Behind the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum is the National Auto and Truck Museum. This is one big place and it is housed in the old ACD facilities that are too cool themselves. A lot of vehicles here and an amazing die cast collection. It is also a superb place if you like International trucks, a lot of factory prototypes and other oddities on the lower level along with a number of Scouts. Highly recommended!
www.http://natmus.org/
The Chrysler Sno-Runners are everywhere! I did see one at the Nats too...still bugs me that I didn't buy it...but I really didn't have the money anyway..sigh.
Not your ordinary Chrysler Crate Engine;
I had to fly out of Auburn and I still couldn't find the 6th gear in the Dodge. Lol. When you go past 70 this thing is really starting to suck down gas like there is no tomorrow with 4.10:s in the back. Luckily gas isn't 9 bucks a gallon like back home but it still puts a hurtin when you rack up about 10,000 miles in a month and have noone to share the costs with. Well, enough whining, I have to be in Chicago tonight and I am NOT going to miss the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana! Sorry Jim for being so late, you live in the wrong part of town...well...maybe not...I spent one night in a motel in Gary, Indiana many years ago...no offense if someone here lives there but I don't have much desire to go back...anyways, I had less than an hour at the museum and that is a bit hectic even for me! Again another place were there is a lot to see and learn from the various photo displays on the walls and the whole thing is extremely well put together. Studebaker was a diversified industrial giant that once also owned such famous names as STP, Paxton and Onan. I did also get a fast guidance to the remaining Studebaker facilities nearby, much appreciated! I wasn't at all prepared for this area but on the other and there wasn't time to see too much either. Looks like I have to come back here too...
www.http://studebakermuseum.org/
An Avanti that made some fast runs at Bonneville;
A lineup of Studebakers at a drive in, a South Bend landmark is seen in the background;
In the basement a lot of cool cars including factory prototypes are stacked on two levels;
I guess it is not widely known that the Humvees and Hummers are actually a part of the Jeep legacy with a fascinating history of companies merging over the years. AM General used to be owned by American Motors, read the history here;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AM_Generalhttp://www.amgeneral.com/
Just beside the museum is this magnificent structure, the original Studebaker Mansion, now a fine restaurant. Take the tour on their website;
http://www.tippe.com/
Sadly some of the old factory buildings were being demolished during my visit. I was too much in a hurry to pursue my brick fetish, anyone in South Bend wanna send me one?
Luckily some of the other facilities are still in use and in pretty nice shape. If I would have unlimited funds I'd buy this place, have my cars on the first floor and live on the second. Nirvana.
I can already see the Short Ram 413 equipped 1961 Dodge roll out of this door with open headers echoing in the night...
Although the new museum is beautiful I would have preferred that the whole thing would have been located in old corporate facilities instead. In fact, the collection used to be in this old administration building at one time, it is still in very good shape and only a couple of blocks from the museum. The above factory building is in the background;
OK, let's keep flying low, Chicago, here we come!
