2000 Lexus Es300 Sedan - Just Two Owners - Runs And Drives Outstanding ! on 2040-cars

This is a family member's car, not my personal car, but I have driven it quite a bit recently. It's in good shape for its age and mileage (176K), starts right up, absolutely flawless and smooth runner and driver, handles beautifully, and everything seems to work. Brought up here from southern CA last year. Tires look good and have around 50% to 60% tread left.

The only problems I've spotted are (a) a slight oil seepage from the valve cover gasket area (b) the front plastic bumper cover is a bit loose and rattles when you go over a bump (c) the driver's seat bottom has an open seam that needs to be re-sewed and (d) there are several deep paint scratches as well as dings and creases along the right rear, trunk lid and lower shroud areas (see photos). Both keys are included but the housing for the remote is cracked (still works fine).  Low reserve price reflects these easy-to-fix deficiencies.

Unless we find service records while digging through boxes, we don't have any for this car, but I believe it was serviced regularly based on its excellent running condition. Please ask questions or arrange for an inspection prior to bidding.

This car is being offered for sale locally. This car is being sold as-is and all sales are final. If you want to fly in and pick up the car, we can pick you up at PDX which is just a few minutes away. Good luck in your bids!

Any payment method other than cash will have to clear the bank before we release the vehicle - even cashier's checks, which can be forged. Clearing the bank can take up to 5 business days. Cash is best.

This is an item from the estate of Thomas Davy Sharples. The life of this brilliant inventor, engineer, advisor, and mentor is described below. No effort has been made to alter, repair, improve, or even clean this item. Please see pictures for the best description. To the extent practical, imperfections have been depicted and/or detailed within the description, but all items are sold as-is and where is. We have made every effort to correctly identify this item and welcome you to share with us any comments or additional information you may have. We also welcome any questions you may have and will promptly respond to any and all inquiries. All these estate items are authentic and stem from the impressive collections of Thomas Sharples.

Thomas Davy Sharples

9/3/1916 – 6/20/2013

Tom Sharples was the youngest son of a famed Philadelphia area industrialist Philip M. Sharples, inventor and manufacturer of the Sharples Cream Separator. As a US Army Captain in post-war Germany, he used his expertise in photography and engineering to help rebuild the Leica, Leitz, Minox, and Zeiss optics plants after their near total destruction during the war, and this piqued a lifelong interest in collection, preservation, and restoration of unique optical and scientific equipment and artifacts. An accomplished photographer and design engineer, Tom was an avid photographer and aficionado of all things related to precision optics and camera technologies, and since January 1, 1940 a lifelong member of the Photographic Society of America.

Young Tom grew up at Greystone Hall in West Chester, PA and spent as much time of his time as possible learning everything he could about science, literature, art, mechanical engineering, chemistry and photography. A birthright Quaker, Tom attended George School and Westtown Academy – their yearbooks speak in awe of the “quiet genius” that was already emerging. After graduating high school Tom went on to study at Swarthmore College in PA, then studied engineering at California Institute of Technology. During this time Tom also operated his own photography studio and experimented with advanced color film processing and development.

When WWII broke out Tom left college and enlisted in the US Army, attending OCS where he graduated and received his commission as a US Army Officer. He served as a Second Lieutenant in Sardinia, and later as a Captain in post-war Germany. While serving in Germany, Tom met his wife Renate, who was working as a technical translator for the American Military Government. The two married in 1948 and moved to Philadelphia, where Tom went to work at the Sharples Corporation as Director of Research. He was in charge of design and development of the Sharples line of industrial process centrifuges. During his lifetime Tom was awarded more than 50 patents in the fields of process engineering and medical, optical, and industrial technology.

Tom and Renate raised two sons in Plymouth Meeting and later at a 54 acre farm in Skippack, PA. In 1966 the family moved to the California Bay Area where Tom worked in senior technical design and management roles including Chief Engineer at the Spinco Division of Beckman Instruments in Palo Alto. Tom retired in 1991 after 25 years at Spinco, and he and his wife moved to a beautiful ranch in the hills of Eugene OR where they lived together until just a few months before his death.