FROM THE
NAM TE A M Who
Who would have thought that 30 years after the National Automobile Museum opened its doors on Sunday, November 5, 1989; that the collection would remain the Number One attraction in Reno as cited by Trip Advisor and Yelp.
Few sites anywhere generate as many five star reviews as we have. That’s quite an accomplishment when you think of all that’s changed in three decades: gasoline was $1 a gallon then, the minimum wage had just been raised to $4.25; and the stock market hit a record high of 2,560. Just before our opening, the Oakland A’s were celebrating their World Series win over the Giants; just as the 49ers began the year savoring their victory over the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII. Germans were bringing down the Berlin Wall, about the same time as the Loma Prieta earthquake brought down the Bay Bridge. The Mirage in Las Vegas opened just two weeks after we did on November 22nd. If you were an automotive journalist, you got a sneak peek inside the building with late-author Leon Mandel on Friday the 3rd, and VIP guests were invited to an Odyssey d’Elegance the next night where they danced to the music of the Peter Duchin Orchestra in the Museum streets. Today those same streets continue to be filled today with party-goers from high school proms, to weddings, holiday festivities and even celebration of life memorials. Just as it was in ’89, special events are always more special when you’re surrounded by $60+ million worth of rare automobiles. Today is also time to look back to those who made this marvelous attraction possible and peek ahead to our future. We continue to celebrate the leadership of the late Ben Dasher, our first Board of Trustees chairman; the artistry of painter Robert Cinkel who passed just last year, and the contributions of our Emeritus board members Gordon Horsley, Ted Bacon and Dr. Louis Sellyei, Jr. We’re also indebted to our generous patrons and members of the last three decades who have been vitally important, but too numerous to mention individually.
However, the City of Reno; Verna, John & Tony Harrah and current board chairman Ranson Webster and his wife Norma, each have made above and beyond contributions of time and/or resources to keep us moving forward. You can see all of the current Board of Trustees members in the accompanying feature; along with a look at the current staff. As we launch into the new decade, the Board is actively pursuing a new vision to use our rich collection to explore the role of the automobile and its profound impact on all facets of American culture and society; past, present and future. We will seek new forms of media to provide better reasons to generate repeat visits to the Museum by locals and tourists from around the world. This will include refreshed “changing” exhibits and more forward-looking projects with links to our past. A good example might be examining the emerging battery technology of Tesla, VW, Ford, GM, Toyota and Mercedes contrasted to their roots of our 1912 Baker Electric; 1914 Detroit Electric, 1973 Battery Box and, surprisingly, the electric Toyota RAV4 of 2002.
A new Executive Director will be chosen soon to
help move us along, and he/she will be charged with re-energizing our volunteer group which is so vital to our success. In 2019, we enjoyed a record 9,320 hours of service from these dedicated men and women who represent the heart and soul of the daily operation. Their enthusiasm and willingness to show up 363 daysa-year are the reason that we’re confident that the commemorate issue of Precious Metal January 2050 will be celebrating and reflecting with as much pride as we have today. Thank you all: visitors, contributors, members, patrons, volunteers, staff, Board of Trustees, and fans of the automobile everywhere. Postscript: As we went to press, it was announced that Harrah’s Reno had been sold, and that the casino of the same name would cease operations later this year after 83 years. At least for now, the Harrah name will live on at our Museum and at casinos in Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, Atlantic City and several other locations. But for the first time since 1937, there will no longer be a Harrah marque in the “Biggest Little City.” The current twin hotel towers and former casino will be converted into the non-gaming “Reno City Center,” consisting of shops, restaurants and housing options.
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 N AT I O N A L A U T O M O B I L E M U S E U M 3
