In the 1920s and 1930s, the small city of Auburn, Indiana was home to one of the most remarkable concentrations of automotive ambition in America. Three brands — Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg — were all controlled by entrepreneur E.L. Cord, and each represented a different vision of what a car could be.…

Few American automakers have a story as long — or as surprising — as Studebaker. The company started not with gasoline engines but with horse-drawn wagons. Founded in 1852 in South Bend, Indiana, the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company built its reputation supplying wagons to settlers heading west, and later to the Union Army during the Civil War.…

In my post about Detroit Electric, I spotted “Marian” listed among early automobile manufacturers in a 1914 newspaper. After some digging, that was almost certainly a period misspelling of Marion — the Marion Motor Car Company of Indianapolis, Indiana. It’s a name most people have never heard, but it plays a surprisingly important role in American automotive history. Founded in Indianapolis The Marion Motor Car Company was incorporated on November 1, 1904 in Indianapolis, Indiana.…

If you’ve driven around Kentucky, you’ve seen them — those distinctive green and gold signs posted along roadsides and in front of historic buildings. Kentucky’s historical marker program is actually one of the oldest and largest in the entire country, and there’s a pretty fascinating story behind how they got there. It Started with a Private Club Before the state got involved, a private nonprofit organization called the Historical Markers Society (HMS) launched the effort in 1935.…

In my post about Detroit Electric, I mentioned spotting “Overland” in a 1914 newspaper alongside other early auto manufacturers. The Overland Automobile Company turned out to be one of the most significant car companies of the early 1900s — at its peak it was the second-largest automobile producer in the United States, trailing only Ford. Humble Beginnings in Indiana The Overland story starts in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1903. Claude E.…