1932 Hupmobile I-226 Cabriolet

' Having made it through the worst of the Great Depression, the Hupp Motor Car Co. went to market with an all-new design from the famed Raymond Loewy. This 1932 Hupmobile I-226 Cabriolet is one of just two known surviving examples according to the Hupmobile Club.

Discovered by Mike Kilian of Minnesota at a local scrap yard — where the owner had kept it from being crushed — Kilian acquired it that same day and embarked on a nine-year body-off-the-frame restoration. Being such a rare automobile, he traveled everywhere from New York to California tracking down the right parts. The outcome is simply beautiful: finished in striking silver with elegant dark green accents on the soft top, wire wheels, and interior, perched on blackwall tires.

Features include dual enclosed side-mounted spare tires, a rumble seat, and fold-out windshield. After the restoration, Kilian kept it in his climate-controlled garage, allowing only family and certain club members to see it. Now displayed by the Grand Rapids Classics Auto Museum — acquired in fall of 2024 — it is a truly rare and seldom-seen opportunity.

Two original, hard-to-find Series 226 sales brochures accompany this Hup.