Hjem Gjestebok

Hello, I am Olav, a Norwegian Hupmobile restorer.

I have two Hupmobile Aerodynamics, a 1934 model 427-T, sedan, and a 1935 model 521-O Touring sedan.  

I have had my T (body # T-5182)since 1994.  I joined The Hupmobile Club in USA the same year, as I wanted to get more knowledge about the car, and of course, I needed parts.  I am also subscribing the Australian & New Zealand Hupp Register Newsletter.  

     Model T was Hupmobile’s top of the line model in 1934 and 35 with a 8-cylinder- in line- engine (303.2 cu.inch - 115 H.P.) and a 127 ½ long wheel base. It had the hyper modern Aerodynamic body with 3 piece windshield, built-in headlights and a very sloping grill.  

Together with the Chrysler Airflow the Hupp represented a totally ned design. The Hupp was designed by Raymond Loewy, top speed 85 mph and the price was the same as the Chrysler Airflow; $US1245 (in 1934 a Pontiac 8 cost $US765)

It was only manufactured 788 of the 1934 T-models (427-T) and 902 as 1935 models (527-T - this car had another grill)  

Short Hupp # T-5182 History

Lillebil Ibsen (1899-1989), actress and married with the film director Tancred Ibsen (1893-1978) (grandson of the famous writer Henrik Ibsen) purchased the car when they worked and lived in Stockholm,Sweden, in the mid-thirties. They returned to Oslo, Norway, in May 1939. In April 1940 Norway got uninvited guests with large needs of transportation. For them a modern, powerful, roomy and a probably in good condition American car was a strongly wanted vehicle. Exactly 2 months after the WW2 started (in Norway), on June 9th the car got requisitioned by the German occupants who paid (a very low price) for it. In the cars first registration papers it is written; Sold to the Wehrmacht (The German Army), Oslo. The car was used as a staff car at Gestapo’s Headquarter in Lillehammer about 60 miles south of Vinstra where I live.

The Hupmobile got a hard treatment during WW2 . Probably is was scrapped and used as a parts car closely after the war. Missing parts had as a result that it didn’t got licensed again before 1950. The car had at that moment a not original front door, not original dash instrument/gauges, rebuilt front axle and brakes converted from mech. to hydraulics. Already the year after the license plates were taken off the car. The engine froze into pieces and got dug down together with the transmission on a unknown place.

  Restoration report (model T);

When I got it the previous owner has started a frame-off restoration, but it was very incomplete. The body, frame and fenders was luckily in a good condition, almost no rust (or rotten wood) The major parts missing were the mentioned right front door, the complete dash panel plate with all instruments and switches, the engine and transmission, 2 wheels, steering and brake parts, front and rear seats. The grill was also in a rather bad condition. All window glasses were missing. Among the minor missing parts I could mention the very hard-to-get head light lenses and left side tail light.

In September 1997 my wife and I joined a Hupp Meeting in USA (Avon ,CT) We stayed 8 days in Glastonbury with Hupp friends living there. We came home with 90 kg (about 200 pounds) in parts (in our hand luggage on the plane) including all missing steering and suspension parts, a NOS grill, 7 hub caps, a NOS instrument group, all needed upholstery material, 2 wheels, 2 brake drums, 2 brake shields ,+ + +

The really large problem was to find an original engine and transmission. Finally, after hunting 5 years in USA, I found one - in Australia. But I had to buy a complete car to get the engine. So I did. To my big surprise the Australian had included 2 Hupp 8 cyl. engines and 2 transmissions in the container !! Now I had engines for both my Hupps ! I recieved the container from Australia in the summer of 2000.  

The engine is now overhauled and mounted into the frame. I hope to get the car painted this summer (2005)with the original color called «Amazon Stone Grey» , the lightest standard Hupp color in 1934, looks like «desert sand», same as on the car above.

The Hupp model O Model O was,next to the T, Hupmobile’s most expensive model in 1935.  

                The O is very similar with its big brother T, but it has a 6 1/2 shorter wheelbase and hood. The O sedan body, doors, fenders and bumpers are the same as on the T. The 8 cyl engines are basically the same, only a few inside modifications. The T engines are marked Hupp #89000, the O engines #89600. The most visible difference is the grill section.

The O was made in very low numbers, 316 cars in 1935 and 75 cars in 1936 (sedan, touring sedan and coupes totally)

The Touring sedan version came as an option in the summer of 1935. As far as I know only 2 such cars exist today, my rhd car and a lhd car in USA. My car has body # O-5315 , the second latest on the 1935 assembly line.

The car is rather complete, but still need the seats. Luckily my series T used the same seats, should not be to hard to make copies of them.        

  Happy Hupping from all     the Trolls, Nisser & Vikings in Norway