A visit to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum

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The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum in Auburn, Indiana is one of the great institutions of the collector car world—and one of MCG’s favorite car-gawking destinations. Here’s a big photo essay. 

 

 

Opened in 1974, the ACD Museum was originally constructed in 1929 as the factory showroom and administration building for the Auburn Automobile Company. Built in the automaker’s boom days, the building is an art deco masterpiece with elegant fixtures, terrazzo floors in a stunning geometric pattern, and wainscotted offices. Beautifully restored and repurposed, the facility now makes a perfect space for the display of classic cars.

Somewhere around 120 cars are on exhibit at any given time, mainly Auburns, Cords, and Duesenbergs, just as you’d expect. And except for the annual Auburn Cord Duesenberg festival held in Auburn each Labor Day weekend, the museum houses the finest collection of these three classic Indiana marques—the royalty of American automobiles—you will see anywhere.

The first floor gallery at the ACD Museum during a 2007 visit. Exhibits are rotated on a regular basis, so MCG returns often. 

 

There’s more. The collection also includes a gallery of Auburn-built cars, another gallery of Indiana-built vehicles, a gallery devoted to designer Gordon Buehrig, an entire gallery of engines, and a gallery of what could most easily be called popular collector cars. On our most recent visit this past weekend, this room housed a really nice ’37 Lincoln Zephyr coupe, a ’53 Corvette, and a survivor 300SL Gullwing, among others. So while the focus at the ACD is on the capital-C Classics, naturally, gearheads of all persuasions will find plenty to see.

You can learn more about visiting hours and so forth at the Museum’s website. If you’d like to make an entire weekend of your trip, the Dekalb, Indiana County Alliance of Museums has eight member museums devoted to transportation, including the National Auto and Truck Museum of the United States (right next door to the ACD) and the Hoosier Air Museum. You can find more about the Museum Alliance, including package discounts, at the Dekalb County Visitors Bureau.

See you there soon. In the meantime, please take some time with the big photo gallery below.

 

8 thoughts on “A visit to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum”

  1. I love this museum and it looks like it’s developed a lot since I was there ten years ago. I stopped by on a weekday afternoon and was given a personal tour that lasted at least ninety minutes. Just me and a very knowledgeable curator.

    The showroom would be outstanding even if there were no cars in it.

  2. So, your “work” entails visiting places like the ACD Museum, where you stroll around gorgeous buildings taking photos of gorgeous cars? If that’s not the Best Job In The World it’s gotta be damn close…

    • You know what they say: Do what you love and never work a day in your life. That’s true, though it doesn’t mean there aren’t hassles and stresses as well. Anything can become a job eventually.

      Back when I was working the motorsports beat, I used to look up at the stands and think, “Look, 150,000 people who would kill to have my job.” As time went on I realized it’s not that simple. In truth, not one in 100,000 can actually do it: they lack the weird combination of skills, the commitment, the passion, or the willingness to sacrifice. For example, if you need actual weekends and holidays in your life, you can’t do this for a living.

  3. Even though the ACD is the jewel of the area’s museums, all of them have their own unique character and are definitely worth a visit. With an overnight stay at the Auburn Inn and fried fish or pulled pork at the Town Tavern, you can have a truly unique and affordable weekend getaway.

  5. The 1937 Cord 812 Coupe Robert A. Stranahan…yowza. There’s no shortage of impressive art there McG but that black 812 is just…it. It’s interesting to see styling here that was (presumably) echoed elsewhere, but somehow lacked the full weight and character of the originals. Beautiful cars.

    • Stranahan was founder of the Champion Spark Plug Co. Note this car has chrome headlamps from an Auburn instead of the standard hideaway lamps.

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