Daily Archives: March 22, 2012

Big Bertha Power – Hupmobile Speedster

Hupmobile, founded by former Ford and Oldsmobile employee Robert Craig Hupp and his brother Louis Gorham Hupp was a Detroit automobile manufacturer from 1908 to 1940 which built it’s reputation on solid some say stodgy 4 cylinder automobiles.

Hupmobile Speedster, Desert Classic, C d'E

In 1925 Hupmobile introduced it’s first 8 cylinder model abandoning it’s traditional customer base with the onset of the depression as in pursuit lucrative top end markets.

Hupmobile Speedster, Desert Classic, C d'E

Raymond Loewy is credited with the design of this 1932 Speedster powered by a 103 hp straight eight motor, referred to in advertising for an earlier model as giving ‘Big Bertha’ power.

Hupmobile Speedster, Desert Classic, C d'E

The car featured, in these photo’s by Geoffrey Horton taken at the Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance, is thought to be the only survivor of three built that were aimed squarely at the market segment occupied by Packard and Auburn.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sending me the photographs.

Thanks for joining me on today’s Big Bertha Power edition of ‘Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres’, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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