Re-Dedication and Recognition of Indy Dusey Plant

HI FRED,

I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE LETTERING ON THE FRONT OF THE OLD DUESENBERG FACTORY BUILDING DETERIORATE FOR MANY YEARS.
JUST A FEW YEARS AGO YOU COULD STILL CLEARLY READ THE 'DUESENBERG MOTOR CO' LETTERING. 25 YEARS AGO, WHEN I WAS RESTORNG RAILROAD CARS WITH THE INDIANA MUSEUM OF TRANSPORT IN NOBLESVILLE, WE WOULD TRACE THE LETTERING ON THE CAR SIDES ONTO LONG ROLLS OF PAPER BEFORE THE LETTERING WAS SANDED OFF. THIS WAS VERY EASY AND ACCURATE. I DROVE OVER TO HARDING AND WASHINGTON STREETS ON MONDAY AND TOOK SOME DIGITAL PHOTOS OF BOTH ENDS OF THE BUILDING. THE LETTERING NOW IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE OUT, BUT I THINK THAT GOOD MEASUREMENTS AND PATTERNS CAN STILL BE TAKEN.

I WORK IN TRANSMISSION ENGINEERING AT ALLISON TRANSMISSION JUST SOUTH OF THE INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, AND FROM MY DESK I CAN LOOK OUT AND SEE THE TURNS ONE AND TWO GRANDSTANDS SIX BLOCKS TO THE NORTH. YESTERDAY I DROVE OVER TO THE SPEEDWAY'S PHOTO SHOP, WHERE THEY HAVE MILLIONS OF RACING RELATED NEGATIVES, IN SEARCH OF FACTORY EXTERIOR PHOTOS. THE RESEARCHER TOLD ME THAT THEY DO HAVE SOME INTERIOR SHOTS OF THE FACTORY BUILDING WHILE IT WAS STILL IN PRODUCTION, BUT THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY EXTERIOR SHOTS.
IT TURNS OUT THAT ALMOST ALL OF THE SPEEDWAY'S NEGATIVES WERE TAKEN ON THE SPEEDWAY GROUNDS. I HAVE DONALD DAVIDSONS' EMAIL ADDRESS AND WILL ASK HIM IF HE HAS ANYTHING IN HIS EXTENSIVE PERSONAL COLLECTION THAT WOULD BE OF HELP.

LILLY ENDOWMENT HAS TONS OF MONEY AVAILABLE FOR RESTORATION PROJECTS, BUT IN THIS CASE, THE SMALL PROJECT SIZE WOULD NOT INTEREST THEM. WHAT IS THE STATE OF THIS PROJECT'S TIME SCHEDULE, STAFFING, FUNDING, ETC.?

SINCE INDIANAPOLIS WAS THE "DETROIT" OF AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURING MANY YEARS AGO (DUESENBERG, COLE, MARMON, STUTZ, ETC., ETC.), I THINK THAT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO RESTORE THE 'MARMON HERRINGTON' END OF THE BUILDING (ALTHOUGH IT IS MOSTLY OBSCURED BY SMALL TREES). IF THE RESTORATION IS DONE PERSONALLY BY CLUB MEMBERS, AND NOT SUB-CONTRACTED, I WOULD BE GLAD TO HELP WITH THE TRACING, DE-SCALING, PAINTING, ETC.
(NOTE: 25 FEET ABOVE GROUND = INSURANCE LIABILITY.)

THE THIRD ANNUAL 'INDY CONCOURS' WILL BE HELD ON JUNE 18TH ON MONUMENT CIRCLE AND MIGHT PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET AN APPROPRIATE GROUP OF CARS TOGETHER FOR GOOD PHOTOS AND GOOD TIMES, ALTHOUGH IT SOUNDS LIKE IT MAY BE TOO SOON FOR YOUR SCHEDULE. I HOPE THAT OUR LOCAL ACD CLUB MEMBERS WILL TURN OUT ON THE BIG DAY. I'LL MAKE SURE TO BRING MY '35 AUBURN SPEEDSTER.


BEST REGARDS,

MIKE


P.S. - MY CHAINSAW WORKS GREAT ON SMALL TREES.

I suggest posting a private messge to RandyEma (no space between the first and last name). He may have a picture for you.

Have you contacted Jon Bill at the ACD Museum?

Hello! Some of us here in Indy are currently working with the current owners of the old Duesenberg factory (IndyGo Transit) to repaint the huge Duesenberg Motor Car Co. sign of the front of the building and have a ceremony (with local gov. officials & probably a loaner Dusey from the Indy 500 collection) for a re-dedication and bronze plaque placement on the old Duesenberg plant at Harding and Washington Sts., here in Indy! IndyGo is 100% committed and this should all happen sometime this summer. (maybe with enough notice we can get some of you to "tour" here for the event.) What we need right now is for all of you to look in your photo albums and see if you have a pix of the front of the building showing the sign at the top. IndyGo REALLY wants the lettering style correct as do I. My interest is due to the fact that my Grandfather through some old German family relationships, worked in that plant and in the race shop across the street. As you know, we lost the race shop to a fire a few years back and we ALL want to re-dedicate the factory to the ultimate motor car of all time and the craftsmen that worked there. IndyGo has yet to decide about the Mormon sign remains on the other end of the building, but the big "D" is an absolute go. So, will you all check your pix and see if you can help us in locating that pix. I have emailed Auburn but after 2 week still have no gotten a response. Any suggestions? Help and thank you all for in some small way helping to preserve this wonder symbol of automotive greatness. FRED