Scads of Studes in South Bend

South Bend, Indiana, is the birthplace of Studebaker: first the blacksmith shop, then the wagon company, and finally the manufacturer of some of America’s most iconic automobiles. Rolling into South Bend, I was stoked to see the new digs of the Studebaker National Museum, which left its drafty old building on the fringes of town and joined up with the Northern Indiana Center for History back in 2005. Many of the old Studebaker plant buildings are still standing today, but (sadly) are being claimed by homeless squatters and gutted by copper-scrappers. At least now the cars are safe, and I have to say that the setup in the new museum building is stunning. While a couple of the mannequin displays are a little intrusive if you want to get clear shots of the cars, the layout is otherwise perfect and the lighting really shows off the vehicles to advantage. If you’re ever anywhere near South Bend, the Studebaker National Museum is a must-see.