The DFW Car & Toy Museum has acquired a 1996 Toyota TownAce 4×4 Fuel Truck, a unique utility vehicle imported from Japan that now forms part of the museum's Ron Sturgeon Collection. This compact right-hand-drive vehicle features a fully functional 450-liter aluminum fuel tank and represents Toyota's approach to building versatile light-duty trucks for global markets.
Originally manufactured for the Japanese domestic market, the TownAce is powered by a 1.8-liter 2Y inline-four engine producing 77 horsepower and 103 lb-ft of torque. The vehicle's utilitarian design includes a column-shifted five-speed manual transmission, dual-range transfer case, and push-button 4WD system, making it capable of operating in challenging terrain while performing its intended function as a fuel delivery vehicle.
"This is the kind of vehicle you'd expect to see refueling machines deep in a mountainside village—not turning heads at a Texas car museum," said Ron Sturgeon, founder of the DFW Car & Toy Museum. "But that's exactly why we love it. It's a workhorse with personality, and a reminder of how Toyota builds trucks to do anything, anywhere."
The vehicle's functional design extends to its rear-mounted M.K Lorry 450-liter aluminum fuel tank, which includes a pump and fuel-level gauge. The right-hand-drive cab features a split bench seat with gray vinyl and patterned cloth inserts, while the dashboard maintains a practical layout with a two-spoke steering wheel, 160-km/h speedometer, and gauges for coolant temperature and fuel level.
This acquisition matters because it demonstrates how functional utility vehicles designed for specific regional markets can become significant artifacts of automotive history. The TownAce represents Toyota's engineering philosophy of creating reliable, accessible vehicles tailored to local needs, while also appealing to enthusiasts of Japanese domestic market vehicles, overlanding, and unique automotive designs.
The vehicle's inclusion in the museum collection has implications for automotive preservation, as it documents a specific type of commercial vehicle that might otherwise be overlooked in favor of more conventional passenger cars. For visitors, it offers insight into how automotive manufacturers adapt designs to meet practical requirements in different regions, while for the industry, it serves as a case study in durable, purpose-built vehicle engineering.
The 1996 Toyota TownAce is now displayed alongside over 200 classic vehicles and 3,000 vintage toys and collectibles at the DFW Car & Toy Museum. The museum's location and hours can be found on their website at https://dfwcarandtoymuseum.com. The collection continues to expand with new additions throughout the year, offering automotive enthusiasts opportunities to view rare and historically significant vehicles.
