Great photos. You got to get the Tucker DVD and watch the extra stuff at the end of the movie. Cool behind the sceans stuff, and Tucker proving ground stuff.
Those were some of the greatest cars ever built in history . The movie was great too . A real shame that were run out of business they way they were . The man that built and designed the Tucker was brilliant ! You were really lucky to get that close up to such a beautifully fine car ! Thanks for all the great pictures ! RetroJim
Sweet pictures. I've always like the body style of the Tucker. Does anyone know or have a rough estimate on actually how many are still on the road and accounted for?? Just a thought.
love the interior. I wonder what all the*****ons do. The flat 6 is awesome. "Does anyone know or have a rough estimate on actually how many are still on the road and accounted for?? Just a thought." <!-- / message --><!-- sig --> Thats a good question. How many were made?
If I recall there were less than 39 ever made. But that is not a fact that I can send you to some authority to verify, I think I heard that some where. Someone sent me that link awhile back. I know that there are more now than were ever made because the made a dozen replicas for the movie.
Truly great cars from a man way ahead of his time!That couple are amazing having bought that car in 48 and still using it from san francisco to vegas,one of the rarest cars to get and this old timer drives the***** out of it.Just goes to show that a trailer queen could learn alot from this guy
Here is the website with all the cars: http://www.tuckerclub.org/index.php My friends shop restored #50. I'll try and find all of the close up pictures I took.
Only 51 Tuckers were built but 47 of them are known to have survived. Occasional rumors still turn up from time to time about the existence of one of the four unaccounted for cars. Lots of other interesting info here: Tucker Automobile Club of America Edit to add: Here's a couple beautiful videos of what appears to be some Tucker promotional films. Maybe these have been around for a while but it's the first I'd seem them. Some great clips of Preston Tucker and of the cars being driven down the road and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq54a8yWu50&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eG8vU1fs7_s&feature=related
Fact Sheet This "Car of Tomorrow" was the vision of Preston Thomas Tucker (1903-1956) of Ypsilanti, Michigan. 51 were built, of which 47 survive now (and many are on display to the public) This fastback sedan was styled by Alex S. Tremulis. The car was put together by chief mechanic John Eddie Offutt, who had worked with Tucker and Harry Miller at Indy. Offutt's cars won twice at Indy. The car is called the "Tucker '48" (for its model year). It was only called the "Tucker Torpedo" as it was being designed and promoted. Therefore no Tucker Torpedos were ever built. The Tucker 48 was designed in Michigan, and built in Chicago in a vast factory that is now the site of the "Ford City Mall" on Cicero Avenue. The Tucker 48 pioneered automotive features and ideas that became standard later. The Tucker story is the subject of the 1988 film "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" by Francis Ford Coppola. Fiberglass replica bodies are available for building Tucker replicars.
my Grandma always said that they had a Tucker heater somewhere in the basement because you could buy the accessories before the car. We watched the movie at her house, then went down to look for it. Never found it, and don't know what ever would have happened to it judging by the things that were still there (didn't seem to ever get rid of anything of any "value"). Super cool cars. What's the story behind the "crusher" and left over body pictures that the guy has pix of? super cool cars, great opportunity you got to see an original owner cruising 61 years later.
I was at a buddy's wedding in January in Hartford, WI. Turns out that it was held in a hall inside an auto museum, I almost flipped. After we were outside for a smoke, we managed to sneak into the museum showroom where they were having a private banquet for the benefactors. A bigger gentleman asked if he could help us (i.e. "what the hell are you doing in here?") I said we just wanted a peek. I thought I saw what looked like an early 50's Hudson with one of those "Doo ray" center headlights- nope- it was a TUCKER! I was wide-eyed with my jaw on the floor, my girlfriend probably couldn't have cared less. Here's the link: http://wisconsinautomuseum.com/ I might head up there this weekend, if I do, and the Tucker is still there, I will take some pics and post.
Wow...to not only see an original on the road, BUT have the original owner behind the wheel..... THAT is cool!!!! Great photo's. I especially love the rear shot where it show's the grim on the back bumper..It's being used just as Preston Tucker would have wanted. Thanks for sharing. Tony
i had one of the radio push*****on dial face gismos sold it cheap .. i had no knowledge of the car at that some time before the movie came out even sold it with a calendar page with a tucker drawing.. now i really could not have owned a piece of the missing cars could I? what would that radio piece have come from?
I bought a micro car from the Peterson Museum a few years back. When the guy was showing my stepdad and me around we come across a Tucker. He said it was Mr. Tuckers personal car but i dont know if thats true. He let me sit in it and look at the engine but he wouldnt let us take any pictures. It was a really cool car I saw tons of cool cars that day.
It said 87 HP at 2000 rpm. That is probably about right for that rpm. That is a really cool car. Too bad they didn't make it, who knows what we would be driving now.
If I remember right the center headlight didn't turn with the steering as quoted in the write up. Tucker wanted it to but the timeline there were under didn't allow them to complete the design. Hell I could be all worng but that how I remember it. Kool car though. Way ahead of it's time.
Sure looks like a 46-48 Zephyr steering wheel. Different center cap and the top of the horn ring cut off.
ClayMart: I have a NOS Tucker heater I bought off of ebay a few years ago. Came in the original Tucker labeled card board box.It'd going in my42 merc convert. custom project.Thought it would be kinda different.
My grandfater put money down on one at the Tucker dealership in Dallas Tx, (Dallas Tucker). I now have all of his original paperwork. http://www.tuckerclub.org/index.php is the websights for Tuckers
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