Rare Manual Transmission 1996 Lexus SC300 Added to DFW Car & Toy Museum Collection

The Ron Sturgeon Collection at the DFW Car & Toy Museum has acquired a meticulously preserved 1996 Lexus SC300 equipped with a five-speed manual transmission, representing a significant addition for enthusiasts of Japanese automotive heritage. This black grand tourer features the iconic 3.0-liter 2JZ-GE inline-six engine producing 225 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque, driving the rear wheels through the manual gearbox configuration that has become increasingly rare in today's collector market.

With only 51,000 miles on the odometer, the vehicle exemplifies Lexus craftsmanship with its four-wheel independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, and a luxurious interior featuring wood trim, driver-seat memory, cruise control, and automatic climate control. The instrumentation includes a 160-mph speedometer and 8,000-rpm tachometer framed by a leather-wrapped steering wheel, maintaining the original design integrity that made the SC300 a quiet legend among performance luxury vehicles.

Ron Sturgeon, owner of the museum, emphasized the vehicle's significance, noting that finding manual transmission examples in excellent condition becomes more challenging annually. The acquisition underscores the growing appreciation for Japanese performance cars from the 1990s era, particularly those combining Toyota's engineering reliability with Lexus luxury refinement. The museum houses over 200 classic and exotic vehicles alongside more than 3,000 collectible toys, offering visitors comprehensive automotive historical perspective.

The addition of this rare SC300 enhances the museum's representation of significant Japanese automotive engineering achievements and provides educational value regarding transmission technology evolution in luxury performance vehicles. As manual transmissions become increasingly scarce in modern automotive production, preserved examples like this 1996 SC300 serve as important historical benchmarks for understanding driving dynamics and technological preferences across different automotive eras.

This acquisition reflects the broader economic impact of automotive heritage preservation in Texas, where museums and private collections contribute to cultural tourism and educational opportunities. The preservation of such vehicles not only maintains automotive history but also supports local economies through visitor attractions and specialized automotive services. For automotive enthusiasts and historians, this addition to the collection provides valuable insight into the engineering excellence that defined Japanese luxury performance vehicles during the 1990s.