Lexus Becomes Sponsor for the Wallabies

Japanese manufacturer Lexus took the opportunity which arose with the opening of the new Lexus store in Australia and announced it has signed a deal to become the official vehicle supplier of the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and the Qantas Wallabies.

“Lexus sees its support of the Wallabies as a mutually beneficial relationship,” Lexus Australia CEO Tony Cramb told GoAuto. “The Wallabies are much like a team of our engineers, all striving to achieve their best and deliver a play or a vehicle that is perfect.((“

"Although perfection is virtually unattainable, it’s the pursuit that binds Lexus and the Wallabies as a team. For Lexus the end goal is delivering a vehicle and service that exceeds customers’ expectations. For the Wallabies I'm sure it’s standing there at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand next year holding the Webb Ellis Trophy."

The next move in this new arrangement is, according to GoAuto, the naming of several rugby players as Lexus ambassadors. The deal also calls for Lexus access to players, corporate hospitality and ticketing.

Lexus opened on Monday its 24th dealership in Australia, Sydney City Lexus. According to the CEO, that's it for the year, with Lexus not planning any other openings in 2010.

“We’ve probably learnt that the aspirational volume we’d set for ourselves at that point was nowhere near as important as taking care of our customers and looking after the quality of the dealers that we already have here in Australia(," Cramb told GoAuto.

“So I’d have to say that that dealer number and I guess the way we manage the dealer network is under review at the moment. We’ve kicked off an internal study to try to establish what the ideal number of dealers is.”