The Hupmobile

HE UPMOBILE

Hupp Motor Car Corporation, Detroit, Mich.; Cleveland, Ohio

Robert and Louis Hupp, the founders of this company, started with a 2.8-litre 4-cylinder light runabout, with two bucket seats and a bolster tank, distinguished by a 2-speed gearbox. It sold for £750 and was an instant success. It was joined in 1911 by a touring car with three forward speeds and a longer wheelbase of 9ft 2in, listed at only $900. The Model 20 had a 4-cylinder engine with a bore of 3 1/4 inches and a stroke of 3 3/8 inches and was rated at 16 to 20 horsepower. The valves were on the motor’s left side with spark plugs over the inlets and relief cocks over the exhaust. The flywheel also served as a fan, and cars delivered

1909 Model 20 Runabout to ‘hot areas’ were equipped with an extra belt driven fan. The engine was lubricated with a unique Hupp system oil good for a 250 > 300 mile trip. In 1911 Hupp became one of two automakers pioneering the use of all-steel bodies, joining BSA in the United Kingdom. Hupmobile, like Dodge and Chevrolet, adhered to the 4-cylinder side valve unit for many years and made nothing else until 1924, though their cars acquired electric lighting and starting in 1914.

1912 RCH Runabout Sales were good: 12,000 in 1913, and climbing up to 38,000 by 1923. By 1918 a rounded cowl and bonnet line had replaced the original angular configuration and fuel feed was by vacuum from a tank at the rear. Open models were listed at $1,250. Aluminum pistons were featured in 1924 and balloon tyres in 1925, the last year of the four. Interestingly enough, Hupmobile’s 4-litre straight8 appeared in 1925, a year before the first six. It was a conventional machine with contracting Lockheed hydraulic brakes, mechanical actuation being used on the 6-cylinder cars. The company stayed in the medium-price field, sixes selling at $1,295 in 1929, while prices of the M series side valve started at $1,825.

1913 Model 32 Touring Car Page 23

In 1929 Chandler’s plant in Cleveland was acquired and was used for the manufacturing of the less expensive Hupps. Like most of America’s independent makes, the Hupmobile was hit hard by the depression, although sales and production had begun to fall even before the depression in 1930. Sales dropped from 50,374 in 1929 to 17,460 in 1931, although in the next two years, in 1932 and 1933 some very handsome cars were made. A strategy to make the Hupmobile a larger, more expensive car had begun in 1925 with the introduction of an 8cylinder model, followed by the elimination of the 4-cylinder Hupmobile after 1925. 1933 Model K “cyclefender” While aiming for a more lucrative market segment, Hupp turned its back on its established clientele. This was the same mistake that many other medium-priced carmakers made at the same time. In an attempt to capture every possible sale, they offered many different models. With Hupmobile’s low production volume, the result was that no model could be produced in sufficient quantity to achieve economy of scale. In 1934 the Aerodynamic range with three-piece wrap-around windscreens and headlamps faired into the bonnet sides appeared. The aerodynamic cars were made in 4-litre 6-cylinder, and 5-litre straight-8 forms, but sales were poor and the factory closed down halfway through the season. It was reopened, but the 1938 models were of little interest apart from the standardization of automatic overdrive on the eights. Desperate for a return to market strength, in February 1938, Hupmobile acquired the production dies of the discontinued 810/812 Cord series, paying $900,000 for the tooling. Hupmobile tried to stay in business by adapting the body dies to their conventional rear-wheel-drive running gear. Lacking 1938 Model E adequate production facilities, Hupmobile partnered with the ailing Graham-Paige Motor Co. to share the Cord dies. Hupmobile and Graham both sold similar models, all to be built at Graham-Paige’s facilities. While each marque used its own power train, the Graham edition called Hollywood, differed from the Skylark in a few minor details. The Skylarks were built in the Graham factory. Only 319 were produced with the last cars completed in July 1940, but were sold as 1941 models. Hupmobile ceased production in late summer with Graham-Paige in September 1940 also giving up the Auto business.

FROM:THECOMPLETEENCYCLOPEDIA OFMOTORCARS1885TO THEPRESENT(THIRDEDITION PUBLISHED1985) & WIKIPEDIA