A near perfect first generation Lexus RX300 with black license plates. I met the crossover SUV in November 2017 in Beijing. The Lexus was parked in front of a compound that was home to many long-term expats from Japan, so I regularly went there to find some cool Japanese cars.
The VSC badge on the front door. VSC stood for ‘Vehicle Stability Control‘, a stability control system used by Lexus and Toyota. At the time, such systems were still rather special, hence the special badge.
The Lexus RX300 looked fantastic, painted in beige with black window frames and slightly tinted windows. It had roof rack, a roof spoiler, and stood on the original five-spoke alloy wheels.
This was a wow-moment. Check how Lexus hid, and secured, the antenna in the rear fender. This must have been expensive to engineer and to manufacture. But Lexus just does this kind of thing.
The interior looks as new as well, with an early infotainment system, some classy wood trim, and beige leather seats. The gear lever is located on the bottom of the center stack.
The stereo system with a CD player and a cassette deck.
The first generation Lexus RX (XU10) was made from 1998 until 2003 with a facelift in 2001. The car we have here is a post-facelift example. Power came from a 3.0 liter naturally aspirated V6 engine. Output was 220 hp and 301 Nm. Horses went to all four wheels via a 4-speed automatic transmission.
The first generation Lexus RX300 was not officially marketed in China, so these are quite rare on Chinese roads. Note the Lexus lettering imprinted in the bumper.
The famous black license plates were issued to foreign owned companies from the 1980’s to the mid 00’s. These companies could buy a car locally or import one. There were no limits on the number of cars or on price or on engine type. The numbering started at A·00001 and then up. So the lower the number the older the car. This RX300 has 京A·28997. Each province and municipality had its own black-license plate program
Hey look who is there! A pretty first generation Toyota Avalon. I have a full set of pics of this car too, I’ll post ‘m later. In December 2017, I met a black Avalon with black license plates.
The SUV or the sedan..? The Lexus is cooler but I like the looks of the Toyota. The Toyota is a little older, and also used a 3.0 V6. I need to think about it!
The vehicle was clearly maintained very well. That is no easy feat in China where it wasn’t sold. Lexus dealers won’t help you, so you’d need to go to specialist repair shops. Won’t be cheap, but happily the owner of this Lexus RX300 decided it was worth the trouble and money to keep it on the road.
