Bonhams National Automobile Museum Auction Results
Bonhams|Cars delivered a flawless performance at its National Automobile Museum Auction in Reno, Nevada on June 13, 2026 – selling every single lot offered and generating over $5.25 million in total sales. The landmark event, held on the floor of one of America’s most storied automotive institutions, drew bidders from across the collector car world eager to acquire rare and historically significant machines from two iconic collections.
A Historic Sale at a Historic Venue
The Bonhams National Automobile Museum auction featured 122 motorcars crossing the block at the National Automobile Museum (formerly the Harrah’s Collection) at 1 Museum Drive in Reno, Nevada. More than 80 lots came directly from The Harrah Collection – one of the most celebrated assemblages of American automotive history – with an additional 30 vehicles consigned from The Minden Automobile Museum in Minden, Nevada.
In a remarkable feat, every car offered sold, resulting in a 100% sell-through rate and a total sale value of $5,256,664. Of course, all lots were offered without reserve, giving bidders an open field and the results speak for themselves.
Bonhams Auction Results: Top Five Lots
The Bonhams auction results from Reno highlighted several extraordinary cars with deep provenance. Here are the five highest-grossing lots of the day:
One of only five or six prototypes ever built, this Cord was formerly owned by E.L. Cord himself and used by the Cord family in Chicago and Beverly Hills from 1936 to 1940. Its rare pedigree and one-of-a-kind status made it the undisputed top lot of the sale.
Restored to concours standards in Harrah’s own workshop in 1974, this Franklin far surpassed its pre-sale estimate of $90,000-$130,000, nearly tripling its high estimate and demonstrating the strength of demand for quality Harrah-restored automobiles.
A futuristic aerodynamic experimental design personally gifted to the museum by legendary stylist Sergio Pininfarina – son of Carrozzeria founder Battista ‘Pinin’ Farina – this one-of-a-kind concept proved irresistible to collectors.
4. 1971 Duesenberg II SSJ Roadster (ex-Sammy Davis Jr.) – $156,800
Originally acquired by Harrah’s Club and once owned by entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., this celebrated 1970s Duesenberg is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of the marque from that era.
5. 1959 Scimitar Station Sedan Experimental (Brooks Stevens / Reutter & Co.) – $156,800
One of only three Scimitars ever built, and the only one configured as a retracting roof station wagon, this “All-Purpose Sedan” concept by famed industrial designer Brooks Stevens matched the Duesenberg’s result dollar-for-dollar.
Harrah Collection Cars Lead the Way
The depth of The Harrah Collection was on full display throughout the day. A standout Americana piece – the 1954 Carrera Panamericana Lincoln Capri Custom Coupe, the only known survivor of Lincoln’s 1954 Carrera Panamericana race campaign and restored by its original builder Holman and Moody-Stroppe – sold for $117,600. The car had been preserved for over half a century within Harrah’s Collection at the National Automobile Museum before finally crossing the auction block.
The no-reserve format proved to be a powerful draw for bidders, with multiple cars eclipsing pre-sale estimates by wide margins. This type of transparent, unreserved auction is increasingly favored in the collector car market, as it creates urgency and drives genuine competitive bidding.
What's Next for Bonhams|Cars
With the Bonhams National Automobile Museum auction now in the books, the Bonhams|Cars US team is already looking ahead. The next major US-based event on the calendar is the Laguna Seca Auction during Monterey Car Week on August 13, which will feature a 1966 Lola-Ford T70 Mark II CanAm sports-racing car driven by the late Dan Gurney and a 1967 Vollstedt-Ford 67B IndyCar driven by two-time Formula 1 World Champion Jim Clark – both offered without reserve .
For collectors and enthusiasts tracking Bonhams auction results, Reno 2026 marks yet another strong data point confirming the enduring appeal of American automotive heritage and the depth of the current collector car market.