxury cars. In the 2010s, some French manufacturers attempted to develop luxury cars; however the lack of a historical legacy hindered these efforts. In 2014, Citroën introduced DS Automobiles sub-brand to market luxury cars.
Pre World War II, Mid-size car car manufacturers like Renault, Fiat, Opel Regent, Lancia Astura, Škoda, Riley Motor, Praga Grand, Peugeot, Hillman Hawk, and Tatra made luxury cars. However, they had to transition to produce economy cars and B-segment post World War II.
Following World War II, Germany rose to become an export powerhouse, building on success with the Mercedes-Benz brand. Aircraft engine manufacturer BMW began making motorcycles then small cars, including under license from the Austin Motor Company, and evolved into the luxury market segment ultimately acquiring Rolls-Royce Motor Cars in 1998. Volkswagen entered the high-end market by expanding or acquiring additional brands such as Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Lamborghini, and Bugatti.
In the Soviet Union, the manufacturer ZiL (then called Zis) began producing representational limousines in the mid-1930s. In the early 1950s, GAZ joined with the somewhat smaller "Chaika" model range. In 2018, Aurus Motors was established to produce luxury vehicles for the Russian market.
From 1946 until the late 1990s, Cadillac was the top-selling brand of luxury cars in the U.S., while Lincoln was second. The most successful and long-running model names during this era were the Cadillac DeVille, Lincoln Continental, and the Chrysler Imperial. The Lincoln Mark Series and Cadillac Eldorado were positioned in the personal luxury category, and competition between them continued into the 1990s.
The personal luxury car emerged into mass popularity and affordability as an America-specific category of popularly-priced cars made from the 1950s by the four domestic manufacturers (General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, and AMC) that reached peak popularity in the 1970s. The cars were stylized, mass-produced two-door coupés or , relying on standard components. These distinctively styled cars were targeting the needs of individual customers, not an entire family. The longest running model lines were the 1958-1997 Ford Thunderbird, 1956-1998 Lincoln Mark Series, and the 1967-2002 Cadillac Eldorado.
In 1990, American luxury brands dominated, with Cadillac selling over a quarter-million cars, and Lincoln had its best year ever at 231,660 units. However, the market was changing with an ever greater acceptance of smaller, more efficient imported luxury brands. At the same time, the domestic manufacturers were downsizing their models with product decisions that backfired on quality and brand respect.
Since the late 1990s, Japanese and German brands have sold the most luxury-type cars in the United States. However, the Cadillac Escalade has led the luxury SUV segment sales in the United States since its introduction in 1998, with the highest sales for 15 out of its first 20 years on the market.
In the 2000s, both Ford and General Motors produced luxury pickups: 2002-2013 Cadillac Escalade EXT, 2002-2003 Lincoln Blackwood, and 2006-2014 Lincoln Mark LT. In the late 2000s, the Cadillac CTS and Cadillac DTS led to a resurgence in the brand's luxury sedans. The equivalent sedan from the Ford group, the 2008 Lincoln MKS, was also regarded as a significant improvement over previous models. In 2010, BMW was the best-selling luxury vehicle manufacturer by sales, with Audi and Mercedes-Benz the second and third highest selling luxury brands.
Japanese manufacturers have been producing luxury cars since the 1950s, including the Toyota Crown (1955–present), Nissan Gloria (1959–2004), Nissan Cedric (1960–2015), Mitsubishi Debonair (1964–1998), Nissan President (1965–2010), Toyota Century (1967–present), Mazda Luce (1969–1991), and Honda Legend (1985–2021).
Since the 1980s, overseas sales of Japanese luxury cars have increased, challenging traditional European luxury brands. Several East Asian manufacturers have created sub-brands for the marketing of luxury cars. The first of these was the 1986 launch of Acura (a Honda sub-brand), followed by Lexus (Toyota) in 1989, Infiniti (Nissan) in 1989, and Genesis Motor (Hyundai) in 2015.
However, luxury vehicle sales remained relatively high compared to their non-luxury counterparts. This was aided by growing interest in luxury vehicles from emerging markets such as China and Russia.
Sales in the entry-level luxury segment remained strong throughout the GFC, due to prices being lowered to compete with well-equipped non-luxury cars. For example, in Canada, several luxury manufacturers set sales records in August 2009, due mostly to discounted pricing on entry-level luxury vehicles.
Occasionally, a luxury car is initially sold under a mainstream marque and is later Rebranding under a specific luxury marque (for example, the Hyundai's Hyundai Genesis to Genesis G80 as well as the Citroën DS to DS 5).
For mass-produced luxury cars, sharing of Car platform or components with other models is common, as per modern automotive industry practice.
| Aston Martin, Lagonda |
| Duesenberg, Cord, Auburn |
| BMW, Rolls-Royce |
| Denza, Yangwang, Fangchengbao |
| Avatr Technology |
| Exeed, Jetour, Luxeed |
| Imperial, Chrysler, DeSoto |
| Voyah, M-Hero (Mengshi) |
| Dorcen |
| Hongqi |
| Ferrari |
| Lincoln, Continental |
| Hyptec, Aion, Trumpchi |
| Volvo Cars, Lynk & Co, Polestar, Lotus Cars, Zeekr, Jidu Auto |
| Cadillac, LaSalle, Buick, Oldsmobile |
| WEY, Tank |
| Hispano-Suiza |
| Acura |
| Greater Eight, Hudson Italia |
| HiPhi |
| Genesis Motor |
| Apollo Automobil, De Tomaso |
| Maextro |
| Frazer |
| Karma Automotive |
| Li Auto |
| Lucid Motors |
| McLaren |
| Automobili Pininfarina |
| Mercedes-Benz, Maybach |
| Nash Ambassador, Nash-Healey |
| Aurus Motors |
| Nio |
| Infiniti |
| IM Motors |
| Maserati, Lancia, DS Automobiles, Alfa Romeo |
| Packard |
| Jaguar Cars, Land Rover, Daimler Company, Lanchester |
| Lexus, Toyota Century, Toyota Crown |
| Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Porsche, Lamborghini |
| Karma Automotive |
| Weltmeister |
Many of these luxury saloons are the flagship for the marque and include the newest automotive technology. Several models are available in long-wheelbase versions, which provide additional rear legroom and may have a higher level of standard features.
Examples of luxury saloons / full-size luxury sedans include the BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ, Cadillac CT6, Genesis G90, Audi A8, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Lexus LS,Hongqi H9, Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte.
The Range Rover was released in 1970 as a two-door vehicle for off-road durability with few "creature comforts." A four-door version was added in 1981, and the model was pushed upmarket in 1983 by introducing an automatic transmission (Chrysler's A727 TorqueFlite) as an option. The Range Rover had a long-travel coil-spring suspension and a modified, Buick-designed aluminum V8 engine.
In the mid-1990s, the SUV market expanded with new entrants and the entry-level Ford Explorer and upscale Jeep Grand Cherokee became the market leaders. The fastest-growing sector of this market was for the so-called luxury SUVs, which included the Jeep Grand Cherokee ... the Grand Cherokee's allure: "This vehicle is proof you can have a true off-road vehicle without giving up luxuries and amenities" with the Jeep providing a crucial new intangible factor for buyers—image.
The SUV models generated higher profit margins than passenger cars, and car manufacturers began introducing new luxury SUVs during the late 1990s. SUVs such as the 1995 Lexus LX, 1997 Mercedes-Benz M-Class, and 1998 Lincoln Navigator were the first SUVs produced by these luxury car brands. Some of these early luxury SUV models used unibody construction, becoming part of the trend moving away from the body-on-frame construction traditionally used by off-road vehicles.
During the mid-2000s, SUVs from luxury car brands grew by almost 40% in the United States to more than 430,000 vehicles (excluding SUV-only brands like Hummer and Land Rover), at a time when luxury car sales suffered a 1% decline, and non-luxury SUV sales were flat. By 2004, 30% of major luxury brands' U.S. sales were SUVs. Crossover SUVs became increasingly popular in the mid-2000s, and manufacturers began producing luxury versions. The Lexus RX was the earliest luxury crossover on the market, and it has since been the best-selling luxury vehicle in the US. Some luxury crossovers are built on a car platform shared with sedans or hatchbacks. For example, the Infiniti FX is based upon the same platform as the Infiniti G35 sedans and coupes. While early luxury crossovers released in the late 1990s have resembled traditional boxy SUVs, later crossovers, such as the Infiniti FX and BMW X6, have been designed with a sporting appearance.
Despite the increased popularity of crossover models, traditional luxury SUVs remain in production. Examples include the Lexus LX, Infiniti QX80, and Lincoln Navigator.
Research data from the mid-2000s suggested that luxury SUV buyers did not consider traditional luxury cars (e.g., sedans and coupes); therefore, the SUV is becoming the key to bringing new customers into luxury dealerships.
Luxury brands have introduced SUV or crossover models in the 2010s. These include: Mercedes-Maybach GLS, Porsche Cayenne, BMW X7, Audi Q8, Lamborghini Urus, Ferrari Purosangue, Maserati Levante, Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Bentley Bentayga, Aston Martin DBX, Range Rover, Lotus Eletre, Lexus LX, Infiniti QX80, Hongqi LS7, Zeekr 9X, Yangwang U8, Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade.
Examples of luxury MPV models include Mercedes-Benz V-Class, Lexus LM, Buick GL8, Hongqi HQ9, Toyota Alphard, Volvo EM90 and the Zeekr 009.
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