USA 2024 - National Auto & Truck Museum: Classic Restos - Series 57

Fletch travels to Auburn, Indiana, the home of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum and the National Auto & Truck Museum. 

The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum and the National Auto and Truck Museum, founded in 1969 and 1988, respectively, are located in separate buildings on the premises of the former Auburn Automobile Company.

The Auburn Automobile Company originated from the Eckhart Carriage Company, founded in 1874 by Charles Eckhart in Auburn. Over time, the company evolved into the Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg Motor Company, producing notable vehicles such as the Cord LT29 (1929 – 1932), the Cord V8 810 and 812 (1936 – 1937), and Duesenberg’s from 1921 -37, a proud era in motoring history. 

The episode focuses on the National Auto & Truck Museum. Guided by Dave, the Museum's executive director, Fletch explores the vast space, which houses 175 vehicles spread across 135,000 square feet. Originally built in 1923, the building was once slated for demolition but was preserved to serve as the museum.

The quality and presentation of the vehicles on display leave a lasting impression. Fletch commends the dedicated team of, noting that U.S. museums excel in showcasing automotive history.

Dave reveals that the museum owns 60% of the vehicles on display, while the remaining 40% are generously loaned by collectors across the country, ensuring there is something to intrigue every visitor.

Among the array of impressive vehicles, Fletch spots a 1965 recreation of the Essex Wire Cobra race car, which holds the distinction of winning more races than any other Shelby in U.S. history. The collection boasts a diverse range of vehicles, including Harley Davidson flat track motorcycles and vintage NASCARs driven by Richard Petty, alongside a dedicated floor for trucks and machinery.

A highlight of the truck display is a rare 1949 White 3000 ‘Bubblenose’ Transporter, owned by a Reno casino owner who used it to transport classic cars to the museum, four at a time. 

The museum also hosts a meticulously recreated Warner Service Station from the 1940s to the 1960s and an authentic Auburn car dealership from the 1930s.

A showpiece display is the GM Futureliner from the 1940s to the 1950s, of which only 12 were ever built. Today, only ten remain, and just four are in the U.S. These vehicles offered a glimpse into General Motors’ vision for the future. Fletch shares some archival photos of these beautiful vehicles.

The collection includes an early 1930s Fageol truck, the predecessor of two major truck companies in the U.S.: Freightliner and Peterbilt. Additionally, a local highlight is a 1928 Indiana Heavy Duty Dump Truck and a 1939 Diamond T Texaco fuel delivery truck with its signature low-profile roofline. 

One unique story involves a 1967 Indian Scout. A visitor at the museum spotted the vehicle and recalled how she had learned to drive in a similar truck. It had belonged to her grandfather, who had meticulously placed identifying markings on it in case it was ever stolen. Upon closer inspection, she found her grandfather’s markings all over the vehicle and suddenly realized that this was indeed the very same one she had first driven 50 to 60 years earlier.

Finally, the Endeavour 111, an International Harvester Truck built with Seattle Engine Builders, stands as a remarkable testament to engineering. In 1993, this very truck claimed both the short and long-track Land Speed records on the salt flats of Bonneville. Powered by a V12 Detroit Diesel engine equipped with two superchargers and four turbos, Fletch shares captivating archival video showcasing the truck's high-speed exploits on the salt lakes.