A recently refurbished sign of Indiana’s past as a hub of automobile manufacturing will be unveiled Wednesday on the site of what used to be a Duesenberg factory.
Indiana made its mark on the automobile industry beginning in the early 20th century, when 250 automobile manufacturers called the state home. A part of that history will be celebrated when a restored sign for the historic Duesenberg is unveiled at IndyGo headquarters, which was a Duesenberg factory until 1937.
The sign was discovered there by members of the Indiana Automotive Historical Society – an Indiana Landmarks affinity group – when they saw the faint remains of the iconic 1920’s sign on the red-brick building. The organization proposed bringing the sign back to life as a way to recognize Indianapolis’ automobile history.
The group worked with IndyGo to commission Indianapolis artist Chris Blice to refurbish the sign. The refreshed sign will be unveiled at an April 23 event, where automobile historians will speak about the role automobiles have played in Indiana.
Two Duesenbergs also will be on display at the event: a 1925 Model A owned by Tony Hulman and on loan from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and a 1933 Model J Berline on loan from Charles Mong.
Duesenberg’s status as an automotive leader was established by both its elegant, top-of-the-line automobiles and its race cars, which won the Indianapolis 500 in 1924, 1925 and 1927.
“This is a great opportunity to recognize and appreciate Indianapolis’ role in the automobile industry,” said Marsh Davis, president of Indiana Landmarks. “We’re eager to bring attention to the heritage of the building, as well as its adaptive reuse for IndyGo’s headquarters.”
