1925 Hupmobile Model R

Prior to forming the Hupp Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, Robert Craig Hupp worked at Olds, Ford, and Regal. Founded in 1908 by Robert and Louis Hupp, the company was in operation for 32 years, during which time they produced a wide variety of cars. The Hupmobile Model 20 was introduced in February of 1909 at the Detroit Automobile Show and was priced at $750. It was powered by a four-cylinder, four-stroke engine offering under 20 horsepower and backed by a two-speed sliding-gear transmission. A total of 1,618 examples were built in its inaugural year. Larger cars followed by 1912, and in 1916 the seven-passenger Model N became available, resting on a 134-inch wheelbase. By the close of World War I, Hupp Motor Car Company had returned to its roots with the small Series R, which would be its mainstay into the mid-1920s. Sales rose from 13,626 in 1921 to over 34,160 vehicles in 1922. Nearly 38,300 were built the following year.

The early cars were tailored for the entry-level market, competing along the lines of the Ford Model T. In the mid-1920s, Hupmobile products were tailored toward more wealthy customers with the introduction of a new eight-cylinder engine.

For the 1925 model year, Hupmobile's products could be purchased either with the well-known and proven four-cylinder motor or the upscale and significantly more powerful L-head inline eight-cylinder engine. The engine offered higher RPMs than others at the time, generating as much as 60 horsepower. The eight-cylinder models cost around $700 more than their four-cylinder counterparts. Four-wheel hydraulic brakes and balloon tires were also available on the higher-priced Hupmobiles.

37,287 Hupmobiles were sold in 1925. The Model R-14 (and R-15) had a 115-inch wheelbase and a four-cylinder engine offering nearly 40 horsepower. Those built between August 1924 and June 1925 were R-14s; the last 4,000 cars, through the end of July, were designated R-15. The Model E-1 came with an eight-cylinder engine and a 118.25-inch wheelbase. Both models could be purchased as a roadster, tourer, coupe, and sedan. A club Sedan was also available in the Model R.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2020