As such seatbelts were standard and most surfaces were padded. Larry spent many years researching Preston Tucker and The Tucker Corporation. It was only called the “Tucker Torpedo” as it was being designed and promoted.

Performance: 0-60 in 10 seconds, est.

Overseen by Tucker Expert Martyn Donaldson.

Extensively and authentically restored, with notable attention to drivability. The Tucker 48 was his opportunity to show the world his vision of the future automobile.

Of the 51 cars built (50 production and 1 prototype), 47 still exist, the majority in excellent condition. However, before this car became one of the most coveted classics in existence, Preston Tucker faced significant challenges. ©2020 Verizon Media. These page are being updated regularly as information becomes available.

The car we are offering is a 1948 Tucker "48". A gear shift stalk, originally designed for the Cord, is on the right. View thousands of detailed wallpaper photos of Ferrari cars we love. The Tucker 48 in this video is the 46th example made and is now completely restored to its original glory. “This article was written by TACA member Larry Clark. By 1943, Tucker began work on a car that he hoped would be ready before the Big Three could introduce postwar models. Save for a few 1942 models that rolled off the line, the auto industry was largely suspended following the attack on Pearl Harbor and America’s entry into World War II.

4 speed manual, electronic pre-select transmission. Large venture capital funds enabled Tucker to develop this distinct power plant. Check out Autos Cheat Sheet on Facebook Please follow the instructions below to enable JavaScript in your browser.

The 48 wasn’t nearly as advanced as Preston Tucker hoped it would be (he never had the chance to properly develop it), but the car was still incredibly advanced for the late 1940s. Copyright © 2016 - 2020 The Tucker Automobile Club of America. Preston Tucker was a self-made man who came to prominence during the war with his “Tucker Turret,” a rotating gun turret that saw duty in everything from PT boats to B-29 bombers. An Important Example of Automotive History. You must have JavaScript enabled to experience the new Autoblog. This includes 50 regular production cars and the first prototype, which is affectionately-known as the Tin Goose. Auction Source: 2011 Scottsdale Auction by Gooding & Company, 1948 Tucker Sedan 1038 – sold for $1,017,500. Only 51 examples were made before the company folded on March 3, 1949.

Safety was a large concern for Preston Tucker. It only takes a few seconds. The radio is vertically mounted on the steering wheel pod with “Tucker” spelled out on the station selection buttons.

The Tucker 48 was promoted as the first new car design in 50 years. The car was put together by chief mechanic John Eddie Offutt, who had worked with Tucker and Harry Miller at Indy.

Current wishlist includes Porsche 911 GT3 Touring, Ferrari 458 Speciale and Pagani Zonda (any).

There are currently many Tucker '48 automobiles on public display in museums all across the United States, as well as Japan and Brazil. Welcome to the Tucker Car pages. Along with Its futuristic body shape, it has a rear-mounted engine and a third headlight mounted in the center of the hood that pivots in the direction the wheels turn. This letter appeared in many newspapers in the United States on June 15, 1948. Mathematically-computed drag coefficient was only 0.27, though this was ’rounded up’ publicly to 0.30. You may order presentation ready copies to distribute to your colleagues, customers, or clients, by visiting http://www.autobloglicensing.com. The underbody is clean and detailed, and the engine compartment offers a high quality appearance. 1948 Tucker 48 In the 1940s Preston Tucker set out to make an entirely new vehicle. bore x stroke), 7.0:1 compression ratio, 166 bhp, 372 lbs/ft torque. Almost every aspect of each car is an advancement in car technology and puts hypercars (clearly) into the top spots of automotive world. Need the ultimate combination of space and room? 2014 Pebble Beach Auctions by Gooding & Company, 2011 Scottsdale Auction by Gooding & Company, RM Auctions’ 2010 Sports & Classics of Monterey. Having been burned by other startup car companies in the past, the SEC was closely monitoring the fledgling Tucker Corporation, looking for potential misuse of investor funds.

Studebaker was first with an all-new post-war model. “ The car rides on a 4-wheel independent suspension, which was cutting-edge technology for the day.

A comprehensive professional restoration carried out on a 3,100 mile original car has resulted in an award winning Tucker. One of the most interesting parts of the Tucker is its opposed, six-cylinder power unit. To millions of war-weary Americans, it was the automotive embodiment of post-war optimism, the evolution of Art Deco design that pointed the way to a bold, powerful future. Consequently, he never recovered, and as a result, the only cars produced were in 1948, prior to the SEC’s legal action.

He also had an attention-grabbing design, a good company team to support him, a repurposed WWII factory to build the cars, and capital backing to move the project forward (at least initially). © Copyright 2020 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Sporty compact cars like the Mazda MX-5, Mini Cooper, Volkswagen GTI and Subaru WRX ooze real-life thrills, delivering engaging (and sometimes extreme) performance and driving dynamics with nice styling and the ability to make modifications, they are awesome in our eyes. His first obstacle was the negative publicity he received immediately after unveiling his prototype car. Think Audi RS6 and E63 Estate and you’re talking about cars that can carry your dog and still have twin-turbocharged V8 engines and over 500hp. Preston Tucker was working on this when he died. Within a few months, Tucker had raised over $28 million, bought a plant in Chicago, and appointed a board of directors from around the automotive world. Though just 51 cars were built, they were raced in NASCAR, became the subject of the Francis Ford Coppola film Tucker: A Man and His Dream, and have become some of the most valuable cars in the world. His goals were to build a safe car free from traditional design. Today, hybrid, diesel, and electric vehicles that merge “greenness” with “fun-to-drive” come in almost every style, category, size, and price range. Select the option to run ads for autoblog.com, by clicking either "turn off for this site", "don't run on pages on this domain", "allow this site" or similar. It was an “open letter to the automobile industry in the interests of the American motorist.”. At the same time, the electric pre-selector transmission was restored, including its vacuum/electric shift mechanism. Good time. The future Governor of Arkansas had shown interest in the Tucker 48 back when they were new, and bought Tucker's personal car in 1955. The 48 wasn’t nearly as advanced as Preston Tucker hoped it would be (he never had the chance to properly develop it), but the car was still incredibly advanced for the late 1940s.

Initially known as the Torpedo and later the Model 48, this car is an icon of American film and culture.

All hypercars are supercars, but not all supercars are hypercars.