“Quirky Rides” Exhibit Features Size-Shocking Custom Cars

While you will always find exotic and unique cars, big and small at the National Automobile Museum in downtown Reno – you’ll soon be able to see some quirky rides that defy all rules of design.
“Quirky Rides” featuring cars created by British customizer Andy Saunders and others will open Nov. 4, 2010.
The Masterpiece Exhibit will feature a couple of Saunders’ creations that will have visitors wondering if they really are cars, or if they’re art. Then they’ll wonder if they’re real.
“Quirky Rides” will feature:
• Picasso Car was inspired by the artist of the same name. It’s sometimes referred to as the “Pi-car-so.” It’s colorful, out of balance and unforgettable. Saunders took a Citroen and created an asymmetrical and abstract car after seeing Pablo Picasso’s paintings, Three Musicians and the portrait of Dora Maar. This Picasso’s Citroen is fully roadworthy and capable of hitting 65 mph.
• The miniscule Mini Ha Ha redefines “economy of sale” and the itty bitty car can actually perform a wheely in reverse. The Mini Cooper was cut into three pieces and shorted two feet, seven inches. It has a 1300cc engine.
• Plus you’ll see a car fashioned from a pile of mismatched wood and a taxicab that didn’t have collecting fares in mind.

Legendary Car Collector Bill Harrah Exhibit
Debuts at National Automobile Museum

Nov. 4, 2010 – Dec. 31, 2011
Bill Harrah 1911-1978: Legendary Collector
Changing Exhibits Gallery


The National Automobile Museum, the Harrah Collection, in downtown Reno, Nevada will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Bill Harrah’s birth with a special exhibit telling the story of this legendary collector and gaming industry pioneer.
Bill Harrah was the founder of the world-famous Harrah’s Automobile Collection, which opened to the public in 1962 and grew to the largest, most significant collection of its time.
Discover Harrah’s passion for automobiles, his mission and the unfortunate turn of events that led to the disbursement of most of his collection. Learn about the public outcry that saved some of the best automobiles and the movement that created the National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection).
The film, the Bill Harrah Story, which details the man and his love for the automobile, is also included with the price of admission.
Special Events
October
Ghost Tours of the Museum
Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010
Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Spirits and phantoms share lively tales from the past as history comes to life through costumed guides at the National Automobile Museum, The Harrah Collection, in downtown Reno, Nevada.


Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010
Trick or Treat in the Streets of the Museum
4 – 7 p.m.

Trick or Treat in the Streets of the National Automobile Museum, a family-friendly Halloween event with candy stations, pumpkin patch, games and a Shoppe of Oddities. A special admission price of $2 for everyone allows little goblins, princesses and action heroes and their families to join in the fun.
Exhibits Concluding Oct. 11

• A Masterpiece Exhibit focusing on the Motoring Tourist: National Parks Adventure will conclude Oct. 11, 2010. See the incredible role the automobile played in shaping how we play in this exhibit. Discover the role the 1910s automobile-loving public played in the creation of a National Park-to-Park Highway, a 5,000-mile scenic loop through 11 western states, connecting 12 national parks. Automobiles connected man and nature like never before and national parks allowed them to mingle. National parks embraced the motoring tourist and suppliers of car camping gear clamored to meet the needs of the traveling public. All of this is illustrated in the National Automobile Museum’s Masterpiece Exhibit.
• WW I Gets Motorized in the Changing Exhibits Gallery will also conclude Oct. 11, 2010. Since the dawn of organized warfare, the principle means of military transport was on the backs of men and animals or wagons drawn by them. World War I would change that. See the 1917 Locomobile Model 48 staff car ordered for General John J. Pershing’s use. The General would travel by train to the battlefield with Locomobiles on board the train with him. The Locomobile would be unloaded from the train and he would then use it to take him close to the battle. Also see a 1916 GMC WWI ambulance. The exhibit includes personal treasures of a young WWI sailor – a poignant reminder of the youth who have fought our battles for freedom.
Continuing Daily
• 1908 New York to Paris Around The World Race Featuring the Winning Car: The 1907 Thomas Flyer continues with its place of honor in Gallery Four at the National Automobile Museum. The exhibit tells the epic story of the longest, most grueling race in automotive history and features the winning car, the Museum’s 1907 Thomas Flyer. The race was a contest of man and machine against unimaginable odds.
• Even in Africa is a series of paintings by Reno artist Robert Cinkel depicting automobiles from the Museum’s collection in intriguing locals -- from a starry night in the Nevada desert to India, Egypt and “Even in Africa.” The paintings are showcased in the Entrance Hallway Gallery.

Included with Museum Admission
Enjoy the film, the Bill Harrah Story, which details the man and his love for the automobile and the Magic Carriage, an entertaining film detailing the role the automobile has played in shaping life in America.
Both films are included with admission and are shown back-to-back every hour on the hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during a visit to the National Automobile Museum, The Harrah Collection, at 10 S. Lake Street in downtown Reno.
National Automobile Museum audio tour, included with the price of admission, brings history to life through storytelling and sound effects. The tour is available in both English and Spanish. Visitors can explore history through the timeline of the automobile, including news making events, cultural trends and human-interest stories about cars and artifacts in the Museum’s collection.
Museum Hours & Contact Information
The Museum is open Mon. – Sat. from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sun. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $4 for children 6 to 18 years. Children age 5 and younger are free. Parking is free. For more information, call (775) 333-9300 or visit www.automuseum.org.