Hupmobile
Bobby Hupp co-founded the Hupp Motor Car Company in 1909 with Charles Hastings. Hastings contributed the first US$8,500 toward manufacturing efforts. Investors J. Walter Drake and Joseph Drake joined them shortly after. Edwin Denby and John Baker also became part of the founding group. Drake was elected president while Hupp served as vice president and general manager. Emil Nelson arrived from Oldsmobile to serve as chief engineer. The company secured $25,000 in cash deposits at an automobile show that same year. This capital allowed them to begin building the Model 20. They started production in a small building located at 345 Bellevue Avenue in Detroit. By the end of 1909 they had produced 500 vehicles. Production jumped to over 5,000 units during the 1910 model year.
Hale & Kilburn Company in Philadelphia helped develop all-metal bodies for the Hupp 32. Edward Budd worked there as general manager alongside engineer Joseph Ledwinka. They devised a system where steel stampings were welded together by hand. Angle iron supports held these subassemblies together before shipping. Bodies traveled by rail to Detroit for final assembly and painting. No one thought to patent this process when it happened in 1911. Budd and Ledwinka left Hale & Kilburn to form their own manufacturing company later. Ledwinka filed for a patent on the process in 1914 but lost a lawsuit. The court ruled the art had become public property through earlier production. Several thousand all-steel touring cars were made before Nelson resigned in 1912. Hupmobile returned to conventional body assembly processes after his departure.
Carl Wickman used an unsold seven-passenger model to transport miners in Hibbing, Minnesota. This vehicle became the foundation for what would be known as Greyhound Lines. DuBois Young took over as president of the company in 1924. Sales reached over 65,000 units by 1928. Hupp purchased Chandler-Cleveland Motors Corporation to handle increased demand. They acquired seven acres at Mt. Elliott and Milwaukee for a new factory. The plant opened in late April 1912. This facility was eventually demolished during site clearance for General Motors operations. Hupp competed strongly against Ford and Chevrolet throughout these years. The company introduced an eight-cylinder model in 1925 to target more lucrative markets. They eliminated four-cylinder models after that same year.
Sales and production began falling even before the Great Depression started in 1930. Squabbles among stockholders and an attempted hostile takeover in 1935 damaged the business. By 1936 the company had to sell some plants and assets. Manufacturing suspended entirely in 1937 due to financial struggles. A new line of six- and eight-cylinder cars appeared for 1938 but sales remained low. Hupmobile had very few dealers left by this time. Desperate for market strength they acquired Cord 810 production dies on the 8th of February 1938. The company paid US$900,000 for the tooling. Enthusiastic orders came in by the thousands initially. Production delays soon soured customer support despite early excitement.
Hupp turned to Raymond Loewy to design its 1932 Model K roadster. This flashy vehicle performed well at the track though sales continued declining. A striking restyle called Aerodynamic arrived in 1934 under Loewys direction. Lower-priced series 417-W used modified Ford bodies built by J W Murray. Hupmobile abandoned its more conservative product lines during these years. They introduced fresh-air car heaters with the Evanair-Conditioner system. Free wheeling devices equipped their vehicles as one of the first U.S. automakers. These technical innovations aimed to keep them competitive in a shrinking market. The Skylark nameplate later inspired Lincoln Continental grilles in the 1940s.
Hupmobile partnered with Graham-Paige Motor Co. due to inadequate facilities. Both marques shared Cord dies while building similar models at Graham-Paige plants. Each marque used its own power train throughout production. The Graham edition called Hollywood differed from the Skylark in minor details. Deliveries of the Hupmobile Skylark finally began in 1939. Most orders had been canceled by that time after years of delays. Production lasted only a couple of months before stopping completely. Only 319 Skylarks were produced before the line ended. Graham-Paige suspended production shortly after the last Hupmobile rolled off the line. The company ceased operations in late summer of that year.
Eric Wickman tried establishing a dealership but could not sell cars so he started transporting miners. This effort founded Greyhound Lines using one of the original vehicles. The National Football League was created at Ralph Hay's Hupmobile dealership in Canton, Ohio. This event took place in 1920 when the league formed. Buick picked up the Skylark name for convertible and coupe models starting in 1953. A midsize model carried the nameplate from 1961 through 1973. A compact version used it from 1975 until 1998. The Omaha Nebraska dealership remains a prominent historic landmark today. The Washington D.C. building now serves as the H Street Playhouse. Their heater technology became widely adopted throughout the automotive industry.
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Common questions
Who co-founded the Hupmobile company in 1909?
Bobby Hupp and Charles Hastings co-founded the Hupmobile Motor Car Company in 1909. Investors J. Walter Drake, Joseph Drake, Edwin Denby, and John Baker joined the founding group shortly after.
When did Hupmobile production stop completely?
Hupmobile ceased operations entirely in late summer of 1939. Production had lasted only a couple of months before stopping due to canceled orders and delays.
How many Hupmobile Skylarks were produced before the line ended?
Only 319 Skylarks were produced before the model line ended. Deliveries finally began in 1939 but most orders had been canceled by that time.
Where was the first Hupmobile factory located?
The company started production in a small building at 345 Bellevue Avenue in Detroit. A new plant opened on Mt. Elliott and Milwaukee in late April 1912.
What historical event originated from a Hupmobile dealership?
The National Football League formed in 1920 at Ralph Hay's Hupmobile dealership in Canton, Ohio. Eric Wickman also used an unsold seven-passenger model to transport miners which founded Greyhound Lines.