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1933 Hupmobile Bonneville $1,000,000.


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favorite this post 1933 Bonneville Hupmobile - $1000000 (2002 Ward Avenue) hide this posting

1

1933 Hupmobile

condition: excellent
fuel: gas
title status: clean
transmission: manual
type: coupe

This 1933 Hupmobile set the land speed record of 145.6mph in 1933 at the Bonneville Salt Flats. This is a one-of-a-kind automobile and piece of American history. Please contact for more details on this classic and the state of restoration.
  • do NOT contact me with unsolicited services or offers

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  • 6 months later...

Dr. Knoch, the original owner, brought it to the Niederhut Carriage Company of Denver, CO for the construction of a custom boat-tailed body. That company was in business from 1892 to sometime in the 1970s, so would assume there are other Niederhut-bodied cars floating around. I'd like to establish what other types of coach building they did, which is why I've requested that Denver History provide me with copies of documents and accounting ledgers they have in their archives.

 

I believe my dad did significant work to recreate the grill based on the previous owner's partially damaged grill and the photos provided with the car. I plan to scan and post more of those photos when I next visit him.

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I will be posting letters from Dr. Knoch to Hupmobile and replies he got from executives there. He also wrote several other companies, including a fuel refinery in New Jersey, seeking out methods to squeeze more power out of the engine in his car. He had gear ratios changes, added a tank for Benzol that's still on the car (which the Hupp execs said was "ingenious"), and even ate dinner with the Duesenberg brothers as he made runs at the Bonneville. I need to find a place near my dad's house that has an adequate large-bed scanner as I also have schematics/technical drawings for many of the custom parts made for the car. that are about 18x24 or so.

 

Price aside for now, I just want to figure out every bit of history I can on this car.

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  • 2 months later...
On 12/13/2016 at 1:51 PM, Imperial62 said:

I guess I have no issue with whatever you want to ask, but that number seems high to me.    If correctly and authentically restored, then the January Scottsdale type auctions or a run at Pebble Beach might help establish provenance and price.  It's a soft market for anything not Ferrari, so good luck getting $1.5 million dollars. 

 

@Imperial62 I'm looking for comps on this car. Do you know of any recent auctions featuring rare race cars, salt-flats cars, or anything related to Ab Jenkins?

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One off sorts of stuff like this is impossible to price.  The critical thing being is it attractive and is the provenance solid.  The car is definitely attractive. If the provenance is solid then it is probably worth more than people on here would think,  although the 1.5 million is probably strong.  But then again, who knows?    I certainly like it a lot. 

 

What would really help would be if Pebble did a prewar "Specials" class.  This would be a star.

 

Btw,  the Niederhut Carriage Company was a real company and one of the colleges in Colorado has a whole archive box on it somewhere.

 

best of luck with the sale.

20160308_153223.jpg

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Would anyone be interested in looking at all the document I have associated with the car? I have 50+ pages of letters from Dr. Knoch to Huppmobile, gear manufactures, aviation fuel companies, etc. I also have letters from his wife discussing visits from the Duesenberg brothers and how she baked cookies for the boys at the Niederhut Company.

 

I guess I promised to do this back in December, but I finally have the work done.

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Cord,

 

I would scan all the documents to a single searchable PDF file and make it available to any interested parties.    I think the period pictures are really important so I would do some hi-res scans and put them in your ad on your website too.   Very interesting car and I'm sure there is a buyer somewhere. 

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Here are the documents from 1936 to 1937. These include some pictures of the Salt Flats and of course more letters. Companies included here are Automotive Gear Works Inc, Hupmobile, McCord Radiator, Kendall Refining, and Firestone Rubber.

 

Here's a picture of Dr. Norbert & Lucille Knoch. I believe this is from later in the Hupp Salt Flats Racer's career, but I'm not sure. I'm working off of scans right now, so I can't examine the back of the originals for dates.

 

dr-norbert-and-lucille-knock.thumb.jpg.67c8e9d750661ffdf9e533536ac69879.jpg

 

1938-12-9-schwitzer-cummins-company.pdf

1938-12-19-schwitzer-cummins-company.pdf

1939-04-07-pirrung-racing-babe-stapp.pdf

1939-04-08-babe-stapp.pdf

1939-04-11-american-bosch.pdf

1939-04-22-pirrung-racing-team.pdf

1939-04-23-babe-stapp.pdf

1939-05-29-air-associates-incorporated.pdf

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Here are some later notes on the Hupp. Some have dates, some do not. I like Mrs. Lucille Knoch's note

 about "our friends the Duesenbergs" especially. What a thing to be able to say!

 

1975-10-28-don-crites.pdf

1985-04-11-don-crites.pdf

1985-04-11-lucille-knoch.pdf

description-of-hupp.pdf

Edited by Cord Blomquist (see edit history)
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Great stuff!   So does the car still have the Indy engine in it?  I have this vague recollection of them being separated at some point.   I would post this over on the Hamb also but not as a for sale.  Create a general interest topic with the of the most interesting pieces of info you have along with the period pictures and some of the new ones.  This will generate some buzz as the Hamb has lots of traffic and from people you would not expect (i.e. ones with big wallets).

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Cord,

 

Do it on the general board.  Don't mention in your thread the car is for sale, or at least right away.  What might be ok is to say that you have been helping your dad sell some of his cars because he is sick and that you thought one in particular would be worth a thread on the Hamb.  I think it will be well received.  I'll post to it once you have it up.

 

If you are not a member,  be sure to do an introduction before creating your thread. 

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/forums/new-to-the-h-a-m-b-introduce-yourself-here.18/

 

Here is the one I started back in 2005 for my Stutz Special:

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1928-schumacher-special-early-hot-rod.82304/

 

 

 

 

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Neat car. Cord, I know you dad and have done some business with him over the years. Sorry he is not well. AJ is one of your best possible people who can give you guidance. I would also be happy to chime in on the phone. Getting help with this car is a good idea. It's far from normal, and needs certain considerations to be properly vetted. Only then will you be able to establish a value. Which, I am quite certain can be done without too much difficulty. Short story, the more paperwork and photos, among other things, the more value. Send me you phone number by PM if you would like me to call. Ed

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