National Automobile Museum/The Harrah Collection

Jill's Journal: From left to right, Elvis Presley’s 1973 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe, Frank Sinatra’s 1961 Ghia (one of 26 ever built), and President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 Lincoln Continental.

Erika absolutely loved that this was Elvis’ car. She borrowed her Daddy’s phone to take pictures of every little detail of it.

1953 Chevrolet Corvette, just the 51st Corvette ever built. It was purchased new by John Wayne.

The 1949 Mercury driven by James Dean in “Rebel Without a Cause.”

The girls in the only car visitors are allowed to touch in the National Automobile Museum, a 1926 Ford Model T.

A little background of this tremendous place:
If the name Harrah sounds familiar to you, chances are you’ve been to Las Vegas, Reno, South Lake Tahoe, Atlantic City, Tunica, Biloxi, or Laughlin. All gambling towns. All home to a Harrah’s. Add in riverboat casinos and other major casinos under the Harrah’s umbrella like Caesars Palace, Bally’s, Horseshoe properties, and so many more and one starts to comprehend what a tremendous casino empire a man named Bill Harrah built.

However, Harrah had a passion besides casino hotels and women (he married seven times). He loved cars and collected them with a driven passion (and had a staff of dozens who bought and restored them for him). At the time of his death in 1978, he was recognized as having the largest, most historic, and most significant automobile collection in the world. He showcased them for Reno residents and visitors in what was apparently a feast for admirers akin to the Smithsonian. His amassment at “Harrah’s Automobile Collection” numbered about 1,400 vehicles, although fewer than one-third were on display.

Upon Harrah’s death, Holiday Corporation purchased his hotels. The automobile collection was included in the price. When Holiday Corp. announced their intention to sell the cars (valued then at over $100 million), tremendous public outcry ensued. The Nevada Governor stepped in and formed a 501(c)3 organization, to which Holiday Corporation donated 175 of the most significant cars in addition to Harrah’s automobile research library. At the time, it was the largest philanthropic corporate gift in the history of America. It formed the base of the today’s National Automobile Museum, which opened in downtown Reno in 1989 and (even without the full collection) is still considered one of the top car museums of the world.

“Few material things have been as important to America as the automobile. The manufacture of the automobile was the root of our industrial growth… We are all tied to the automobile by history, by business, by emotion. The automobile deserves to be preserved and remembered.”
--Bill Harrah, 1911-1978

Below is just a glimpse of our history of the last century or so through automobiles.

1911 Maxwell Runabout, the very first car Bill Harrah started his collection with in 1948. It was sold to him as a 1907 Maxwell. Learning it was actually a 1911 model inspired his extensive automobile research library and his painstaking attention to authentic restoration.

The 1907 Thomas Flyer, winner of the 1908 New York to Paris Automobile Race and one of the cars that gave Harrah the most pride to have in his collection. The New York to Paris race was contested over 169 grueling days and wasn’t New York to Paris via the Atlantic, but New York to Paris via the entire U.S., Alaska, Japan, Siberia, etc. In all, the race covered 22,000 miles, much of it in places where there were no roads at all. When Harrah found and purchased this car in 1964, he invited the driver and winner of the race, 91-year-old George Schuster, to Reno to authenticate the vehicle and witness the restoration. Schuster was able to point out cracks in the frame and the repairs he made during the race. The car was restored to the condition it was in at the finish of the truly amazing race.

1892 Philion, only one of its kind ever produced.

Can you spot the swastika on the 1913 K-R-I-T radiator badge? The white swastika with a blue border symbolized good luck and was in the Greek and American Indian style. The Nazi swastika was red with a white border.

1910 Rolls Royce, which one could have bought the year it was produced for an incredibly-expensive $7,500! For comparison, the average price for a nice home in the U.S. that year was around $2,000.

1912 Baker, once owned by Andy Griffith.

1912 Rambler. This particular car was loaned to the production of the 1997 movie “Titanic” and was used in the dock scenes early in the film.

1913 Stutz Bearcat.

1921 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost made out of full sheets of solid copper.

1921 Ford with a fascinating Lamsteed Kampkar body. The Kampkar predated the RV by offering sleeping room for four, a fold-out table, two-burner stove, eight gallon water supply, lockers for blankets/clothing/food, and complete cooking and eating utensils.

1923 Maxwell, owned by Jack Benny and used in his stage shows in the 1960s.

1928 Ford Model A, bought by silent movie star Douglas Fairbanks for his wife, silent movie star Mary Pickford.

1929 Ford “A” Mail Truck. The U.S. Postal Service still carried the majority of the nation’s mail in these as recently as 1952.

1936 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Special Roadster. Such a beautiful car.

1938 Phantom Corsair.

1942 Packard.

1947 DeSoto Surburban. This particular car was used by Clark Gable and Van Johnson on a visit to Reno.

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible Coupe.

1966 Ford Bronco, overall winner of the 1969 Baja 1000 (then known as the Mexican 1000).

1981 De Lorean, one of two 24-karat gold-plated De Loreans built. It was offered to American Express Gold Cardmembers in a December, 1979, catalogue for a purchase price of $85,000. Insurance rates for the car at that time amounted to $1,000 monthly. That’s nothing compared to the repair bill to fix a door ding -- $24,000!