PHOTO CREDIT: Durant Motor Car donation to the Muncie Police Department at 115 E. Adams, 1924. Image courtesy of Ball State University's Bracken Archive and Special Collections.
Before Henry Ford revolutionized automobile manufacturing with the invention of the Model T, cars were built by hand in small independent factories. Around the time of World War I, Indiana boasted more than 150 such factories, several of which were located in Muncie, including the Inter-State and Riber-Lewis companies. General Motors arrived in Muncie to build the classic Sheridan and Durant automobiles in the early 1900s. As the 20th century rolled on, a significant percentage of Muncie’s industrial output became centered around automobile manufacturing. Companies like Borg-Warner (founded in Muncie as Warner Gear in 1901) and Chevrolet, which built the famous “Muncie 4-Speed” transmission, opened massive plants within the city. Many small manufacturers also opened shops to supply parts to the ever-expanding auto industry. “Car culture” also extended beyond the factory floor, with weekly cruises down Madison Street in the late 1950s, as well as the founding of Muncie Dragway in 1960 and the arrival of both drive-in restaurants and theaters. The closure of Borg Warner in 2009 marked the end of Muncie’s vibrant era of auto making.
Muncie Chevrolet, circa 1970
Photo courtesy Ball State University's Bracken Archive and Special Collections.
Warner Gear Company gear
Photo courtesy Ball State University's Bracken Archive and Special Collections.
Star automobile outside of the Durant Motor Factory in 1922.
Photo courtesy Ball State University's Bracken Archive and Special Collections.