Indiana has a rich history of automotive production and innovation dating from the late 19th century. In the first years of the American automobile industry, Indiana produced more vehicles than any other state except Michigan. As Dearborn and Detroit turned to mass production, the craftsmen of the smaller Hoosier State companies focused instead on building luxury vehicles by hand. Duesenberg, Cord, Stutz and Cole were bywords for style and class.
Although the Great Depression mostly put an end to this era of smaller, independent vehicle manufacturers, Indiana remains an important auto manufacturing state. Northern Indiana still cherishes its role in the history of the car, and several museums in the region preserve hundreds of iconic classic cars.
The Studebaker brothers started out making wagons in South Bend in 1852. At one time their plant was the largest carriage factory in the world. The company began producing "horseless carriages" in 1902 and continued to produce new models, including many military vehicles for use in World War II, through 1966. Today, the Studebaker National Museum (574.235.9714; www.studebakermuseum.org) in South Bend displays more than 70 vehicles and other artifacts from the company’s long history. The facility welcomes groups from as small as 20 in its boardroom to receptions of 400 in its atrium.
A National Historic Landmark, the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum (260.925.1444) in Auburn was constructed in 1930 in Art Deco style. The building is the former national headquarters of the Auburn Automobile Company, which built high-end vehicles and racecars by hand from 1904 through 1937. The museum presents six different theme galleries and offers banquet space for up to 512 guests.
Kokomo earned its moniker the "City of Firsts" due to its impressive list of automobile innovations, including the first pneumatic rubber tire, the Kingston carburetor, many car radio features we take for granted today and a long list of inventions by industrialist Elwood Haynes. In 1923, the city was home to 60 carmakers, and over the decades, 76,000 cars were built there. Kokomo Automotive Museum (765.454.9999) celebrates the city’s history as an auto center with exhibits featuring some of its most beautiful products. The museum can host events for approximately 100 people.
Growing up on an Amish farm in the 1930s, Eldon Hostetler was continually fascinated by the automobiles driving past. When his neighbor purchased a 1937 Hudson, a lifelong love affair began. Hostetler’s Hudson Auto Museum (260.768.3021) in the Shipshewana Town Center is devoted to all things Hudson. Dozens of lovingly preserved models, from phaetons and roadsters to racecars and even a fire truck, were made between 1909 and 1956. The museum can host events for up to 80 people, and the attached convention center can host 750 attendees.
