Museum Find: 1924 Hupmobile Touring

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Any thought of the “Roaring Twenties” evokes images of flappers, Prohibition, and gangsters, all set to the peculiar sounds of jazz music.  What the decade also produced was millions of automobiles as Americans left the horse behind for good.  One of the more notable makers of the time was the Hupp Motor Car Company.  This 1924 Hupmobile touring car for sale on Craigslist in Manchester Center, Vermont is a good example of the high-quality automobiles this company produced.  Said to be a long-term museum car, this Hupp is in running condition but will need some work to roam the highways reliably.  Is the $14,500 asking price a good deal for an open car of the era that is not a Ford?  Thanks to Gunter K. for this marvelous find!

Hupmobile is a name we don’t hear much anymore.  The company was founded in Detroit, Michigan in 1909.  In an era where everyone seemed to declare themselves a manufacturer, Hupmobile soon established itself as a serious company.  Marketed as an affordable car that was well-built and innovative, sales were good until the Depression hit.  The company moved its product upmarket in hopes of staying afloat.  That decision, and a succession of other ill-advised choices combined with the harsh economic realities of the period all conspired to destroy the company.  After producing a little over 300 of the beautiful Hupp Skylarks in 1939, the production of automobiles came to a stop for good.

Hupp as an automaker reached its apogee in the 1920s.  Production steadily increased during that time, although never reaching Ford or Chevrolet numbers.  Americans were buying cars in impressive numbers, and Hupp had a decent share of the pie.  The problem was a concept called economy of scale.  Ford and General Motors could produce equivalent automobiles at a lower cost.  One of the reasons for this is simply larger buyers can purchase commodities at lower rates.  Buying iron ore by the shipload can help reduce your costs a bit.  So can having a nationwide sales network.  Ford built over one million Model Ts in 1924, mainly because they were cheap and available everywhere.  You can see why it wasn’t long before we had a “Big Three” and little else.  Building good cars wasn’t entirely sufficient for long term survival.

The car you see here is representative of the company’s glory years.  The Model R was introduced in 1917 and was sold until 1925.  During that time, the R received numerous upgrades as technology and market forces advanced.  One has to remember that roads became far more passable and the infrastructure for automobiles was growing exponentially.  Customers demanded, and got, faster and more comfortable cars from manufacturers, or they went out of business.  Unless you were Ford.  Quality and pricing were enough in that case.  However, Ford was not immune.  an early T is an altogether different animal than an early T.

So, for the price of a good Model T, you can get into this Hupmobile.  The ad states that this car is a very original example that spent decades in a small midwestern car museum.  For the most part, it is original, with the upholstery being the major item being replaced.  The good news is that the new upholstery doesn’t look very new anymore.  The top is also likely a replacement, but it too looks rather aged.  We are told that the set of side curtains that go with the car is believed to be the originals.

Under the hood is a 182.5 cubic inch four-cylinder engine that was rated for 16.5 horsepower.  That power was transmitted to the rear wheels through a conventional three-speed transmission.  The car is said to crank up using a temporary fuel source and a thorough fuel system overhaul would be needed.  The seller must have some optimism that the car will run and drive with the proper care, as a new set of tires has been installed.

The ad has been up for 14 days and has the magical word “REDUCED” in all caps at the top.  I guess that Hupmobile fans aren’t beating feverishly on the door at the moment.  With a solid offer, you could get into a very sharp twenties touring car for not a lot of money.  Parts might be an issue, but technology wasn’t too far along in the 1920s.  There are many ways to reproduce parts now that would boggle the minds of this car’s designer.  Hopefully one of you will take a chance on this well-built orphan automobile.  Hupmobiles were good cars in the day, and this one could be a lot of fun to tour with.

Would you take a chance on an orphan to make with little factory support?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Comments

  1. John Eder

    1/4 mile time? 0-60?

    Like 3
    • Big Bear 🇺🇸

      That’s funny 🤣

      Like 4
    • bone

      Its not a ADAM listing

      Like 2
    • Bill Potts

      0-60 time? Forget it, 1/4 mile time maybe an hour?

      Like 1
  2. Kenneth Carney

    Looks like the car William Shatner climbed into in the
    Star Trek episode A Piece Of
    The Action when the gangsters wanted to take him
    for a ride. Even if it was a
    Huppmobile, these pre war cars are dropping in price since the folks who collected
    have either passed on or aged
    out of the hobby and can no
    longer drive or maintain them.
    In today’s world of instant
    gratification, our younger readers wouldn’t want a car
    like this because owning a
    car like this demands your
    total attention while driving
    or maintaining it. Forget about VR or other computer
    generated stuff folks, this car
    is in your face with reality every time you drive it. But still, I wonder what it’s like to
    own a car like this. The price is right but my wallet’s empty
    at the moment. Might make
    a great print though.

    Like 10
    • Christopher S

      Well said. I have a 1952 Citroen Traction Avant with styling that hasn’t changed since 1935. Kids don’t want it. The folks that did, were Euro-centric or quirky enough to appreciate them, like me. It’s an interesting evolution we’re experiencing with technology vs. Vintage cars. I love this, because I have a picture of my grandma and her cousins in one at Yosemite with a Huppmobile in 1922 at the Wawona tree.

      Like 4
      • Jimmy Novak

        It’s Hupmobile, gentlemen, and there’s a large, active Hupmobile club that meets and tours in Hupmobiles. So far the members haven’t needed ramps to attend meets.

        Like 1
    • jam

      I have been hearing people say that since the 80’s. If you find a 32 ford that no one wants please send it my way. All the ones I have found are big money. The people who bought those new are 109 by now.

      Like 2
    • Howard A Howard AMember

      Hi Kenneth, great original Trekkie trivia, of which I enjoy. I read, it was a 1931 Cadillac, and Spocks reply, “Captain, I believe there is something called a clutch”.

      Like 1
  3. Andy Anderson

    My parents had a Hupmobile roadster(?) that they sold just before the start of WWII. My favorite part, the rumble seat, wonder what the afeyt folks would think of that concept now? Also wooden spoked wheels!!!

    Like 2
  4. TheOldRanger

    Wish I had the money and the space, I’ve always liked these older cars… they have a class that a lot of newer cars don’t have. I realize that it would take a bit to clean this up, but it sure would be fun to drive in a more leisurely situation.

    Like 8
  5. dogwater

    Should have left it in the Museum days gone by

    Like 3
  6. Steve FeldMember

    Check out the Hot Jazz era – nothing peculiar about the music, ten years of fun and lively masterpieces. Listen to SORRY (1928) and SHAKE THAT THING (1926).

    Like 2
  7. Kenn

    Cars like this are fun to drive, always engender smiles and waves, aren’t really maintenance hogs, do require attentive driving which is part of the fun of owning them. No computers to go bad, so easy to repair when necessary. Probably won’t get the ask, though it’s not out of line.

    Like 2

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