1939' Hupmobile Senior Six

The 1930s was a decade of huge change in automotive design, more so than any that have followed. Cars went from upright, spindly, 1920s carriages to full-bodied and streamlined, in the period Art-Deco style. One of the most underrated, yet distinctive, American automakers of this decade was the venerable Hupp Motor Car Corporation, and its final full-blooded Hupmobiles of 1938 and 1939 presented a brave and attractive face to the world.
The Great Depression had seriously depressed Hupp sales, and economic troubles, allied with the company’s internal leadership struggles, forced a stop in Hupmobile production in January 1936. In early 1937, a new Hupmobile was on the drawing boards, with 1938 models announced that summer; they represented a more conservative take on the brand’s recent avant-garde style. Another economic downturn that coincided with the restart of production in late 1937 proved terrible timing, and the 1938 and 1939 “Senior” Hupmobiles-six-passenger, four-door sedans with six- and eight-cylinder engines and 122- and 125-inch wheelbases, of which fewer than 4, 000 were built–would represent the automaker’s last in-house-designed offerings.
This particular example was purchased in 2016 from a prominent collector in California and exported to UK shores in early 2017. Solid and rust-free, but retaining a wonderful patina, the ‘Big Six’ Sedan had reportedly resided in a private museum for some 40 years prior to its purchase and was treated to more than 100 hours of professional recommissioning and restoration work in 2019 by Brian Clarke of Bedfordshire. The documented work included a rebuild of the brakes and master cylinders, removal and repair of the starter motor, a full inspection and numerous repairs to the electrical system, replacement of the fuel pump, replacement of worn prop shaft joints, replacement wheel bearings, re-chroming of both bumpers, replacement rear shock absorbers and much, much more.
Ready to be used and enjoyed, this pleasingly patinated Art-Deco ‘Hupp’ is offered with a large and comprehensive history file, including a current UK V5C document, an owner’s hand book, period sales brochure, shipping, import and registration documentation, communications with the vendor and previous owner, a copy of the New Hampshire title and a large collection of invoices for labour and parts whilst in current ownership.