Million-dollar classic cars will roar down the runway of Kendallville Municipal Airport in a first-of-its-kind event Friday, Sept. 3.

Owners of 1930s-era Duesenbergs will test their powerful cars on a quarter-mile course set up on the airport's runway.

The public will be invited to watch the Ab Jenkins Memorial Duesenberg Exhibition of Speed and Stinson Fly-in. The admission fee is expected to be $10.

The national Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club is staging the event, along with the ACD Festival and financial sponsor Interstate Batteries.

The event's name honors Ab Jenkins, who test-drove Duesenberg cars in the 1920s and 1930s, setting several world records for speed. With massive engines capable of 90 mph in second gear, Duesenbergs were considered the fastest and most expensive cars of their time.

In each speed exhibition, two of the classic cars will run side-by-side. Organizers are hoping up to 50 Duesenbergs will come to Kendallville for the chance to run their cars wide open.

Plans include a fly-in for vintage Stinson Airplanes. Their manufacturer shared ownership with Auburn Automobile Co., which built Duesenberg, Auburn and Cord automobiles in the 1920s and 1930s.

The activities will take place during the ACD Festival, which fills Auburn with classic cars and their admirers every Labor Day weekend.

The speed exhibition grew out of the ACD Club's goal of attracting at least 50 Duesenbergs to this year's festival for "The Year of the Duesenberg."

The festival competes for Duesenbergs with more than 100 other concours d'elegance car shows, said Dr. John Baeke of Kansas, chairman of the ACD Club meet.

"What's needed is something that is so different than any car show has ever done, and thus was born the concept of a gentleman's drag race," Baeke said.

Inspiration came from watching Duesenberg drivers rev their engines and accelerate for brief stretches in the annual Parade of Classics at the ACD Festival.

"The crowd loves it. The owners love it, so if that's what they all enjoy doing, the thought was: Let's capitalize on that part of the event," Baeke said.

The event will not recognize winners. Duesenberg owners will receive trophies simply for participating. Racing experts from the Sports Car Club of America will time the cars, however.

"The Duesenberg owners can drive at whatever speed their nerve or their pocketbook can tolerate," Baeke said. "If they choose to drive 15 mph, God love you. If they choose to drive 85 mph, God really love you. We don't care. It's not a drag race, per se. There will be no tire burnouts."

Duesenberg owners also could park their cars at the airport for display only.

However, Baeke said, "I can't fathom that anybody who is going to drive from Auburn to Kendallville in a police escort is then not going to want to drive another quarter-mile" on the runway in the exhibition.

Duesenbergs will depart from Auburn at 1 p.m. on the day of the event. On the way to Kendallville, they will drive across the stage at the new Classical Events Auction south of Waterloo.

The auction company will sponsor a coloring contest for children. Four children will win rides to Kendallville in Duesenbergs.

Owners of classic Auburns and Cords also will drive their cars to Kendallville to watch the event. Organizers expect at least 200 of those cars to gather at the airport, but they will not drive on the runway.

Vintage aircraft coming for the event will land at 2 p.m. Baeke said he is hoping for up to three Stinsons and is negotiating for an appearance by a vintage B-25 bomber.

Duesenbergs then will be parked on the runway for a photograph from a fire department aerial truck. A poster with that photo will be available for purchase the next morning, Baeke said.

Duesenbergs will begin driving on the runway at 3 p.m. The event will conclude at 7 p.m.

Baeke said the exhibition is planned as a one-time occurrence.

"This is truly an event of historic proportions that will be happening (in) 2010 and probably only 2010," he said.