South Bend, Indiana — Before Detroit became known as “Motor City,” northern Indiana was already helping shape the future of the automobile. The Studebaker National Museum’s newest special exhibition, Motor City, Indiana, which runs through January 31, 2027, telling the remarkable story of the entrepreneurs, inventors, workers, and manufacturers who transformed the St. Joseph River Valley into one of America’s earliest automotive centers.

Featuring rare automobiles, historic artifacts, and photographs, the exhibition traces the rise of automobile manufacturing in South Bend, Mishawaka, and Elkhart during the industry’s formative years. Visitors will discover how the region’s carriage-building expertise, skilled workforce, railroad connections, and entrepreneurial spirit created the ideal environment for dozens of pioneering automobile companies to flourish.

Among the exhibition’s highlights are exceptionally rare automobiles built in northern Indiana, including a 1907 Tincher, 1909 Sterling, 1911 Pratt-Elkhart, 1911 Amplex, 1920 Studebaker Light Six, and 1928 Elcar. Together, these vehicles showcase the remarkable innovation that characterized the industry’s earliest decades, when engineers experimented with engines, braking systems, transmissions, and other technologies that helped define the modern automobile.

Beyond the automobiles themselves, Motor City, Indiana, explores the people who built them. The exhibition examines how thousands of immigrant workers helped fuel the region’s industrial growth while creating vibrant neighborhoods, churches, schools, and businesses that continue to shape northern Indiana today.

“The story of Indiana’s automotive heritage is about far more than one company,” said Kyle Sater, Curator of the Studebaker National Museum. “While Studebaker remains the state’s best-known automotive manufacturer, dozens of innovative companies called northern Indiana home. Their successes, failures, and technological achievements helped lay the foundation for one of America’s most important industries while transforming our communities into manufacturing centers.”

The exhibition concludes by examining how the rapid consolidation of the automobile industry and the Great Depression brought an end to many of these pioneering manufacturers.

This exhibition is part of the Museum Campus’ celebration of America250, where local stories meet national history in a year of must-see exhibitions and experiences. From the people and moments that shaped our region to the machines that put Indiana on the automotive map, discover how this community helped define the American story. Learn more at: studebakermuseum.org/america-250/

This exhibition was made possible thanks to The JBS Collection and Steven Haines.

Motor City, Indiana, is included with regular Museum admission. The Studebaker National Museum is located at 201 Chapin St., just west of downtown South Bend. 

It is open Mon.-Sat., 10am-5pm, and Sun. Noon–5pm. Admission is $13 for adults, $11 for seniors over 60, and $9 for youth ages 6-17. Campus Admission, which includes The History Museum, is $20 for adults, $17 for seniors over 60, and $14 for youth ages 6-17. For an additional cost, visitors can tour The History Museum, which adjoins the Studebaker National Museum.

For more information, please call the Museum at (574) 235-9714 or toll free at (888) 391-5600 or visit our website at studebakermuseum.org.