A 1996 Lexus SC300 equipped with a five-speed manual transmission has been added to the Ron Sturgeon Collection at the DFW Car & Toy Museum, representing a significant acquisition for automotive preservation. This particular vehicle stands out due to its rare manual gearbox configuration, a feature that has become increasingly sought-after among collectors of Japanese performance cars from the 1990s.
The black SC300 boasts only 51,000 miles and showcases the exceptional craftsmanship that defined Lexus during this period. Powered by the iconic 3.0-liter 2JZ-GE inline-six engine producing 225 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of torque, the car delivers power to the rear wheels through its manual transmission. The vehicle's engineering includes four-wheel independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, providing both performance and safety.
Inside the cabin, the SC300 maintains its original luxury features including wood trim, driver-seat memory, cruise control, cassette stereo, and automatic climate control. The instrument cluster features a 160-mph speedometer, 8,000-rpm tachometer, and gauges for coolant temperature and fuel level, all framed by a four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Ron Sturgeon, owner of the DFW Car & Toy Museum, emphasized the vehicle's significance, stating that the Lexus SC300 quietly became a legend by combining Toyota's reliable engineering with Lexus-level luxury. The museum, located at https://dfwcarandtoymuseum.com, houses over 200 classic, exotic, and rare vehicles along with more than 3,000 collectible toys, making it a significant repository of automotive history.
The acquisition matters because it preserves an increasingly rare example of Japanese automotive engineering from an era when manual transmissions were being phased out in luxury vehicles. For automotive enthusiasts and historians, this vehicle represents a turning point in automotive design where reliability, luxury, and driving engagement converged. The museum's addition of this vehicle ensures public access to an important piece of automotive heritage that demonstrates why certain models become collector items decades after their production.
