1972 Toyota Hilux Pickup Joins DFW Car Toy Museum Collection

The DFW Car & Toy Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, has added a restored 1972 Toyota Hilux pickup to its permanent collection, offering visitors a chance to see a foundational model of Toyota's truck legacy. The second-generation Hilux, finished in its original factory red, has been re-imported to the United States after a period in Canada and now sits among more than 200 vintage vehicles and 3,000 collectibles at the museum.

Under the hood, the Hilux features a 2.0-liter 18R-C inline-four engine paired with a four-speed manual transmission, delivering power to the rear wheels. The truck retains period-correct details such as power-assisted drum brakes, silver 14-inch steel wheels with chrome hubcaps, and whitewall tires. Inside, the reupholstered gray cloth bench seat, black dashboard, and matching door inserts maintain a clean, classic appearance. Amenities include lap belts, a Boman Astrosonix push-button radio, rubber floor liners, a carpeted dashboard cover, and a functional heater.

Ron Sturgeon, founder of the museum, said the Hilux represents a time when trucks were both workhorses and weekend cruisers. “It's the kind of truck that worked hard during the week and cruised the backroads on the weekend,” he said. The museum, located at 2550 McMillan Parkway in Fort Worth, offers free admission and parking, and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. More information is available at dfwcarandtoymuseum.com.

The addition of the 1972 Hilux underscores the museum's mission to preserve rare and meaningful machines. For fans of vintage Japanese pickups, the truck serves as a tangible link to the early days of Toyota's U.S. market success, when simple design and reliable engineering first built the brand's reputation for durability.