1911 Hupmobile Model 20

Robert Craig Hupp was born on June 2nd, 1887, in Grand Rapids, MI. In 1902, Robert began working for Olds Motors. In 1906 he joined Ford Motor Company where he gained knowledge in many automotive areas. In 1908 he left Ford. With his brother Louis, he began seeking financial backing, rented a factory at 345 Bellevue Avenue in Detroit, and began creating a demo vehicle. By 1909, the Hupmobile was created. It was first shown to the public at the Detroit Auto Show. The vehicle was a two-seater roadster with an 86-inch wheelbase. The $750 sticker price included the 17-horsepower four-cylinder engine and sliding gear transmission.

In its introductory year, over 1500 examples were produced. In 1910, production increased by more than 5000. Hupp understood the need to continue to invest in machinery, technology, and factories. He began investing heavily, to the point that his financial backers became nervous. They did not agree that the company should be overextended. This issue escalated to the point that in 1911, Robert Hupp sold his stock in the Hupp Motor Car Company and began pursuing another automobile production venture. A court order by the purchasers of the stock prevented Robert and Louis from using the Hupp name on any new gasoline automobile.

This 1911 Hupmobile has a legendary history, one that began the moment it rolled off the factory floor on November 3rd, 1910. Driven by two Hupp employees, this vehicle traversed 48,600 miles, and 26 countries in eighteen months' time. It was by far one of the longest journeys to date undertaken by anyone vehicle and the first to travel around the world. A reporter from the Detroit Free Press accompanied Joseph Drake and Thomas Hanlon on this historic journey. The car was a standard open touring car without any special equipment. It managed to make the journey with very few brake downs, the most serious being a broken rear axle shaft.

The roads in the early 1900s were often very poor. The vehicle went through all types of terrain including jungles, deserts, swamps, and mountains. It endured extreme heat and extreme colds.

Upon their return on January 24, 1912, the journey was over and the car had proven its potential. Unfortunately, the Hupp Motor Corporation lost its founder and many employees followed. The company had changed considerably during those two years. The company continued to produce automobiles with the help of acquisitions and mergers and endured some difficult times in history, including World Wars and Stock Market Crashes. But in 1940 the company collapsed.

This car still has slogans and other indications adorned on the side of its journey.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2006