Roger Pace, a local realtor from Crown Point, recently added a black 1933 Essex (Hudson) Terraplane 8, the car that was known as the notorious John Dillinger’s favorite car to steal and own, to his classic and antique car collection.
The car was previously owned by the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority and had lived inside the John Dillinger Museum at the Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond since it was purchased in 1996. The museum has since closed its Hammond location and is relocating to the old Crown Point Courthouse in Crown Point.
“Though we are sad the car couldn’t make the move to the new museum, we are very happy that it will remain local,” said Speros A. Batistatos, president and CEO of the South Shore CVA.
Pace’s new Essex Terraplane 8 appeared in the Johnny Depp movie, “Public Enemies.” It can be seen on the DVD in chapter two from 00:12:06 through 00:12:18.
“It was incredibly exciting to acquire a piece of history with the prominence of Dillinger, and that had been in the ‘Public Enemies’ movie,” said Pace.
The auction was hosted at noon on Saturday, May 2. Sen. Rick Niemeyer donated his services as the auctioneer. Despite competing with three other active bidders, Pace’s winning bid of $25,000 secured him a piece of the museum’s history.
“The Terraplane has found a wonderful new home. We are excited at the opportunities the South Shore CVA will have to work with Roger and his company to promote the John Dillinger Museum in the future,” said Batistatos.
For more information on the John Dillinger Museum, visit www.johndillingermuseum.com.
