I have an appreciation for classic cars. Growing up on the south side of Indy, Saturday nights meant a trip to The Suds 1950s-era drive-in restaurant. Riveting rides. Revving engines. And really good tenderloins.
Who would have guessed that years later, I’d write about Indiana’s auto history for the current issue of BizVoice® magazine? The story also covers another of the state’s manufacturing legacies: steelmaking.
Gary, Indiana
In telling the story, we bring four knowledgeable and passionate voices to the (round)table … and to the early 1900s. Back when automakers like Studebaker and Auburn Cord Duesenberg were fueling change and steelmaking was firing up.
Read the story. But first, check out these insights not included in the article:
Marsh Davis, president, Indiana Landmarks: “We need to bear in mind that there were over 400 different auto manufacturers in Indiana. Some of them were in very small communities that were much less connected to the larger industrial forces in the world.”
Micah Pollak, associate professor of economics, Indiana University Northwest: “Even today, I see all this talk about new (steel) manufacturing jobs and ‘this manufacturer is moving to the region.’ But what we’re really manufacturing today is just a fraction of what it was in northwest Indiana historically – and it’s a fraction of all the jobs here today.”
Can’t get enough Hoosier history? We break it down decade by decade on a variety of business topics in BizVoice Digital.
Symone Skrzycki is the senior communications manager for the Indiana Chamber. She is also a senior writer for the Chamber’s award-winning BizVoice magazine and has been with the organization for 19 years.