Peyton Manning and Jay Leno had an iconic ride on a car that, someway, somehow, had a base in the formation of the NFL.
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It’s an interesting story, and it really does go all the way back to the origins of the league. In the early 1900s, cars were becoming increasingly popular, and there was one car, in particular, that was taking people by storm.
It was called the Hupmobile, and it was made between 1909 and 1939 by the Hupp Motor Car Company in Detroit. The car now is worth about $165,000 at certain auctions.
Many dealerships were rushing to get the Hupmobile in their showrooms, and Ralph Hay was one of those people. At the time, football was not nearly as organized or as structured as it is now, and Hay was the owner of the Canton Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs were a pro team based out of Canton, Ohio, and they played in various intervals, from 1903-1906, then again from 1911-1919, from 1920-1923, and then 1925-26.
In 1920, Hay wanted to take football further, and so, he arranged meetings with ten other team owners including George Halas, owner of the now Chicago Bears, in his car showroom.
Hay had overestimated how many chairs he would have for the meeting, and as a result, he took an unorthodox stance towards seating everyone.
The team owners all sat around on the Hupmobile as they discussed the future of football, and came to the conclusion that a new league would be created with a franchise fee of $100. Hay and the others would name the league the American Professional Football Association, but they changed it to the National Football League later to make things sound more official.
NFL co-founder “Papa Bear” George Halas conducts the Super Bowl XIII coin toss from a vintage 1920 Hupmobile, 43 years ago today.
In 1920, a meeting in Ralph Hay’s tiny Canton Hupmobile showroom formed the American Professional Football Association — which became the NFL in 1922 pic.twitter.com/3ZkzZ8HS2m
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) January 21, 2022
Peyton Manning and Jay Leno took the Hupmobile on a joy ride
Peyton Manning and Jay Leno are two rich men, and now that the Hupmobile is considered a luxury, vintage car, they decided to take the car out for a spin.
Jay Leno is a famous comedian, with a net worth of about $450 million, and he also has an insane car collection to go with it. His collection features 286 vehicles with 169 cars which he featured on Jay Leno’s Garage, a TV program he hosts.
Peyton Manning, of course, is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. He’s a two-time Super Bowl champion and a five-time MVP winner. He also has a net worth of $250 million.
Coincidentally, Leno also has the Hupmobile in his collection. Manning once discussed the creation of the league on the Hupmobile with Jay Leno, and after that conversation, Leno asked Manning if he’d like to take the car for a spin.
Manning admitted he didn’t know how to drive manual, but he tried anyway. The results weren’t great, and after Manning’s attempt, Leno switched places with him.
