Episode

The Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg Museum

Podcast
BREAK/FIX the Motorsports & Vehicle Enthusiast Variety Show
Published
Aug 13, 2026
Duration seconds
2728
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://jonsummers.net/2026/08/ep60-the-auburn-cord-and-duesenberg-museum/
Audio
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/sa2j4efmh2gezbxe/mpn_motoringhistorian_ep60.mp3
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/break-fix-the-motorsports-vehicle-enthusiast-variety-show-379180/episodes/the-auburn-cord-and-duesenberg-museum
Markdown
/podcast/break-fix-the-motorsports-vehicle-enthusiast-variety-show-379180/the-auburn-cord-and-duesenberg-museum.md

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Summary

The Motoring Historian, Jon Summers, drives between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis on a museum tour, focusing on the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum housed in the remaining Auburn factory. He frames museums as “a bunch of stuff” versus curated stories, then seeks the Duesenberg creation myth, especially the engineering behind the Model J. He recounts Duesenberg history: self-taught brothers Fred and Augie from bicycles and racing; the Model A’s four-wheel hydraulic brakes and inline eight; WWI aero-engine work including a V16; and E.L. Cord buying the company, keeping Fred as chief engineer, and commissioning the Model J, with styling contributions from Leaming. He praises the car quantity, Auburn evolution exhibits, hood ornaments, and Buehrig clay-modeling offices, but criticizes crowded displays, awkward mannequins, and intrusive volunteer “gallery hosting,” comparing lessons to the Studebaker Museum and Indiana’s component-based auto industry.