Over 80 lots are to be offered from The Harrah Collection with many vehicles being sole survivors or examples of limited production or one-off design concepts that never progressed to production. The sale also includes 30 motorcars from The Minden Automobile Museum in Minden, Nevada. All lots will be offered without reserve.  

National Automobile Museum Founder, William ‘Bill’ Harrah, was globally recognized as a visionary and pioneering collector and enthusiast whose astute business acumen enabled him to assemble one of the world’s foremost car collections. The sale will feature a broad selection of Harrah’s historic motorcars dating from the late 1800s to the 1960s. Outstanding examples include:

1960 Flying Caduceus Jet Propulsion Land Speed Car by Dr. Nathan Ostich, powered by a General Electric J-47 Turbojet engine from a Convair B-36 Bomber whose speedometer reads a maximum 700MPH! 

1936 Experimental Supercharged Cord, formerly the property of E.L. Cord. 

1960 Fiat Pininfarina ‘Y’ – a futuristic experimental aerodynamic design personally gifted to the Museum by renowned stylist Sergio Pininfarina, son of Carrozzeria founder, Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina. 

1959 Scimitar Station Sedan Experimental by Brooks Stevens and Reutter & Company. 

1954 Carrera Panamericana (Mexican Road Race) Lincoln Capri Custom Coupe by the Lincoln Division, Ford Motor Company. 

1902 Capitol Chariot Prototype, with its single expansion, double-acting Two-cylinder steam power. This car was acquired from the maker by the Harrah Automobile Collection. 

The Minden Automobile Museum was founded by the late Ted Bacon, a former Trustee of the National Automobile Museum, during the 1950s after years of rescuing unwanted or abandoned primarily Vintage and Brass Eras motorcars, both locally in the Minden area and the greater West Coast. Several of the cars presented have been held by the collection for over 60 years. Highlights include a 1947 Ford Super DeLuxe Sportsman Convertible bought new by a member of the Bacon family – one of the first Woody Convertibles produced. 

Announcing the appointment of Bonhams|Cars to host the sale, Phil MacDougall, Executive Director, National Automobile Museum, said: “We are delighted to be working with Bonhams|Cars on the deaccession of such an important collection from the Museum. We are committed to preserving and presenting automotive history in the most compelling way possible. This renovation represents both a renewal of our physical space and a reaffirmation of our mission. Streamlining the collection and expanding our educational and event spaces ensures that we remain one of the premier automobile museums in the world. The deaccession process is part of an ongoing evolution at the Museum, enhancing the visitor experience following a recent multi-year, $4 million renovation. Through this comprehensive modernization initiative, the Museum has reimagined its galleries to broaden the diversity of the collection and to present larger, more frequent temporary exhibits that engage and resonate with a wide and diverse audience.” 

 Mark Osborne, Global Director of Motorsport, Bonhams|Cars, continued: “We are honored and delighted to have been appointed for this most historic sale, partnering with two of America’s best known car museums. This prestigious sale will represent unique opportunities to acquire a broad selection of ‘Harrah’ and ‘Minden’ cars. There’s something for every interest, whether your preference is for gas, steam, turbojet or electric, a Land Speed Record car or a design concept, experimental vehicle or works-prepared race car, all housed in the distinctive and prestigious National Automobile Museum in Reno. The sale will offer a generational opportunity to own the ‘best-of-the-best’ and, in some cases, perhaps the last surviving example.” 

About Bonhams|Cars 

Bonhams|Cars uniquely offers a choice of live, online and private platforms for buying and selling collector cars—platforms characterised by levels of trust, reliability, and transparency born of over three decades of experience as the premier automotive auction house. Through prestigious live auctions around the world, 24/7 online auctions, and our recently introduced Private Sales service, Bonhams|Cars makes it simple for buyers and sellers to find the platform that best meets their needs.  

Bonhams|Cars host 17 live auctions annually, participates in all the significant concours around the world, and presents unique selling opportunities at international events such as the Goodwood Motorsport Events in the UK, WeatherTech Laguna Seca as part of  Monterey Car Week in California and The Zoute Grand Prix in Belgium. With dedicated motoring departments in London, Paris, Los Angeles, New York, Brussels and beyond, Bonhams|Cars has a world-class team with expertise in all divisions, from vintage cars to racing motorsport and automobilia to motorcycles. 

For more information, please visit BonhamsCars.com  

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AUBURN, Ind – On Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. Jon Bill, curator of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum will give a public presentation celebrating the record-setting achievements of the Cord automobile. Bill’s lecture will be accompanied with superb rare vintage photographic images. The event will be held in the Terence E. Adderley Gallery of Racers and Record-Setters. Entry to the lecture is free with paid admission to the museum. 

In 1937, to prove the capabilities of its new supercharged V-8 engine and to garner some much needed publicity, the Auburn Automobile Company brought two Cord sedans to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in an attempt to capture the Stevens Challenge Trophy. The Stevens Trophy was awarded to the American stock car that could maintain the highest average speed for 24-hours at the Speedway. The Cords were victorious, setting a record that stood for more than 16 years. Now, for the first time since 1937, the Cord #1 that participated in the endurance run and the Stevens Trophy are reunited for exhibition at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum. The Cord #1 is on loan from the National automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection) of Reno, Nevada, and the Stevens Trophy is on loan from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. 

About the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum

The museum is located in the original 1930s national headquarters of the Auburn Automobile Company and is a National Historic Landmark. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For information, visit automobilemuseum.org.

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