50th Annual James Dean Festival
Always held the last full weekend in September, the James Dean Festival includes a street fair, vendor booths, rides, entertainment and the James Dean Run car show.
Indiana
56th Annual Auburn Auction & Show
56th Annual Auburn Auction & Show
The Family-Friendly Collector Car Tradition Continues Labor Day Weekend in Auburn, Indiana. Curated Offering of 300+ Collector Cars & 150 Pieces of Memorabilia at Kruse Plaza in Auburn. Each auction brings together passionate buyers, serious collectors, and industry experts, creating the competitive environment needed to achieve top results for consignors.
Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival 2026
The Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival is The World’s Greatest Classic Car Show and Festival. Held every year the week before Labor Day.
Welcome to the 2025 Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival! We have planned many exciting events to make your weekend enjoyable.
Be sure to review the magazine to see the events pages for all the happenings during the festival.
https://acdfestival.org/
Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival 2019
Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival Homecoming
The Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival is a Homecoming for all the vintage motorcars produced here at the Auburn plant as they find their way back home to Indiana. This year it will run from August 24 through August 31, 2019. The annual Labor Day Homecoming is such an amazing display of Americana that we count it as one of the major car shows to add to your bucket list.
Early on Saturday morning, Eckhart Park in downtown Auburn was filled with American dream cars. This was the most impressive display of Duesenbergs ever seen in modern times. Here are the Duesenbergs, 21 in all, in all their splendor.
Concours in the Park at the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival
Every evening in downtown Auburn, the streets near the heart of the city are packed with classic cars from yesteryear. One of the billboards on the way to Auburn says, “It’s not just a car … it’s a Time Machine.” This show is like stepping back into the 1930’s. You won’t believe how many Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs have been preserved in running condition. It seems they all come out for this show, however.
Cars On Line.com will be here all weekend to capture the event “live” for you in photos and video. We’ll be covering the Saturday morning Concours in Eckhart Park, and the Parade of Classics as hundreds of these Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs take to the streets in an incredible parade through downtown Auburn. You’ll also want to follow our coverage of the big Fall Auburn Auction by RM Auctions in its 49th year. It will be held in the Auburn Auction Park. The Auction Park also holds a car corral and swap meet with other interesting displays on the enourmous park grounds. Bookmark this page as we capture all of the action in photos an videos all weekend.
Parade of Classics
After the concours in Eckhart Park, all of the Auburns, Cords and Duesenberg line up for a spectacular Parade of Classics down Jackson Street and to the Courthouse. It is a beautiful display of rolling artwork.
The Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival celebrates the annual homecoming of vintage motorcars and their return to their birthplace in Auburn, Indiana. Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs will be on display this weekend as the whole city of Auburn welcomes collector car owners and their legendary motorcars. Bookmark this page as it will be updated in real time all weekend. (Or you see our photos and videos on our Facebook and Twitter pages.)
RM’s Fall Auburn Auction 2019
Meanwhile, at the Auctions America Auction Park, the Auburn Fall Auction 2019 by RM Auctions will run August 29-September 1, 2019. Some of the finest classic motorcars will be on sale here to the highest bidder along with muscle cars, street rods and customs.
2005 Ford GT becomes the top sale at the Fall Auturn Auction on FridayClick here to see our Saturday auction preview the Fall Auburn Auction 2019 sale.
Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival 2018 Celebrates Auburn Homecoming
Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival 2018 … Labor Day
Homecoming for Motorcars in Auburn, Indiana
You can’t go to the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival 2018 without visiting the ACD Museum in downtown Auburn. It is the perfect way to wrap up an amazing weekend with these historic motorcars. Entering the museum is like stepping back in time. It offers over 120 cars on exhibit on three levels. Nine automotive themed galleries allow visitors to experience everything from classic cars to racing and engineering themed exhibits.
Watch this video for a short introduction to the ACD Museum:
Those who enter the museum will find themselves standing in the original Auburn Automobile Company art deco-styled showroom. Here you’ll see Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg motorcars of the classic era 1925–1937. Here is our ACD Museum photo tour:
Outside the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum
For more information about the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, please visit their website: automobilemuseum.org
Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival 2018 Concours
Saturday morning the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival 2018 held their annual Concours in the Park. Auburns, Cords and Dusenbergs were arrayed in Eckhart Park under cloudy skies although the weather man promised the rain would hold off until evening. It was an amazing showing of vintage motorcars that have come home to Indiana for this spectacular automotive event.
The Concours in the Park provides an opportunity to get up close to these moving pieces of art. Here are some of the hundreds of Auburns, Cords and Dusenbergs that made it back to Eckhart Park for the big concours in 2018:
Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival Concours in Eckhart Park
After the concours in Eckhart Park, all of the Auburns, Cords and Duesenberg line up for a spectacular Parade of Classics down Jackson Street and to the Courthouse. Once again, it was a beautiful display of rolling artwork. But the weather man was wrong about the rest of the day. Starting out with beautiful sunny skies, by the time the Duesenbergs were approaching the town square the skies really opened up on these timeless treasures. Umbrellas were needed for occupants of the open car cabriolets and speedsters. Here’s how it looked here on Saturday in downtown Auburn.
The Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival 2018 celebrates the annual homecoming of vintage motorcars and their return to their birthplace in Auburn, Indiana. Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs will be on display this weekend as the whole city of Auburn welcomes collector car owners and their legendary motorcars. Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs are everywhere today. The annual Labor Day Homecoming is such an amazing display of Americana that we count it as one of the major car shows to add to your bucket list. Cars On Line.com will be here, August 25-September 2, 2018, to capture the event “live” for you in photos and video. Bookmark this page and watch for our posts here this morning. (Or you may see some of our photos and video on our Facebook and Twitter pages.)
We are here at the headquarters of the Auburn Automobile Company, where pre-war Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs were designed. Although, Duesenbergs were actually built in Michigan, the Auburns and Cords were produced right here in the old plant on the grounds of what is today the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum.
RM Auction’s Fall Auburn Auction 2018
Meanwhile, at the RM Auburn Auction Park, the Fall Auburn Auction 2018 by RM Auctions, August 31-September 2, 2018 will be a premier sale of vintage motorcars, customs and classic muscle cars. Some of the finest classic motorcars will be offered here to the highest bidder.
On Saturday this 1929 Auburn 120 Eight Boattail Speedster sold for $300,000 at the hammer. That was way over the estimated value for this car.Click here to get a review of yesterday’s Fall Auburn Auction 2018.
Every evening in downtown Auburn, the streets near the heart of the city are packed with classic cars from yesteryear. These people are partyers, too. Rock bands in the town center every night and cars all over the streets downtown till the wee hours of the morning. The logo says: “Come celebrate the legacy of the Auburn Automobile Company in Auburn Indiana, where automobile and art converge.” One of the billboards on the way to Auburn says, “It’s not just a car … it’s a Time Machine.”
Fall Auburn Auction 2017 by Auctions America
A 1933 Duesenberg SJ Phaeton, known as the Mexico City Duesenberg was the car with Star Power here at the Fall Auburn Auction 2017 in Auburn, Indiana. This is Auctions America’s flagship event.
Fall Auburn Auction 2017 “Prime Time Saturday”
The “Prime Time Saturday” sale here at the Fall Auburn Auction 2017 was a full seven hours of intense action. It was so mesmerizing that it seemed it was over in just a New York minute. The star of the show was a 1933 Duesenberg SJ Swept Panel Phaeton with body by LaGrande. Late in the afternoon when this beautiful motorcar came across the auction block the first bid was $1 million. We’ve never seen that happen before. The final bid was $2.1 million, and the sale is still in question here this morning. No announcement has been made yet, but it was thought that the seller was still considering the bid. Negotiations continued after the Duesenberg left the auction block. Days after the sale, Auctions America has reported that the Duesenberg SJ sold for $2.3 million.
Another Duesenberg, the 1929 Duesenberg Model J by Fleetwood, the only Duesenberg ever bodied by Fleetwood, sold earlier for $900,000 ($990,000 including the sales commission.)
See the Duesenbergs and many other high profile classics and muscle cars offered on Saturday. (Click on each photo below to find history and appraisal reports.)
1933 Duesenberg SJ Phaeton by LaGrande
Our Cars On Line team is onsite in Auburn to provide live on-the-spot coverage exclusively for our readers. So sit back and enjoy the show. Saturday’s sale saw some of the finest vintage classics and exotic cars in the country passing under the bright lights of the Auctions America stage at the Auctions America Auction Park in Auburn, Indiana. It is the high profile event of the Auburn-Cord-Dusenberg Festival on Labor Day Weekend, August 31-September 3, 2017.
Our Cars On Line Car Show team is in Auburn to cover the show. In case you can’t make it to this year’s show, Auctions America will provide live streaming of the Fall Auburn Auction 2017. There are two auction stages so you have a choice of watching each one individually. Click this link to get started.
The show starts at 10 AM EST each day with a memorabilia auction. Collector vehicles usually begin coming through at about 11 AM, EST. You can also bid online. Just follow this link to register with Auctions America to become a bidder at the Fall Auburn Auction 2017.
The Fall Auburn Auction 2017 will run through Sunday, September 3, 2017. As part of the ever growing activities of the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival, this prime sale of collector cars is getting bigger every year. Auctions America puts on the Auburn Auction every Labor Day weekend. It harkens back to the days when Auburn, Indiana rivaled Detroit as one of the hotspots of the American automotive industry. For a full list of cars and trucks to be auctioned off at the Fall Auburn Auction 2017, follow this link to the Auctions America website.
Here are a few of the great sales from a special collection here on Friday. The actual sales prices blew away the appraisal estimates. (Click each photo to read the history of each car and see the original value estimates.)
1932 Packard Sport 8 Phaeton SOLD for $166,100
Auburn was the headquarters of the Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg motorcar companies. So it is only fitting that this collector car auction is located on the outskirts of this legendary city. The Auctions America Auction Park includes a massive auction arena, auction displays, car show field, swap meet and car corral.
Auctions America’s Fall Auburn Auction Continues Tradition
Auctions America’s Fall Auburn Auction
Auctions America’s Fall Auburn Auction continues a tradition in Auburn, Indiana. Every Labor Day Weekend they hold a huge classic car auction during the Auburn-Cord-Duesnberg Festival.
Cars On Line is in Auburn to provide live on-the-spot coverage exclusively for our readers. So sit back and enjoy the show. Saturday’s sale was the “prime time” event here in Auburn as some of the finest vintage classics and exotic cars in the country were sold here yesterday. Here are some of the top cars sold at the Auburn Auction Park:
1933 Duesenberg Berline by Franay at Auctions America's Fall Auburn Auction
Cars On Line newsletter readers have been getting previews of some of Auctions America’s Fall Auburn Auction cars in the COL newsletter. Our Cars On Line.com team were looking at those prime time cars on Saturday. Click through to our Facebook page for commentary. Our Facebook followers were active in the discussion. Final sales prices have just been listed on the Auctions America website, click this link to research sales prices. Auctions America provided a live stream during the auction so that you could view and hear the auction. Our readers were watching the live stream on their tablets or computers as they discussed the sale on our Facebook page.
Auctions America’s Fall Auburn Auction happens every year on Labor Day Weekend. It is a tradition to have the big auction sale on the same weekend as the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival. This was the 60th year that this Festival in Auburn, Indiana has been held. It’s purpose was to honor the three big motorcar companies which were headquartered here under the guidance of E.L. Cord, the owner and founder of Cord, also owned Auburn Motor Company and the Duesenberg brand. There is so much history here that it is almost like you’ve stepped back in time to experience this festive weekend. Click here to read the story our Cars On Line team wrote about the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival.
The next Auctions America sale will be at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, November 5, 2016, during the Hilton Head Motoring Festival and Concours D’Elegance. Click here for details.
Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival Reunion
Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival … Labor Day
Homecoming in Auburn, Indiana
AUBURN, Indiana, Septemer 5, 2016 — We’re wrapping up our Labor Day Weekend with a tour of the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum here in Auburn, Indiana. The state of Indiana could well have been called the heart of the automotive industry instead of Detroit. If things had gone his way E.L. Cord would have made that happen. His fledling automotive empire here in Auburn never reached the heights of his expectations, but he had his days. The Art Deco new car showroom he built here in Auburn attests to that. Let’s see what we can find inside:
1930 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Convertible Sedan
The offices of E.L. Cord are all intact and even the sales meeting room and board room are maintained as they were back in the day. The most interesting rooms upstairs are the design studios of Gordon Buerhig and Alan Leamy. All of this history unfolds for you as you walk through the same hallways that Cord and his staff did in the 1930s.
Here in the historic automobile capitol of Indiana we know this great Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival is wrapping up after a week of festivities. Each year, this Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival just keeps getting better. The homecoming for all Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg automobiles and their owners is well attended. Our Cars On Line team is on the beat, bringing you the stories and photos from the show.
The weather was perfect for the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival Concours D’Elegance on Saturday morning here in Auburn, Indiana. The Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Festival is in full gear, running August 28-September 5, 2016. Right here at the headquarters of the Auburn Automobile Company, Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs were designed and produced. Today our Cars On Line team captured all the action as classic Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs gathered for the morning concours in Eckhart Park. Then this afternoon they paraded down Jackson Street through downtown Auburn. It was an incredible sight to see. So we thought we’d let you see it here. Click the video window below to view:
That’s what Auburn, Indiana has always been about. The Auburn Automobile Company, which produced Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs, was headquartered here in the middle of town. And on Labor Day Weekend every year all the cars return for their homecoming, the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival. The town is already packed with classic car hobbyists.
Our Cars On Line.com team will be here to cover all the action at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival again this year. It is one of our favorite shows.
1933 Duesenberg Berline by Franay sold on Saturday for $675,000. Click to preview.Meanwhile at the Auburn Auction Park, the Fall Auburn Auction by Auctions America will run September 1-4, 2016. Some of the finest classic motorcars will be on sale here to the highest bidder along with muscle cars, street rods and customs. Click here to get a review of Saturday’s Auctions America Fall Auburn Auction. Bookmark this page and we will post sales prices as soon as they are available. Cars On Line newsletter readers have been getting previews of some of the top cars every week in the newsletter. Our Cars On Line.com team will be bringing you the prime time cars on Sunday. Be sure to watch our Facebook and Twitter pages for updates on what the top cars sell for.
Every evening in downtown Auburn, the streets near the heart of the city are packed with classic cars from yesteryear. The logo says: “Come celebrate the legacy of the Auburn Automobile Company in Auburn Indiana, where automobile and art converge.” One of the billboards on the way to Auburn says, “It’s not just a car … its a Time Machine.”
2016 Auburn Spring Auction by Auctions America
“Prime Time” Saturday At The Auburn Spring Auction …
Join us at the 2016 Auburn Spring Auction by Auctions America this weekend with live coverage of the event right here on this page. You can follow all the auction action here as we invite you to watch the live stream of this event by Auctions America from the Auburn Auction Park in Auburn, Indiana. You can watch the auction via a live stream on your smart phone, tablet or on your computer. Click here to watch right now.
Saturday is “Prime Time” at the 2016 Auburn Spring Auction and we are witnessing an historic sale of important collector vehicles. Hundreds of collector cars are crossing the auction block during this the last day of the auction event. Cars On Line’s roving photo journalist Bob Boberg will be capturing some of today’s event in photos for us. His posts on Twitter and Facebook will cover much of the live action today.
Here are some of the cars we’ll be watching in the Saturday sale here at the 2016 Auburn Spring Auction by Auctions America:
 | 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible Lot # 734 No Reserve – America’s Car, Continental kit, dual exhaust, fender skirts Sold for $51,000 |
 | 1957 Buick Roadmaster Riviera Coupe Lot # 754 From the Wayne Carini Collection Value: $25,000 – $35,000 |
 | 1933 Pierce-Arrow Model 836 Lot # 756 From the Wayne Carini Collection Sold for $48,000 |
 | 1957 Mercury Monarch Lucerne Convertible Lot # 758 Canadian Mercury, tri-toned red/black/white Sold for $41,500 |
 | 1931 Auburn 8-98 Phaeton Lot # 776 Dual Sidemounts, Lycoming Straight 8 Sold for $82,500 |
 | 1970 Pontiac GTO Judge RA III Lot # 777 Hurst 4-speed, console shifter, Orbit Orange Value: $95,000 – $110,000 |
 | 1955 Packard Caribbean Convertible Lot # 784 One of only 500 Caribbeans produced Value: $80,000 – $90,000 |
 | 1948 Nash Ambassador Suburban Woodie Lot # 786 Only 130 built, high quality restoration Sold for $60,000 |
 | 1967 Chevelle Malibu Convertible Lot # 792 We judged this one to be a low No. 3 condition Click here to read our review Sold for $14,000 |
 | 1933 Ford Speedster Lot # 800 Looks just like an Alloway Speedster Sold for $26,500 |
 | 1970 Boss 429 Mustang Lot # 811 Only 16,700 miles, unrestored original Sold for $217,000 |
 | 1968 Shelby GT500 Lot # 813 Reserve was off at $100,000 Sold for $145,000 |
 | 1968 Camaro RS Z/28 Lot # 816 Said to be excellent mechanically, 302, 4-spd, 12-bolt Sold for $39,000 |
 | 1946 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet Lot # 849 1 of 201 cabriolets produced, V-12 Sold for $50,000 |
 | 1953 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible Lot # 853 Sweet car, Rocket 303 ci V8 Sold for $51,000 |
 | 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Sunliner Lot # 857 Exceptional car with one partial repaint Sold for $22,000 |
2014 Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival
Excitement at the 2014 Auburn Fall Festival …
AUBURN, IN–August 31, 2014 – On Saturday evening in prime time a 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ Dual Cowl Phaeton sold for $1,150,000 marking the top sale here at the Auctions America Auction during the 2014 Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival. Auctions America puts on a great show here in Auburn, Indiana each year for the ACD Festival. But this was the most money ever paid for a Duesenberg here. The ACD Festival is a homecoming for Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg owners since Auburn, Indiana was the headquarters for the three auto manufacturers when they combined into one company in 1929. Click here to see more auction photos and a video of the million dollar sale.
Cars On Line.com has been covering the 2014 Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival for its readers this weekend. Yesterday was a whirlwind of activity that started off with a concours d’elegance at Eckhart Park, followed by a great parade with hundreds of the Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs. We also covered the two big auctions held here: the Worldwide Auction at the ACD Museum’s NATMUS building, and the Auctions America Auction at Auburn Auction Park.
On Friday we visited the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Swap Meet adjacent to the Museum. If anyone is looking for authentic Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg or other hard-to-find parts you may need to check out this swap meet. Here is a link to view some of the parts we found at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Swap Meet.
Each year it is a wonderful experience to spend time in Indiana, the birthplace of so many American car companies. When here you must visit the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Museum. I’ve been to a good number of auto museums over the years. This is the best I’ve ever seen.
The ACD Museum is in the very building that E.L. Cord built to house his Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg car company. It still has the original art deco style showroom, while the upper floors are where the spirits of Gordon Buerhig and Alan Leamy still walk through their design studios. All of this history unfolds for you as you walk through the same hallways that Cord and his staff did back in the day.
Just in back of the museam is the home of NATMUS, National Automotive Truck Museum, the organization that is dedicated to the preservation of trucks, tractors, toy replicas and peddle cars. Their successful restoration of the GM Futuliner is legendary. On Saturday, much of the floor space in the NATMUS building will be taken up with displays of cars that are being offered at the Worldwide Auctioneers auction sale to be held on Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, just down the freeway at the Auburn Auction Park, RM’s Auctions America was holding their three-day auction sale of collector cars. The Auctions America sale is highlighted below. On the grounds at the Auction Park there is a car corral and even a swap meet area. If you are a car guy, there is something for everybody here in Auburn, Indiana on Labor Day Weekend.
Follow the links below to review some of the action from last year’s show as we gear up to bring you more photos and videos of the 2014 Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival. Stay tuned to this page all weekend as we will be updating stories and both auctions here in Auburn, Indiana.
 | The Concours in Eckhart Park is something every true vintage motorcar lover must see. We caught photos of some of the great American marques here today. Click here to view what we saw. |
 | For Cars On Line.com the highlight of the Festival is the parade on Jackson Street in downtown Auburn, Indana. Click here to view photos of the parade. |
 | City Square in downtown Auburn, Indiana is full of classic cars on Friday. Click here to see some of the fun through the lens of our photographer. |
 | 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ Dual Cowl Phaeton sells for $1.15 million at the Auctions America Auction. Click here to see our coverage of the Auctions America Collector Car Auction during the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival. |
 | A 1931 Cord L-29 Convertible Sedan was one of the featured cars of the Worldwide Auctioneers sale. It is a tradition here at the Auburn Fall Festival. Click here to see more of this special display of Vintage Motorcars for sale. |
 | Arguably the best automotive museum in the world, the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum is actually housed in the former world headquarters of E.L. Cord’s automobile empire which included Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg motorcars. Click here for the short tour. |