The Auto Collections at Imperial Palace Loans Cars
The Auto Collections at the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino is on the verge of making history as it prepares to ship antique cars on loan to the first-ever automobile museum in China, becoming the only non-native participant in this joint venture with the Chinese government.
On Wednesday, July 5, six vehicles, the first of 38 making the trip from Las Vegas, will be loaded on an auto transporter and driven to Long Beach, Calif., where they and 37 additional cars from the Blackhawk Collection in Danville, Calif., will be put in containers and loaded onto a
cargo ship for the 24-day voyage to Shanghai.
The 75 vehicles, representing 23 different makes, will range from an 1886 Benz to a 1972 Alfa Romeo, with values between $20,000 and $1 million. They will be displayed in the Blackhawk Pavilion of the Shanghai Automobile Museum, scheduled to open mid-September. The museum - with free admission - will be part of an international automobile city development
known as Autotown, which will include new car dealers.
“The Chinese are now buying newer cars, and the vehicles we are
loaning the museum were selected because of their significance in the
timeline of automobile development, ” said Don Williams, co-owner with
Richie Clyne of The Auto Collections and Blackhawk. “The museum vehicles
will give them an understanding of automobile history that will serve them
well with future purchases.”
The Chinese government built the more than 100,000-square-foot
facility and will run and maintain the museum. The Auto Collections is
footing the hefty bill to transport all 75 vehicles to Shanghai, but in
return, expects to benefit through exposure in the automobile marketplace.
The antique vehicles will be on display for two years after which they plan
to start a rotation program between their U.S. locations and Shanghai,
according to Rob Williams, The Auto Collections general manager and Don’s
son.
The elder Williams said he was approached by the Chinese
government two years ago to open a museum so its citizens could see older
cars. “We’ve had offers before from other countries to open a museum, but
this was the one that felt like a good fit,” he noted.
“Don was the first to do an exposition sale and the first to
hold a car auction in Japan, so this is just another of the firsts that he’s
done,” said the younger Williams about his father.
The Auto Collections, the world’s largest classic car lot with $100 million
worth of inventory on display and for sale, is celebrating its 25th
anniversary this year. Located on the fifth level of the Imperial Palace
self-parking facility, The Auto Collections is open daily 9:30 a.m. to 9:30
p.m.
The Imperial Palace is home to the award-winning tribute show “Legends in
Concert” and the DealertainersT, celebrity impersonators who deal blackjack.
Imperial Palace is the most central stop on the Las Vegas Monorail. The
resort is famous for “Five-Star-Friendly Service” and includes a race and
sports book, 2,640 rooms and suites, world-class gaming and amenities, a
seasonal poolside luau, 40,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space,
nine specialty restaurants, 10 bars and lounges, state-of-the-art spa and
fitness center, business center, concierge service, medical center, wedding
chapel and reception facilities.
NOTE: The first six vehicles will be loaded onto the auto transporter
located in the employee parking lot behind the Imperial Palace beginning at
8 a.m. Wednesday, July 5. The process to load all six vehicles is expected
to take until about 2 p.m.
