1913 Hupmobile Model 32

The Hupmobile Company produced automobiles from 1909 through 1941 and prior to building automobiles on his own, Robert Craig Hupp had worked at Olds, Ford, and Regal. The company's earliest model was the Model 20 priced at $750, rested on an 86-inch wheelbase platform, and was powered by a little four-cylinder engine rated at nearly 17 horsepower. The sliding gear transmission and high-tension magneto were features not typically seen on a lower-priced model. The general public was introduced to the Hupmobile at the Detroit Auto Show in February of 1909, who agreed with its sharp styling, and a total of 1,618 units were bought and sold that year. A year later, production had risen to 5,340 and in 1911 the company sold 6,079 vehicles.

Hupmobile used the 86-inch wheelbase platform through 1913, having been joined in 1912 by a 106-inch wheelbase model known as the Model 32. Its four-passenger Torpedo Touring body style was priced at $900 and its four-cylinder engine delivered 32 horsepower. The horsepower output of the Model 20 had increased in 1910 to 20 horsepower, and the following year the list of body styles grew to include a two-passenger torpedo, a four-passenger tourer, and a four-passenger coupe with prices of $850, 900, and $1,100 respectively.

Hupmobile's 1913 model year lineup included the Model 20-C, the Model 20-E, and the Model 32. The Model 20-C was a two-passenger runabout built atop an 86-inch wheelbase, priced at $750, and powered by a 20-horsepower, four-cylinder engine. The Model 20-E was also a 20-horsepower model but with a roadster body style, a price of $850, and a larger wheelbase size of 110 inches.

Two wheelbase sizes were offered on the 1913 Model 32 including 106- and 126-inch sizes. The 32-horsepower four-cylinder engine was backed by a three-speed manual transmission with reverse. Stopping power was via an internal expanding transmission brake with rear-wheel external expanding brakes. The suspension used semi-elliptic leaf springs at the front and rear. The five-passenger tourer, two-passenger roadster, and the coupe used the smaller 106-inch wheelbase while the six-passenger tourer rested on the 126-inch platform. The 5-passenger tourer and the roadster were priced at $975, the coupe at $1,350, and the 6-passenger tourer was $1,175.

Hupmobile produced 12,543 vehicles in 1913. The Model 32 would remain part of the Hupmobile lineup through 1915 and in both 1914 and 1915, the only available platform was the 106-inch wheelbase. Its 32-horsepower engine remained consistent through the end.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2022