Cruise IN – Serves as both a tour guide and a short historical accounting
of various communities' connection with auto manufacturing.
Elwood Haynes' The Complete Motorist, published in 1913, isn't like a typical owner's manual found in today's glove compartments. The publication also pays homage to the possibilities and responsibility of operating an automobile. His functional yet romantic outlook regarding the automobile also reflects society's continuing love affair. We have found that the automobile provides some of our best and worst memories--our first taste of freedom along with adult responsibilities--our legacy and future dreams.
For life-long Hoosiers and temporary transplants, mementos of this long-term relationship with the automobile are scattered throughout Indiana in museums, historical markers, remnants of manufacturing plants and events that beckon auto devotees. These provide the sights, legends, facts and figures that still captivate our interest and provide the foundation of this book.
Cruise IN serves as both a tour guide and a short historical accounting of various communities' connection with auto manufacturing.
More than 40 Indiana cities and towns have either had automobiles manufactured or assembled in their borders. In addition, more than 200 automobiles, trucks and cyclecars can claim Indiana production or assemblage, which is more than 6 percent of the approximate 2,500 vehicles produced in the United States. Names like Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg and Studebaker have lent distinction to Indiana's automotive past and present. Others may be more obscure, but have also played important, innovative roles in the development of the automobile. In fact, Indiana can claim many automotive firsts, milestones that are listed on the following pages.
This book also looks at the rise and fall of automobile manufacturing in Indiana, current major attractions and little-known sites and provides a calendar of annual auto-related events.
The section entitled On the Road reviews various communities' historical connection, and any local sights immediately follow the town's history under Roadside attractions. Scattered throughout the pages are stories of automotive pioneers and their creations under the title Behind the wheel. A summary of milestones in Indiana's automotive history is followed by two lists of Indiana-built autos sorted by city and model name.
Cruise IN is not intended to be the definitive textbook on the state's automotive history. Instead, the purpose is to serve as a companion to the motorist who wants to explore Indiana's contributions to the automobile.
We have enjoyed cruisin' Indiana and hope that the following information helps you in your journeys.
Back to: Cruise IN: A guide to Indiana’s automotive past and present
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