SHIFTING GEARS
Car companies trying to break into the yacht market is not a new phenomenon. Not by a long shot. Ferrari collaborated with Riva in 1990 to create the highly anticipated Riva Ferrari 32. Both companies had the capital and the reputation. It was supposed to be the super-crossover to end all crossovers. Only 30 were built.
More recently, Mercedes-Benz partnered with Silver Arrow Marine on a limited-edition sport yacht. Very limited edition. And the Aston Martin AM37 stole hearts on the boat show circuit and achieved social media virality well outside the marine space a couple years back. It seems to have crawled back into obscurity.
Akio Toyoda, president of Lexus’ parent company Toyota, aims to achieve what so many before him have failed to do: add a successful yacht division to a burgeoning portfolio.
Luckily for Lexus, they have precedent in their corner; achieving success against long shot odds is ingrained in Toyoda’s DNA. His great grandfather Sakichi Toyoda, the son of a farmer and carpenter, was an inventor at an exceptionally young age. A curious mind and a healthy dose of perseverance led him to patent a wooden hand loom. A revolutionary breakthrough at its time, it allowed clothes to be woven at a blistering pace. The dye was cast: At just 24 years old, Sakichi Toyoda transformed his first industry.
A lifetime of inventions
