Roy D. Chapin: The Man Behind the Hudson Motor Car Company

Great Lakes Books Series

by J.C. Long, Charles K. Hyde (Introduction)

"John Cuthbert Long's Roy D. Chapin is a thorough and detailed biography of a remarkable, but little-known Detroit automobile industry pioneer. Historians should include Roy Dikeman Chapin (February 23, 1880–February 16, 1936) in any listing of significant American auto industry pioneers, along with the Duryea brothers, Ransom E. Olds, Henry Leland, Henry Ford, William C. Durant, and the Dodge brothers. Outside the cloister of automotive historians, Roy Chapin is an unknown. This is in part because no company or car bore his name. Unlike many contemporary auto pioneers, Roy Chapin was a modest man who did not promote himself. Even Long's superb biography of Chapin is not well-known because it was privately printed in 1945 with a small press run. In reprinting this volume, Wayne State University Press is making an important contribution to automotive history."
―From the introduction by Charles K. Hyde, Department of History, Wayne State University

360 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2003

About the author

There is more than one J.C. Long in the Goodreads catalog. This entry is for J.C. [7^] Long

Reviews

[dejah_thoris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published by his widow in 1945, Chapin's biography reflects the character of a wonderful man. Persistent like Edison in manufacturing but also a refined and calm negotiator too. Chapin also brought us many wonderful inventions like the closed car body and modern highways at a time when "motoring" was seen as a leisure activity. Thankfully, military conflict proved otherwise. Chapin's focus on home and family, especially his fragile wife, Inez, even when he was away in Washington demonstrates his good character even further. This is an excellent biography that has really lifted my spirits by giving me a role model whose birthday I share and whose character I hope to emulate.

"A man's worth as much as his judgment." -- Roy D. Chapin

[Barbara Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another man with an dream - one who competed with the largest auto manufacturers in the 1920s and 1930s. Chapin was skilled in innovative concepts and an astute promoter. Signing Amelia Earhart on as an endorser - christening Orville Wright's Terraplane - was just what the company needed during the early years of the Great Depression. If you have an interest in automobiles, you will find Chapin's dedication to the Hudson Company extremely informative.