HUPMOBILE

Hupp Motor Car Co. (1909-1915)

Hupp Motor Car Corp. (1915-1941)

Detroit, Michigan

This is a Hupmobile radiator emblem (1916-1917)     mjs
Size: 63mm diameter   MM: None

Robert Craig Hupp introduced his 16.9 hp four-cylinder Hupmobile Model 20 in 1909. It was a neat little two-passenger runabout and was a success with 1,618 cars sold in 1909, 5,340 in 1910 and 6,079 in 1911. Robert C. Hupp left the company in 1911 following an internal dispute and went on to make the R.C.H. (see R.C.H.) and the Hupp-Yeats (see Hupp-Yeats) and, when these failed, he tried again with the Monarch (see Monarch).

Meanwhile, Hupmobile went from success to success. The more powerful Model 32 was introduced in 1912 and nearly 12,000 were built in 1913. In 1912 Hupp produced some light delivery vans using their passenger car chassis. In 1915 the company was reorganized as Hupp Motor Car Corporation with a new management.

Hupp introduced a 60 hp straight eight in 1925 and a six-cylinder model in 1926. In 1928 there was a new updated styling and sales leapt to 65,862 cars but fell in the next year. Even before the stock market crash, the company was in trouble. Attempts were made to increase interest in the Hupmobile by introducing the aerodynamic Hupmobiles in 1934 but at the same time there was a battle for control inside the company.

Production was suspended in late December 1935 and there was a scramble to try to bring in new models at low production cost, including the use of discarded Cord dies to make a Skylark model to be built by Graham-Paige. These efforts did not work. Graham-Paige was in trouble too and could not afford the financing needed to change the tools for production and Hupp had no money to pay Graham-Paige for all the 319 Skylarks they had built in 1940, the last of which were sold in 1941. It was the end of Hupp as a motor car manufacturer.

Emblems

The first Hupmobiles did not carry a radiator emblem but did display the Hupmobile name on a brass script attached to the radiator core, see examples below:

This is a Hupmobile Model 20 showing a radiator script (1910)   gcm

This is a Hupmobile radiator script (1909-1914)   mjs
Size: 280mm wide

A rather different version of the Hupmobile radiator script is shown below, although there is some doubt as to its authenticity.

This is a Hupmobile showing a radiator script (1914)   ms

This is a Hupmobile radiator script (1914)   ms

The first radiator tank top emblem is reported to have been a small brass emblem made for the Hupmobile Model M and used from 1912 to 1915. An example of this Hupmobile radiator emblem is shown below. Reproductions of this emblem were made for Hupmobile club members. A proven original emblem of this design would be ultra rare.

This may be the first Hupmobile radiator emblem (1912-1915)   ms
Size: 38mm diameter 12mm thick   MM: None

The first enamel Hupmobile radiator emblem appeared in 1913 on the Hupmobile Model 32-H and is rare, see example below:

This is a Hupmobile radiator emblem (1913-1915)    mjs
Size: 85mm wide 38mm high    MM: Greenduck (also found marked Whitehead & Hoag)

There are reproductions of the emblem shown above, so beware, but the reproduction emblem has a pressed reverse image on the back and a threaded stud, whereas the original emblem has a flat back and carries a makers mark.

There is a version of this emblem with black letters used on Hupmobile Models K and N for the 1915 and 1916 model years respectively, see example below. This Hupmobile radiator emblem is very rare.

This is a Hupmobile radiator emblem (1915-1916)       jbc
Size: 85mm wide 38mm high     MM: Whitehead & Hoag

The Hupmobile radiator emblem was changed completely in 1916, when the more familiar "H" appeared on the emblem, initially with a wavy style to the letter "H". The examples shown at the top of this post and below are slightly different but both are original, scarce emblems:

This is a Hupmobile radiator emblem (1916-1917)   mjs
Size: 64mm diameter    MM: Robbins (also Whitehead & Hoag)

In 1918, the style of the letter "H" was straightened and the name "Hupmobile" was placed on the cross bar, see examples below. Variations of this emblem were used from late 1917 to about 1925.

The Hupmobile Model R radiator emblem shown below was used from late 1917 to early 1918 and is rare.

This is a Hupmobile Model R radiator emblem (late 1917-early 1918)    rcc
Size: 52mm diameter    MM: Unknown

The Hupmobile Model R radiator emblem shown below with the words "Reg. U.S. Pat. Off." appeared in late 1918 and was used until 1925. This emblem design was also used as a hub cap center for the Hupmobile Model E-1 with wood and disc wheel but was painted and had no enamel.

This is a Hupmobile Model R radiator emblem (late 1918-1925)    mjs
Size: 52mm diameter    MM: None (also found marked D L Auld)

The following Hupmobile radiator emblem is a rare prototype emblem and has not been seen on a Hupmobile car.

This is believed to be a prototype Hupmobile radiator emblem     mjs
Size: 52mm diameter     MM: Unknown

The unusual Hupmobile emblem shown below is a mystery.  If you know when and where this Hupmobile emblem was used, please let me know in order to update this post.

This Hupmobile emblem has not been identified (dates unknown)    mjs
Size: 51mm diameter    MM: Unknown

A new emblem design appeared in 1925 for the eight-cylinder Hupmobile Model E, as shown below:

This is a Hupmobile Model E radiator emblem (1925-1928)    mjs
Size: 54mm diameter    MM: Unknown

The Hupmobile Model E also had a script attached to the radiator core, see example below:

This is a Hupmobile Model E radiator script (1925-1928)   mjs
Size: 190mm wide 

A revised version of the Hupmobile radiator emblem was used in 1926 for the six-cylinder Model A, see example below:

This is a Hupmobile Model A radiator emblem (1926)    mjs
Size: 45mm diameter    MM: Unknown

In 1927, the emblem was changed again by the addition of the number "6", see example below:

This is a Hupmobile Model A radiator emblem (1927)    mjs
Size: 45mm diameter    MM: D L Auld

The Hupmobile Model A also carried a small script on the radiator core, see example below. There is also a version of this script finished with white enameled letters and black enameled bars joining the letters. The enamel finished version is rare.

This is a Hupmobile Model A radiator script (1926-1927)    mjs
Size: 175mm wide

There was a complete change of radiator emblem design in 1928. For the eight-cylinder Model M Hupmobile the new radiator emblem was rectangular with an "H" entwined with an "8". There are two sizes of this emblem both of which are scarce, see below:

This is a Hupmobile Model M radiator emblem (1928-1929)    mjs
Size: 53mm high 36mm wide    MM: Unknown

This is a Hupmobile Model M spare disc wheel cover emblem (1928-1929)    mjs
Size: 79mm high 38mm wide      MM: None

The radiator emblem for Hupmobile Models A & S was also changed in 1928 to a design incorporating a large "H" with a shield behind and a castle motive at the bottom, see below:

This is a Hupmobile radiator emblem for Models A & S (1928-1932)   mjs
Size: 72mm high 31mm wide   MM: D L Auld

A different radiator emblem design was introduced in 1930 for Hupmobile Models C, H and U, incorporating the emblem design shown above but reduced in size and placed in a double inverted triangular shape. This emblem used different colors for each model, as shown below:

This is a Hupmobile Model C radiator emblem (1930-1933)    mjs
Size: 80mm wide 60mm high   MM: D L Auld

This is a Hupmobile Model H radiator emblem (1930-1933)   mjs
Size: 80mm wide 60mm high   MM: D L Auld

This is a Hupmobile Model U radiator emblem (1930-1933)    mjs
Size: 80mm wide 60mm high    MM: D L Auld

Examples of other Hupmobile radiator emblems are shown below with dates of use where known:

This is a Hupmobile radiator emblem (1931-1932)    mjs
Size: 75mm high 31mm wide    MM: Fox (also found marked D L Auld and None)

This is a Hupmobile radiator emblem (1933-1935)    mjs
Size: 54mm high 25mm wide   MM: Fox

This is a Hupmobile radiator emblem (1934-1936)    mjs
Size: 50mm high 24mm wide    MM: Fox

There was a new radiator emblem for Hupmobile Models G and H in 1936, as shown below:

This is a Hupmobile Models G & H radiator emblem (1936-1937)   ms
Size: 152mm high 92mm wide

The Hupmobile radiator emblem shown below was used again in 1938-1939 for Models E and H in the closing years of motor car production at the Hupp plant:

This is a Hupmobile Models E & H radiator emblem (1938-1939)   mjs
Size: 75mm high 31mm wide     MM: Fox

This is a Hupmobile trunk lid script emblem (1936-1939)   mjs
Size: 158mm wide

Graham-Paige built 319 Skylark automobiles for Hupp in 1940. These were the last Hupp vehicles and carried a newly designed Hupp radiator emblem, originals of which are rare, see example below. This Hupp radiator emblem can be found curved, as shown below, or flat.

This is a Hupp Skylark radiator emblem (1940-1941)   ms
Size: 152mm high 38mm wide    MM: Unknown

There are reproductions of the last Hupp radiator emblem shown above, so beware.

Some other Hupmobile emblems are shown below:

This appears to be a Hupmobile radiator grille emblem (date unknown)   mjs
Size:

This is a very rare Hupmobile emblem (use and dates unknown)   rcc
Size: 73mm high 31mm wide   MM: D L Auld

This is an unusual Hupmobile emblem (use and dates unknown)   rcc
Size: 72mm high 32mm wide      MM: D L Auld

This is a Hupmobile Model A side mount cover emblem (date unknown)   mjs
Size: 75mm high 32mm wide    MM: D L Auld

This is a Hupmobile emblem (use unknown date probably 1930)   ms
Size: Unknown   MM: Unknown

The emblem shown above follows the same design as the 1930 Hupmobile Model A hub shown below but was not used as a radiator emblem on this vehicle.

This is a Hupmobile hub cap (1930)   ms

This is possibly a Hupmobile 8 hood side script (date unknown)      rcc
Size: 203mm wide 51mm high

In the late 1920's, Hupmobile also sold second-hand Hupmobile cars and used a Hupp-Mark emblem, as shown below. I do not have further details.

This is a Hupp-Mark emblem (1928)     rcc
Size: 65mm square