The DFW Car & Toy Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, has added an exceptionally rare 1936 Tatra 75 Convertible to its collection, offering visitors a glimpse into European prewar automotive engineering. Part of the Ron Sturgeon Collection, this vehicle is one of only approximately 4,100 examples produced and was previously housed at the Tampa Bay Automotive Museum, where its originality was carefully preserved.
The Tatra 75 features an advanced air-cooled 1.7-liter flat-four engine paired with a four-speed manual transmission, a design that set Tatra apart from competitors in the 1930s. Its innovative backbone chassis provided exceptional rigidity and a smooth ride, making it a standout luxury touring automobile of its era. The car is finished with a sophisticated beige convertible top and a beautifully preserved right-hand-drive interior trimmed in red leather, with a body-color dashboard and a classic VDO 120 km/h speedometer with an integrated clock. The odometer shows just 44,000 kilometers (approximately 27,000 miles), indicating limited use over its lifetime.
This model holds historical significance as the last front-engined passenger car introduced by Tatra before the company shifted to its famous rear-engined designs. Ron Sturgeon, founder of the museum, noted, "The Tatra 75 represents a level of creativity and innovation that continues to impress nearly 90 years later. It's automobiles like this that allow visitors to appreciate how engineering vision and craftsmanship have shaped the cars we drive today."
The DFW Car & Toy Museum, located at 2550 McMillan Parkway in Fort Worth, offers free admission and features over 200 iconic automobiles and 3,000 vintage toys. The museum, formerly known as DFW Elite Toy Museum, was founded by Ron Sturgeon in the 1980s. It provides secure climate-controlled car storage and event facilities, and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit the museum's website at dfwcarandtoymuseum.com.
This addition underscores the museum's role as a key destination for automotive enthusiasts and historians, preserving pivotal pieces of engineering history. The Tatra 75's presence offers insight into the innovative spirit that influenced later automotive designs, particularly the shift toward rear-engined configurations that would shape future generations of cars.
