Eric Minoff
Vice President, Head of Department - US
LOT 120 ¤
1912 Hupmobile Model 20 Two-Passenger Runabout Chassis no. 0004470
Sold for US$15,680 inc. premiumLot to be sold without reserve
Lot 120¤
1912 Hupmobile Model 20 Two-Passenger Runabout
1912 Hupmobile Model 20 Two-Passenger Runabout
Chassis no. 0004470
Chassis no. 0004470
112ci L-head Inline Four-Cylinder
Single Updraft Carburetor
Two-Speed Sliding-Gear Manual Transmission
Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs Front — Transverse Spring Rear
Mechanical Rear-Wheel Brakes
*Finished in attractive white coachwork with black interior
*Accompanied by a 1920 California driver's license and registration
*Sound, driveable brass-era survivor eligible for HCCA and AACA events
THE 1912 HUPMOBILE MODEL 20
Few figures in the early history of the American automobile industry were more naturally gifted than Robert Craig Hupp. Having served apprenticeships at the Olds Motor Works, Ford, and Regal, Hupp founded the Hupp Motor Car Company in October 1908 with the ambition of building a light, affordable, and thoroughly modern motorcar on his own terms. By February 1909 his first production model was ready for display at the Detroit Automobile Show, where Henry Ford himself reportedly paused before it and later recalled wondering whether he could ever build as good a small car for as little money — extraordinary praise from the creator of the Model T.The Model 20 employed the same principles of light, simple, and sturdy construction that characterized the best thinking of the era. Its 112 cubic inch L-head four-cylinder engine displaced 1,836 cc, with cylinders cast in pairs on an aluminium crankcase and a Bosch high-tension magneto in place of the battery ignition used by contemporaries. Output was rated at approximately 16–20 horsepower — the nominal figure from which the model took its name — and at $750 delivered, it undercut even the Model T by $100. Sales reached 1,618 in 1909 and more than 5,000 by 1910; by 1912, annual production had reached 14,500 cars. A standard four-passenger Model 20 completed an around-the-world journey of 48,600 land miles across 26 countries between November 1910 and January 1912, cementing the model's reputation for durability. The runabout body style, the founding statement of the marque, remains the most sporting and sought-after, with its tall, spoked wheels, short 86-inch wheelbase, and full complement of polished brass fittings. The car is eligible for HCCA and AACA events.
THE CAR OFFERED
Chassis 0004470 is finished in white with a black interior — a crisp and period-appropriate combination that suits the sporting proportions of the two-passenger runabout particularly well. The car is accompanied by a 1920 California driver's license and registration, a charming piece of early motoring ephemera that speaks to the car's California history and adds a personal dimension rarely found with brass-era survivors. It was a donation to the Harrah Collection in what appears to be the 1970s. It presents in tidy driver condition — a useable, characterful example that is ready to participate in HCCA and AACA events without significant expenditure. The polished brass fittings, tall, spoked wheels, and compact two-seat body present the Brass Era aesthetic at its most appealing.
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Lot symbols
| ¤ | No Reserve |
| Unless indicated by the ¤ symbol next to the lot number (or bearing an explicit statement such as "No Reserve" or "Without Reserve"), which denotes no reserve, all lots in the catalog are subject to a reserve. The reserve is the minimum hammer price that the seller is willing to accept for a lot. This amount is confidential and does not exceed the low estimate value. |
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