Mitchell

US, 1903 – 1923

(1) Mitchell Motor Car Co, Racine, Wisc., 1903 – 1910

(2) Mitchell-Lewis Motor Co, Racine, Wisc., 1910 – 1916

(3) Mitchell Motors Co Inc, Racine, Wisc., 1916 – 1923

Mitchell and Lweis had been wagon builders since 1834, and their first Mitchell car was a light two-seater powered by a 7hp air-cooled 2-cylinder engine, using single chain drive, and priced at $1.200. In 1905 a 9hp engine was used on the Mitchell car, and air or water cooling was available. 4-cylinder engines of 18 and 30hp appeared in the 1906 Mitchell car range, and in 1907 shaft drive was employed on all Mitchell car models. Until 1910, 20 and 35hp fours were made, having pair-cast cylinders in 1910 when they were joined by a 50hp 6-cylinder Mitchell car. In 1913 a new range of T-head engines was introduced in a Mitchell car designed by René Petard and known as the ‘American-built French car’. A 40hp four and 50 and 60hp sixes were made in this Mitchell car range, which had high-cowled torpedo-style bodies and electric starters. Piston strokes were very long at 7 inches. At this time it was said that the Mitchell car company made 96% of all components. In 1916 a short-lived Mitchell 48hp V8 was made, and the following year the Mitchell car company settled down to making a range of conventional sixes of no great distinction. In 1920 a sloping radiator gave rise to the epithet, ‘the drunken Mitchell’ and this was hastily replaced by a vertical radiator for 1921. However, the company had lost a lot of money on their 1920 Mitchell car models, and few of the redesigned Mitchell cars were sold, as they lacked any distinctive qualities.

The 6-cylinder engines of the Mitchell car had acapacity of 4.7-litres. After production ceased in 1923, the Mitchell car factory was bought by Nash.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; GNG

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Hupmobile

US, 1908 – 1940

Hupp Motor Car Corp., Detroit, Mich.; Cleveland, Ohio

Robert and Louis Hupp, the founders of the Hupmobile company, started with a 2.8-litre 4-cylinder light runabout, with two bucket seats and a bolster tank, distinguished by a 2-speed sliding-type gearbox. This Hupmobile car sold for $750 and was joined in 1911 by a Hupmobile touring car with 3 forward speeds and a longer wheelbase of 9ft 2in, listed at only $900. Hupmobile, like Dodge and Chevrolet, adhered to the 4-cylinder sv unit for many years and made nothing else until 1924, though the Hupmobile cars acquired electric lighting and starting in 1914. A Hupmobile car with a 10ft 6in wheelbase was made available for seven-seater bodywork in 1916. Sales were good: 12.000 Hupmobile cars in 1913, and climbing up to 38.000 by 1923. By 1918 a rounded cowl and bonnet line had replaced the original angular configuration and fuel feed was by vacuum from a tank at the rear. Open Hupmobile car models were listed at $1.250. Aluminium pistons were featured in 1924 and balloon tyres on the Hupmobile car in 1925, the last year of the four. Interestingly enough, Hupmobile’s 4-litre straight-8 appeared in 1925, a year before the first six. This Hupmobile car was a conventional machine with contracting Lockheed hydraulic brakes, mechanical actuation being used on the 6-cylinder Hupmobile cars. The Hupmobile car company stayed in the medium-price field, sixes selling at $1.295 in 1929, while prices of the Hupmobile M-series sv eight started at $1.825. In 1929 Chandler’s plant in Cleveland was acquired and was used for the manufacture of the less expensive Huppmobile Hupps. Like most of America’s independent makes, the Hupmobile car company was hit hard by the Depression, sales of Hupmobile cars dropping from 50.374 in 1929 to 17.450 in 1931, although in the next two years, in 1932 and 1933 some very handsome Hupmobile cars were made.

In 1934 the Hupmobile Aerodynamic range with three-piece wrap-around windscreens and headlamps faired into the bonnet sides appeared. An experimental front wheel drive version was not proceeded with. The aerodynamic Hupmobile cars were made in 4-litre, 6-cylinder and 5-litre straight-8 forms, but sales were poor and the Hupmobile car factory closed down halfway through the 1936 season. It was reopened, but the 1937 and 1938 Hupmobile cars were of little interest apart from the standardization of automatic overdrive on the eights. Like Graham, Hupmobile tried to stay in business by adapting the body dies on the discontinued 810/812 Cord series to their conventional running gear. These Hupmobile Skylarks were built in the Graham factory; the last Hupmobile cars were completed in July 1940, but were sold as 1941 models.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com