Roy D. Chapin – Tribute Video

The Automotive Hall of Fame is proud to announce a new project aimed at telling the stories of our Inductees and Honorees. Over the coming months, we will be releasing a series of videos titled “Vintage AHF." These videos will profile many of our early inductees who laid the foundation for the automotive industry as we know it today.

Our first installment in this series chronicles the life of Roy D. Chapin, founder of the Hudson Motor Car Company as well as the Lincoln Highway association. Chapin was a visionary automotive pioneer who was responsible for many significant advancements in the industry. Some of his accomplishments include the introduction of the closed-bodied car to the mass market as well as iconic vehicles like the Terraplane. Roy D. Chapin also served as the Secretary of Commerce under President Herbert Hoover from 1932-1933. The film is narrated by Automotive Hall of Fame president Bill Chapin, the grandson of Roy D. Chapin.

“I never met my grandfather because he died before I was born", Chapin said. “But I am immensely proud of what he did and his contribution to the automotive industry."