AUBURN - The big news Saturday out of Kruse Auction Park wasn't that auction sales were up over last year, or that a 1929 Duesenberg J-394 Rollstson convertible Victoria failed to sell. "The announcement that the Early Ford V-8 Foundation is planning on building a new museum in Auburn is by far the biggest, most important event," said Dean V. Kruse, owner of Kruse International. Kruse interrupted the Auburn Spring Motorfair bidding in both auction arenas shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday to announce the coming of a new museum to the Classic City. The Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum will be built on a two-acre site in the Dean V. Kruse Foundation's American Heritage Village, across from and to the north of the World War II Victory Museum and Kruse Automotive & Carriage Museum. Kruse introduced Jerry Vincentini, a member of the Early Ford V-8 Foundation's board of directors, and Auburn Mayor Norman Yoder. Both spoke briefly before the auction continued. According to Kruse, the Ford V-8 Museum is the first of what he expects to be many additional museums coming to Auburn. "Nobody wanted to be the first to make a commitment," Kruse said. "This is going to release a logjam, and I expect there to be three or four more announcements like it in the next six months." Kruse and Vincentini both acknowledged the efforts of Yoder and Richard Martin, executive director of the DeKalb County Visitors Bureau, in convincing the Ford V-8 Museum to build in Auburn. Vincentini said the foundation was created by the Early Ford V-8 Club of America in 1991 as a nonprofit, educational organization dedicated to preserving the 1932-1953 Ford V-8 history. The foundation has a growing collection of memorabilia presently located in museums in California, Florida and Illinois with which it has working agreements to display and store its collection. The Early Ford V-8 CLUB has put up $25,000 toward the building, and the foundation has mounted fundraising efforts to finance the building. Vincentini said the Kruse Foundation discounted the value of the land for the building, which his group greatly appreciated. "We are pleased to be a part of the complex, and of the Auburn community," Vincentini said. "I have been involved with the ACD Festival for a lot of years, and we believe Auburn has the ability to bring in thousands of people each year."

AUBURN - About 100 car enthusiasts have pre-registered for the Early Ford V-8 Foundation and Museum's Motorfest which officially kicks off Thursday morning with a tour of the Hoosier Air Museum.
The Early Ford V-8 Foundation and Museum will be locating in the Classic City, with the construction of a museum in the Dean Kruse American Heritage Village. The building will be north of the World War II Victory Museum, and the Kruse Automotive & Carriage Museum.
Jerry Vincentini, a member of the Early Ford V-8 Foundation's board of directors, said the board will meet while in Auburn in hopes of deciding on a construction schedule.
The foundation was created by the Early Ford V-8 Club of America in 1991 as a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to preserving 1932-1953 Ford V-8 history. The foundation has a growing collection of memorabilia presently located in museums in California, Florida and Illinois, with which it has working agreements to display and store its collection. Dean Kruse announced in May, 2004 that he had agreed to sell two acres to the Early Ford V-8, Foundation, saying it would be the first of many museums coming to Auburn.
The MotorFest is headquartered in the Comfort Suites hotel, but participants also are staying at LaQuinta and Holiday Inn Express. Participants are expected to begin arriving tonight. Vincentini said he expects 50 to 60 cars - some driven and some arriving on trailers, to be in Auburn through Saturday.
One car, a 1953 Mercury, arrived Tuesday from Arizona, he noted. The car was driven the entire distance of nearly 2,000 miles. Following the Thursday morning excursion to the air museum, the MotorFest schedule calls for a visit to the Kruse museums from 2 to 5 p.m., followed by a welcoming barbecue near the future foundation museum's site.