The NATMUS Mission
The National Auto & Truck Museum strives to be a vital community and national center for learning and discovering the heritage of the transportation industry. Our mission is to enrich lives and educate all generations through the preservation and interpretation of the transportation history through the acquisition of buildings, vehicles, artifacts and literature.
NATMUS prides ourselves in exhibiting cars that have been built in the tradition of the Auburn Automobile Company, including postwar cars, concepts cars and trucks, loveable favorites, and trucks ranging from 1907 to modern concept trucks. We recognize the auto & truck heritage of the City of Auburn, the Auburn Automobile Company and the McIntyre Company.
The History of NATMUS
Over 40 years ago, our long-time volunteer Jerry “Muzz” Muzzillo rented the building NATMUS calls home, even before the idea of the museum came to be. The building was in such bad shape originally, it was almost to the point of being torn down. “Muzz” shared that “it was so bad it would rain harder inside the building than it did outside the building”. The trusses were sagging and needed support – there was a lot of work to be done.
Muzz did whatever he could to help the building, recruiting volunteers and using their own resources, time, and energy to save it.
Along the way, volunteer John Martin Smith got the idea to start a museum and founded NATMUS. John took a lot of money out of his own pocket, and also got a loan from the bank, to see what would happen. They didn’t know if it was going to work, but they were passionate enough to give it a try.
Today, the museum showcases a collection of more than 150 classic cars, vintage trucks, and rare prototypes, and every car has a story. Our passionate volunteers continue to keep the museum thriving, and our generous donors help us preserve automotive history.
