Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

A $350K Rolls-Royce, $225K ’Vette and more: See the cars in the upcoming Rogers Museum auction

Buy a car, help make a difference.

That's the concept behind an auction Saturday at the Jim Rogers Classic Car Museum, where vehicles ranging from a 1915 Ford Model T to a 2012 Fisker Karma electric-powered sedan will go on the block.

The auction is a benefit for the Rogers Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving educational outcomes for students in Nevada, with an emphasis on arts. Jim Rogers, who died in June, was a media executive who founded what is now KSNV-TV and also served as chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education. The foundation is named for Rogers and his wife, Beverly.

Jim Rogers also was a car collector, and the 234 vehicles that will be auctioned off from his museum include cars that range from $10,000 to more than $300,000 in estimated sales prices. They include luxury sedans like Cadillacs and Rolls-Royces, fire trucks, a military Jeep, sports cars, woody wagons and work vehicles.

Gates open at 8 a.m. Saturday at the museum, 1480 Gragson Ave., and the auction will begin at 10 a.m. A preview will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today. Tickets are $20.

Here are the five cars that are expected to draw the highest bids.

1962 Rolls-Royce

One of only 75 "dropheads" — Brit-speak for convertible — built in 1962, this Rolls is expected to sell at $250,000 to $350,000. Adding to its rarity, the car was one of few with bodywork done by the elite Mulliner custom coachwork company.

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1956 Dual-Ghia

Not many of these cars were built — 117, to be exact — and several were purchased by such notables as Ronald Reagan, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Richard Nixon. The car was designed by Chrysler, with a Dodge frame and powertrain wrapped by bodywork from the Italian company Ghia. Estimated sales price: $250,000 to $325,000

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2010 Rolls-Royce Phantom

Another drophead, this Rolls features a 12-cylinder engine and shows only 7,036 miles on the odometer. But what really sets it apart are its looks. "Viewed side-on, the Phantom is indeed achingly beautiful," Car and Driver magazine said in reviewing the car when it was new. "It’s almost as pretty when seen from above ..." Estimated sales price: $250,000 to $300,000

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2009 Rolls-Royce Phantom

This car is a hardtop version of the Phantom, with 4,667 miles on the odometer. Factoid: The doors are hinged in the rear and open at the front. Estimated sales price: $200,000 to $225,000

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1953 Chevolet Corvette

Chevrolet produced only 300 Corvettes in 1953, the year the car debuted, and this is one of them. It's not as powerful or sporty as the Corvettes that followed it — engineers were ordered to keep costs down, and responded by building it with off-the-shelf components used for Chevy's standard sedans and wagons — but it's among the most sought-after by collectors. Estimated sales price: $175,000 to $225,000

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