auburn cord duesenberg automobile museum

What auburn cord duesenberg automobile museum does

The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating a historic automobile museum in Auburn, Indiana, founded in 1974 by community members who saved the original 1930 Art Deco International Headquarters of the Auburn Automobile Company from demolition. The institution is housed in a designated National Historic Landmark building featuring a 12,000-square-foot Art Deco showroom across three floors displaying over 120 classic, antique, vintage, and special interest automobiles from the 1890s through 1940s, including rare one-of-a-kind prototypes and historically significant vehicles such as the first customer-purchased Duesenberg Model A, a 1927 Duesenberg Model X Dual-Cowl Phaeton, and the only known Cord 814 Cabriolet prototype. It is one of only two automobile museums nationally accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, a distinction held by fewer than 4% of US museums.

The museum generates revenue through a diversified set of streams including general admission tickets, annual memberships, ticketed fundraising galas (Gatsby Gala, Royale Gala), a Driving Experience track-day program at venues such as Grattan Raceway, Gingerman Raceway, and Mid-Ohio ($900–$2,600 per participant), annual Corvette raffles/sweepstakes, museum store merchandise through the Duesy Shop, corporate sponsorships, and grants from public agencies and private foundations. It serves general public visitors, automotive enthusiasts and collectors, K–12 school groups, and visitors with disabilities through targeted programs such as Access Days. Marketing channels span the museum website, email newsletter, social media, monthly Cars & Coffee community events, public relations, and partnership marketing with local businesses and automotive clubs.

The museum is governed by a Board of Trustees under Executive Director & CEO Brandon J. Anderson (appointed July 2018, the fifth ED in the museum's history) with a leadership team including a COO, Curator, Director of Development & Membership, Director of Marketing & Communications, Director of Finance & Administration, and Director of Retail & Visitor Services. Active strategic initiatives include a $5 million capital campaign for National Historic Landmark preservation, a campus partnership with the neighboring National Auto & Truck Museum (NATMUS) creating the "Auburn Automobile Experience," and ongoing collection expansion through donations of significant vehicles. Operating geographies span Auburn and northeast Indiana as the primary market, with broader Midwest, national, and international visitor reach.

Name

auburn cord duesenberg automobile museum

Legal name

Auburn Automotive Heritage Inc.

Website

https://automobilemuseum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating from the 1930 Art Deco National Historic Landmark former headquarters of the Auburn Automobile Company in Auburn, Indiana, displaying 120+ classic automobiles and generating revenue through admissions, memberships, galas, track-day events, Corvette sweepstakes, retail, sponsorships, and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Automobile Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Historic automobile museum
• Classic car preservation
• Automotive heritage exhibits
• Heritage tourism attractions
• Educational museum programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Auburn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: General museum admission fees for visitors
2. Membership Program: Annual membership subscriptions providing free admission and exclusive benefits
3. Corvette Raffle/Sweepstakes: Annual raffle of new Corvettes (1967, 2019, 2025 ZR1) with cash alternatives, generating significant fundraising while supporting charitable causes
4. Special Event Tickets: Gala events (Gatsby Gala, Royale Gala), driving experiences, workshops with ticket prices ranging from $30-$2,600
5. Corporate Sponsorships: Event and program sponsorships from businesses like Worldwide Auctioneers, Feul Social Club, Praxis Detailing, POSTNET
6. Donations & Grants: Individual donations, corporate grants (OCRA, National Park Service Save America's Treasures, RPM Foundation, AWS Foundation, Horizon Bank)
7. Museum Store: Retail merchandise sales through the Duesy Shop and online store

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum operates a National Historic Landmark museum in Auburn, Indiana, displaying over 120 classic, antique, vintage, and special interest automobiles from the 1890s through the 1940s inside the original 1930 Art Deco headquarters of the Auburn Automobile Company. The museum sells admission tickets, hosts fundraising galas, Cars & Coffee community events, track-based Driving Experiences, educational workshops, Corvette sweepstakes, and offers a Membership Program and museum store, with 100% of net Driving Experience profits supporting the museum.

Product overview

The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum is a National Historic Landmark museum offering physical visitor experiences centered on its core collection of over 120 classic automobiles. The museum operates as a unified visitor attraction with integrated ancillary services including the Duesy Shop (museum store), event hosting facilities, educational programs, and fundraising sweepstakes. The portfolio consists of the main museum experience, rotating exhibits (Duesenberg Evolution, E.L. Cord Gallery, Car Mascots, Design Studio, Workers Behind Wheels), special events (Gatsby Gala, Royale Gala, Cars & Coffee, Driving Experience), educational workshops (Youth Car Care), guided tours (Highlights Tours), and annual fundraising sweepstakes (Corvette raffles). The museum also offers membership and Adopt-A-Car programs to support its preservation mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Duesy Shop: The museum's retail store offering merchandise, tickets, and memorabilia. Operated as acdamstore.com.
• ACDA Museum

Products and services

• Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum Admission General admission to the National Historic Landmark museum housing over 120 classic automobiles from the 1890s through the 1940s in the original 1930 Art Deco Auburn Automobile Company headquarters, targeted at families, tourists, history enthusiasts, and automotive hobbyists.
• Driving Experience Track Events Track-based driving experience events at Grattan Raceway, Gingerman Raceway, and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, with registration fees of $900–$2,600 including lodging, lunch, and hosted dinner; 100% of net profit supports the museum. Targeted at automotive enthusiasts.
• Youth Car Care Workshop Half-day hands-on workshop priced at $30 per participant for teens ages 14–17, limited to 12 participants, teaching essential car care and safety skills; participants receive safety gear, driver's manual, and a certificate of completion. Co-presented with the National Automotive & Truck Museum.
• The 26' Royale Gala Annual casino-themed fundraising gala with live jazz, aerial performances, silent auction, and plated dinner; individual tickets $175, couple $350, table of 8 $1,400. Proceeds support museum exhibits and educational programs.
• Gatsby Gala Ball Roaring 20s-themed annual fundraising gala with live big band music, cash bar, and hosted hors d'oeuvres featuring signature cocktails; member tickets $40, non-member $55, table of 8 $350, sponsorship $500.
• Cars & Coffee Monthly family-friendly car meet allowing auto enthusiasts to show their vehicles alongside classic, exotic, and muscle cars; free and open to all vehicles. Coffee and donuts provided by local vendors.
• 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Sweepstakes Annual raffle offering the chance to win a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible plus $10,000 cash, or a $70,000 cash alternative; supports museum educational programs and nonprofit beneficiaries.
• 2025 Corvette ZR1 Sweepstakes Raffle offering the chance to win a 2025 Corvette ZR1 with 1,064 HP plus $25,000 cash, or a $150,000 cash alternative; supports four nonprofit beneficiaries including Tri Industries, Stand for the Troops, and The Lost Corvettes. Drawing closes December 21, 2025.
• Highlights Tours Complimentary docent-led tours exploring iconic vehicles, automotive history, the Art Deco era, and broader cultural influences; topics include women in ACD history and automobile body styles.
• Membership Program Annual membership program offering free admission, museum store discounts, and exclusive access to museum events and programs; sold online and at the museum.
• Adopt-A-Car Program Donation program allowing supporters to symbolically adopt a vehicle in the museum's collection to support its care and preservation.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of two nationally accredited automobile museums in the United States
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Little Vegas, IncminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCasino tables and dealers provider for the annual 26' Royale Gala fundraising event. Games include Blackjack, Roulette, Poker, and Craps.
• Eric MiglinminorOthersLive jazz musician providing entertainment at the 26' Royale Gala event.
• Silk & Sky AerialminorOthersAerial performance provider creating visual entertainment above guests during the 26' Royale Gala.
• Good News AuctionsminorOthersEmcee services for the 26' Royale Gala evening event.
• National Auto & Truck Museum (NATMUS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighbor museum on same historic campus; partnership to create 'The Auburn Automobile Experience' with joint campus tickets, shared marketing, and interpretive trail connecting both museums. Cooperative efforts include joint Giving Tuesday events.
• James Classic CarsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in RPM Foundation internship program alongside NATMUS; provides automotive restoration training experience for intern Josiah Jordan.
• Worldwide AuctioneersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible prize for sweepstakes fundraiser.
• Feul Social Club & Praxis DetailingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors of September Cars & Coffee 2026 event.
• POSTNETminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of August Cars & Coffee (Corvette Sweepstakes Live Drawing) event.
• Coffee: 9th Street Brew Coffee HouseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal coffee vendor providing refreshments for Cars & Coffee events.
• Tasty's DonutsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal donut vendor providing refreshments for Cars & Coffee events.
• National Automotive & Truck MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of Youth Car Care Workshop with shared campus location; same historic campus partnership.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mullin Automotive Museum: Oxnard, California museum featuring the Peter and Merle Mullin collection of French Art Deco and Bugatti automobiles with strong Art Deco architecture ties. Closest peer in tying specialty automotive curation to an Art Deco built environment, mirroring ACDAM's value proposition.
• Lane Motor Museum: Nashville, Tennessee nonprofit museum focused on alternative propulsion and uniquely European vehicles. Comparable in specialty-curator approach, small staff, and reliance on donations plus admissions.
• AACA Museum (Antique Automobile Club of America): Hershey, Pennsylvania museum dedicated to antique automobiles and bus transportation, operated by a collector-club nonprofit. Direct peer in collections of pre-WWII vehicles, club-affiliated membership programs, and rotating exhibits.
• Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum: Philadelphia-based specialty automobile museum housing one of the world's finest collections of rare and unique sports and racing cars. Comparable in mission (preserving and exhibiting historically significant vehicles), nonprofit structure, and reliance on enthusiast visitors.
• National Auto & Truck Museum (NATMUS): Adjacent Auburn, Indiana museum sharing a historic campus and joint ticketing program with ACDAM. Both focus on American automotive heritage, target classic car enthusiasts and school groups, and are co-located in Northeast Indiana tourism marketing.
• Museum of American Speed: Lincoln, Nebraska nonprofit museum focused on racing, performance, and automotive history collections donated by the Smith family. Comparable in dependence on a single major founder-collection, donor-funded growth, and enthusiast audience.
• Revs Institute (Miles Collier Collections): Naples, Florida automotive history research institute and museum featuring pioneering automobiles and extensive automotive archives. Comparable in tying a marque-spanning automobile collection to research, archives, and educational programming.

Broad incumbents

• The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation: Dearborn, Michigan museum complex (Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village) collecting iconic American vehicles including Lincoln, Ford, and Tucker automobiles. Comparable automotive-heritage mission at far larger scale and budget.
• Petersen Automotive Museum: Los Angeles large-scale automobile museum with 100+ vehicles spanning multiple eras and a high-visibility location on Museum Row. Broader portfolio (industry coverage, kids' programs, VIP events), but operates a similar admission-plus-event-plus-retail model.

Emerging players

• Elwood Haynes Museum: Small hometown auto heritage museum in Kokomo, Indiana tied to early-American automobile pioneer Elwood Haynes. Comparable in mission (preserving an Indiana automotive pioneer legacy), small staff, and reliance on grants and local tourism.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ACDAM1974
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/auburn-cord-duesenberg-automobile-museum

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about auburn cord duesenberg automobile museum