Directly behind the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum (ACD) in Auburn, Indiana, is the National Automobile & Truck Museum (NATMUS). While concerned citizens saved the ACD showroom and administrative building from the wrecking ball in 1974l, two remaining buildings on the Auburn Automobile Company campus continued to deteriorate. The first, built in 1923, was the Service and New Parts Department building. In 1928, a second building for the development of the Cord automobile was added. These two buildings were in bad shape and could be bulldozed.
Individuals from the Auburn Automotive Heritage, Inc. organization, which had spearheaded the ACD Museum, stepped in and began a fundraising campaign to save the two buildings. After restoring the buildings’ roofs, the buildings became a separate museum dedicated to the preservation of America’s truck and automobile heritage. They along with the ACD Museum were declared a National Historic Landmark in 2005.
The pride of the collection is the tenth of twelve Futurliners manufactured by General Motors built for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. They toured the United States during 1940-1941 and 1953-1956 as part of the company’s Parade of Progress. Each Futurliner showcased some of the futuristic inventions such as the microwave oven, a cutaway of an Allison J-35 jet engine, and Stereo. The NATMUS Futurliner was used for the “Opportunity for Youth” exhibit which included winning model cars from the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild Contest and a three-dimensional sound exhibit. The Futurliners, designed by Harley Earl, were thirty-three feet long, eight feet wide, and eleven feet tall.
NATMUS has an eclectic mix of vehicles ranging from those in the brass era including a 1911 Metallurgique featured in the 1965 movie “The Great Race”. This auto was built in Belgium and is one of the first to feature boattail speedster bodywork and a V shaped radiator. One of the more unique vehicles is a 1927 Klauer SnoGo weighing 12,000 pounds. With its large augers, it could throw snow 100 feet and had a top speed of 25 mph.
The collection also includes some racing cars including a Haas Racing Streamliner which set a new land world record of 308.816 in 2006 at the Bonneville Flats. The two Chevrolet turbocharged engines produced 750 horsepower. They also have the Endeavor III driven by Doug McCombs which set four speed records including in 1990 at 179.506 mph, 1991at 191.278 mph, 1992 at 223.084, and 1993 at 226.471 mph. at the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Endeavor III was an International truck powered by an V-12 852 cubic inch Detroit Diesel engine. NATMUS also has some stock cars including a 1969 Ford Talladega with a 427 cubic inch engine and a replica of the #43 Plymouth sponsored by Patterson Motors with a 426 cubic inch engine driven by Richard Petty.
It also has a collection of muscle cars, the most famous of which is a 1971 Dodge Charger “General Lee” which was used on the Dukes of Hazzard television show. Also on display is a 1971 Dodge Challenger convertible, one of the thirty-three pace cars used by the Indianapolis 500 Festival officials.
GMC Motorhomes were built by General Motors between 1973 and 1978 with the tag line of “It doesn’t ride like a truck. It doesn’t look like a box.” The twenty-six-foot-long GMC Motorhome Glacier model was built in 1973 and has its original paint, decals and interior upholstery. It has been updated with a microwave oven, refrigerator, furnace, and thermostat-controlled roof exhaust fan. The screen door and awnings were aftermarket items made specifically for the GMC Motorhomes.
NATMUS also has a 1929 Pietenpol Air Camper on display. This airplane, designed by Bernard Pietenpol, is powered by a Ford Model-A engine and has a top speed of about 90 mph. The Pietenpol Aircraft Company continues to sell plans for the aircraft.
An unrestored 1939 Kenworth Emergency Rescue car looks like a bus but is outfitted as a rescue vehicle. They also have a 1928 Indiana (Motor Truck) dump truck used to deliver stone built in Marion, Indiana. The bed of the dump truck was lifted by a hydraulic hoist.
The lower floor has a collection of trucks, some dating back to the early 1900s. There are several firetrucks on display including an International fire truck whose lights begin flashing when you walk by and an early Engine # 2 fire truck used in Auburn, Indiana.
Also on display is a 1948 Valentine Diner with eight stools used in Angola, Indiana. The original cost including fixtures and equipment was approximately $5,000.
NATMUS also has a “Half-Pint” Shriner parade vehicle. It is ½ scale of a 1948-1950 Jeepster and I couldn’t help but wonder how someone could get down into the car (and out of it!). It was used from 1978 until 2000 in the Toledo Zenobia Shriner Parades. Among my favorite artifacts on display are the vintage pedal cars including some hand-built replicas of Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg. They even have a pedal car pulling a motorboat. For enthusiasts of scale model cars, NATMUS has a collection of over 6000.
While this is a separate museum from the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, it is well worth visiting. A combined ticket can be purchased.