No Driving Gloves

The Hupp Motor Company, a serious carmaker with a whimsical name, emerged from the ambition of Robert Craig Hupp. Born in Grand Rapids and raised in Detroit, Hupp's journey began at Olds Motor Works and continued at Ford Motor Company, where he honed his skills on the Model K.Leaving Ford in 1907, Hupp set out to create a lightweight car tailored for American roads. With funds from J. Walter Drake, Joseph R. Drake, and John E. Baker, the Hupp Motor Car Company was born in 1908. As capital dwindled, Charles D. Hastings stepped in to finance a prototype for the upcoming Detroit Auto Show.On a frigid night, snow drifting into their makeshift workspace, Hupp and Hastings feverishly completed their masterpiece: the two-seater Huppmobile Model 20. At its debut on February 15, 1909, the car garnered enough interest and $50 deposits to raise $25,000 and propel the company into production.From rented factories to larger facilities, production soared from 1,618 cars in 1909 to 12,543 by 1913. The Huppmobile's reputati