Long before the great automotive die-off that was the 1960s, where the industry went through an extinction-level event that made the Cretaceous period look like a mild flu, well over a hundred brands rolled the world's highways. Many of their names have been lost to the mists of time, with the remainder largely swallowed up by the conglomerates that currently rule the roads, but a dedicated cadre of owners and enthusiasts continue to keep the faith alive for their favourite marques.
This 1924 Hupmobile is a perfect example of a car that most modern drivers have simply never heard of. Hupmobile was founded by Robert Craig Hupp, and by 1909 it was building horseless carriages out of a shop in Detroit, Michigan. Hupp was no stranger to the industry - he'd put in time with both Ford and Oldsmobile before striking off on his own - but he wasn't necessarily the most able businessman. Robert would be booted from his own company a few short years later after fighting to reinvest profits in the form of new facilities and technology, leaving his brother Louis and the automaker's original investors at the helm.
Hupmobile didn't mourn the loss of its founder very long. Growth was exponential for the company: under Robert Hupp's tutelage 5,000 units were moved during the second year of production, but two decades later that 13 times as many Hupmobiles were leaving the factory, helped in part by a strong contract with the U.S. military. Things wouldn't stay that rosy, as the Great Depression devastated automakers across the board. By the time the dust had cleared the brand had too many cars for sale aimed at a market that simply took too long to re-establish its taste for the higher-end models that dominated the Hupmobile line-up. By the end of the decade, after a series of acquisitions and mergers that failed to prop up the bottom line, the company faded into the history books.
The Hupmobile Touring for sale in this ad features a 3.0L four-cylinder engine good for just under 38 horsepower, and it rolls on a pair of solid axles front and rear. This motor pulled duty in a wide range of Hupmobiles, not just the four-door convertible listed here, including a roadster and a Club Sedan. A three-speed manual transmission handles the gear shifting duties for the vehicle, and stopping is accomplished via mechanical drum brakes that only grabbed the rear wheels.
With less than 40,000 kilometres on the clock, the $25k purchase price feels like a steal - especially considering the scarcity of the make. For some buyers, the idea of having to explain what a Hupmobile is to the majority of onlookers at a car show might seem like too much of a hassle, but for others, having something unique with a story behind it is a bit part of a classic vehicle's appeal.
