Connersville, IN: Auburn Assembly Plant

(Satellite, the Whitewater Canal used to go along the east side of the industrial park.) 

The original plant was in Auburn, IN. 

Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum posted (source)
In this 1928 photo, U.S. Army servicemen pose with a line of 1928 Auburn 8-88 sedans at the Connersville, Indiana assembly plant. It is unclear as to why they are posing, whether it is for promotional purposes or perhaps to show support to the U.S. Army. This photo is courtesy of the museum archives.
Angelo Van Bogart I presented John Adams-Graf, the editor of Military Vehicles Magazine, with this photo; his reply is as follows: The "W" number is part of the Army's registration number designating "War Department". The W was added to vehicle registration numbers in 1929. It was dropped in 1944. And yes, a block of them would have been assigned to the Factory when the contract was awarded. Generally, they are sequential. 

They look like they are part of the "Standardized Fleet" that the Quartermaster Corps began to develop in 1928. The fleet was introduced in 1932 after extensive orders and testing. The vehicles in the "STANDARDIZED Fleet" tended to be equipped with chrome radiator shells and headlamps. 
The fleet, though, was principally trucks organized in five classes, I through V. The smallest were 1-1/4-ton. This might mean the cars were NOT part of the fleet.
Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum Thank you to you and Mr. Adams-Graf for this information. It is definitely something that we will add to the information and knowledge behind this photo. The 1928 Auburn 8-88 weighed in just over 3,500lbs, but they are not trucks as mentioned. Also, that would make sense with the W-numbers on the fronts of the cars. It is possible that this photo is from 1929 featuring the 1928 Auburns.

Historic-Structures
1945 Aerial View
Auburn bought the facilities of the Lexington Automobile Company in 1927.
[The Whitewater Canal ran between llinois Avenue and the former Big Four tracks.]