1922 Hupmobile Series R Touring

Robert Craig Hupp had a resume in the automobile industry that included work at Olds, Regal, and Ford. He built his own experimental car in 1908. It was a light two-passenger runabout that was introduced to the public as the Hupmobile Model 20 at the 1909 Detroit Automobile Show. The car was immediately successful and aided in establishing a company that would flourish for years to come.

The company attracted a talented group of individuals that helped with the series production which had begun in 1908. Larger cars were introduced in 1912 with the seven-passenger, 134-inch wheelbase Model N introduced in 1916.

After World War I, the company returned to smaller and lighter car production with the series R, which was its bread-and-butter vehicle that would carry the company into the mid-1920s.

This Series R Hupmobile Five-Passenger Touring car was given a restoration in the early 1990s. It is powered by a four-cylinder L-head engine that displaces 182.5 cubic inches and offers 35 horsepower. There are two-wheel external contracting mechanical drum brakes, a 112-inch wheelbase, and a three-speed selective sliding transmission.

In 2009, this Touring car was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars of Hershey presented by RM Auctions where it was expected to sell for $15,000 - $25,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the lot had been sold for the sum of $15,400, including the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2009