History Searching for 1948 Tucker photos

Haven't checked this thread in well over a year, wow. Lots of new stuff.
Way back on page 39, i've met Robert Pond many times, had no idea he had a Tucker, or grandaughter.
On that page is the Hargis dealership in Riverhead NY. I can't find a Route 58 on maps but it appears Old Country Rd is the old highway and at the SE corner of Harrison is a building which looks very much like the one in post #771. Go to Google Earth street view just east of Harrison on Old Country Rd and look south.

 

Tucker Fan, I love this thread and have followed it for some time.

A question for you. I worked a car show in the mid 60's on the south side of Chicago, in what was then described as a former "Ford bomber engine plant". This building stretched for what seemed to be blocks. Was it ever used by Tucker back then or possibly by Coppola as a location for a nighttime "factory" scene? It seemed very familiar to me in the movie.

 

Only John Waters would be twisted enough to flame a Tucker!

 

These are some of the accessories you could buy for your Tucker. There are seat covers in the front, the radio on the right, and the heater near the rear.

The guy is holding two Tucker stock certificates.

 

I believe you are correct on this. The street sign on the corner says CR 58 and although the building had a face lift the window size and placement matches the Tucker building

 

After Tucker left the plant at 7401 S Cicero Ave in Chicago the War Assets Administration awarded it to Ford. They built aircraft engines there. Most of the building still stands. It is a Ford City Mall and Tootsie Roll occupies the northern part of the building. A huge chunk of the middle was taken out for parking.

This building is a monster. You do not get a feeling for how big it is until you drive around it. That was only the main building. The property extended all the way to Pulaski and had many other large buildings on it. The building also came equipped with a lot of machines, office equipment, and a foundry. It was setup to make aircraft engines but much of the equipment was being retooled to make the Tucker.

 

That's the same building then. The show was promoted by Ron Pellegrini, who toured Ivo's four motor car. It was held in one tiny little corner of the building, maybe less than a hundred cars. The surface of the floor appeared to be made of short pieces of two-by-fours, stacked vertically so the wood's end-grain appeared as the floor. Very strange.

 

Correct again. The floor was made from wood blocks. Part of it still exists. The area where the first full size clay model Tucker was designed could be spotted because the clay discolored the floor.

Here is a photo that shows the floor in the plant.

 

The original floor in the old Hershey Chocolate factory was made like this. Held up very well for many years.

 

Can you image installing 400+ acres of this floor?

 

That's the first thing I thought when I looked down by my feet.

I had earlier heard something about Ford City becoming a mall. Did they retain any of that flooring in any part of the mall?

 

I do not think there is any of it in the public areas but I have heard some areas still exist.

 

Preston Tucker's Dream Car Speedster for what it's worth. It's all good good.
''I wanna go where the lights are low where I can go'n spend my dough an dance with the dolly with the wooden leg''

 

TuckerFan, I keep being drawn back to this May 27, 1948 photo. HAS THIS BEEN ON THIS THREAD
BEFORE? If I read this right, we have Brick's GULF station at left on Sixth Avenue, New York,
and Barney Motor Car Corp. to the right. I get the impression Barney sold both used AND new cars.

So my QUESTION is, since I can't read the fine print on the Barney building, do we see an AD-
VERTISEMENT for the anticipated arrival of the Tucker autos???

 

TuckerFan48, you need to contact the owner of that Tucker you pictured with the Oklahoma license plate. Since he is the current titled owner of that car, all he has to do is contact the Oklahoma Tax Commission Motor Vehicle Department, explain that his is the current and titled owner of that car (and provide proof!), and he'll be able to receive any information the State still has on microfiche about that vehicle number, as far as who in Oklahoma owned it. That is the only way you'll be able to get that information.

405 521 3214, ask for the Title Section.

There ya go.

 

This was posted back on page 29, #574. I can find no record of Barney Jr Motor Motor Car Corp in Tucker dealer records however those records are far from complete.

The building signage is interesting. The small sign clearly says "The home of Tucker". The larger sign says 1948 Cars, all makes, all models, immediate delivery.

Seems like Barney Jr was some sort of reseller or broker. I'd love to find out more information on this dealer.

While the Bricks and Barney Jr buildings are no longer there all of the other buildings in the photo still remain.

Interesting history on this corner. The southeast corner of 6th Ave, known as Avenue of the Americas, and W 17th Street is now the home of the New York Foundling Hospital and in February 1997 this same SE corner was dedicated to its founder Sister Mary Irene Fitzgibbon.

 

Thanks, TuckerFan. I'm glad you could enlarge that enough to make it out. Sure does sound as though Barney, Jr., had SOME sort of deal struck with Preston.

 

Tucker Fan, I am quite impressed. I have only seen one in person, and I doubt it was real. In 2007 (give or take a couple years) in the summer, I saww one in traffic... and a nasty thunderstorm. It may well have been a fake. There was some car show in town, I don't think it was the good guys, and I pretty much know it wasn't the big chrysler thing on the east side of town. All I was able to tell is it was green.
My question for you, did we have any dealers here in Columbus Ohio? If you have addresses, I can get you photos of what is therre now. (Never trust google earth, I was looking at a building on there a couple months ago and turns out the building was razed in 2009)

 

I read the convertible was withdrawn from BJ auction.

 

Now, what. The new owners tried to auction it again? What's the scoop?

 

This one here?

 

You are correct. The car has been withdrawn. It was part of Barrett Jackson's salon auction so it had a reserve. BJ has said “the consignor simply decided not to sell it”.

This seems a bit fishy. After promoting the sale, BJ simply would not have walked away without a commission.

I was surprised they took the car in the first place given its history of questionable authenticity. Barrett-Jackson described the convertible as a “rare original Tucker (that) has been customized into a convertible".

The owner in Idaho has been reluctant to acknowledge his ownership. Hard to believe he'd write BJ a check for $100,000+ just to keep the car.

 

I can verify seeing a period newspaper ad for Farber in Columbus (North High Street, as I recall). They had a franchise and were promoting the anticipated cars. I still have the ad, but I could not possibly lay hands on it right now.

They are still in business today (1) selling high-end motor coaches/campers, and (2) fabbing pricey specialty coaches for the U.S. government.

 

Tucker Fan, it was reported on Hemmings Blog a few days ago by Dan Strohl. One of the responders said he knows the family and they convinced the owner not to sell.

 

I saw the same post. Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

 

It has to be true if it's on the internet.

 

Bexley Motors was located at 2935 E. Main. There is a Post Office there now. Farber Motors, owned by N.C. Farber, had several addresses 1030 N. High (parking lot), 879 N. High (old house), 539 E. Broad (parking lot), 575 E broad (parking lot), and 835 E. Broad (a BP station). Farber was the first owner of Tucker #1012.

 

Thanks, TF. He actually GOT one of the rare birds then. Great. I've looked several times on the 'net, and I could not find any business or family photos showing the dealership, signage or a car. I guessed that, being a successful, influential businessman, maybe having been associated with what became the Tucker debacle wasn't something he would have pointed to proudly over the years. Not really a business plus, not really a minus either, just a business deal that didn't pan out.

 

I think most dealers would have gotten over their experence with Tucker quickly if the bankruptcy court had not stepped in and made them pay the balance due on their dealerships. Most had paid $500 to $1,000 down and were to pay the rest on payments. After the plant was closed the Trustees took them to court and forced them to pay the rest even though they would never see a car. This left a really bad taste in most dealers mouths and is why not many ever talked about being a Tucker dealer. Many dealer families are still bitter till this day. The Bankruptcy Court actually collected payments on Tucker Dealerships into the early 70s.

 

Amazing, really. Even though Preston never set out to defraud anybody, I guess they couldn't really be BLAMED for feeling they'd been short-changed in what had been portrayed in such glowing terms in the beginning.

If only he'd had (1) more R&D time, and (2) at least one MAJOR backer!