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The Tucker was hailed as the "First Completely New Car in a Half Century", after the first prototype was built in 1947. The Tucker was the brainchild of Preston Tucker of Ypsilanti, Michigan. Fifty pilot production
Tuckers were assembled in a former Dodge plant in Chicago. Mr. Tucker dreamed
big, the factory covered almost 600 acres. Although assembled in Chicago,
most of the Tucker Corporation was put together in Mr. Tucker's home in
Ypsilanti.
Tuckers were loaded with innovations. The 1st padded dash, the 1st windshield designed to "Pop out" on impact were among the many innovations. But, most people remember the "Cyclops Eye" middle
headlight which moved in the direction the Car was turning. The Tucker also had a fully independent
suspension.
The Tuckers were quick Cars,capable of hitting 60 M.P.H. in 10 seconds. It topped out at 120. The motor is actually a helicopter motor. The technical stuff : 335 C.I. flat six, 166 H.P; and it was air cooled.
The Tuckers were also aerodynamic, which wasn't very common in the 40's. Alex Tremulis was the Tucker main stylist. The projected price of the Tucker was $2,400. Recently a Tucker went for $1 million at
an auction. Tuckers were also quite roomy for their low profile. The Car was only 5 foot tall.
So, what happened to the Tucker Corporation ? Preston Tucker and the board
of Tucker Corp were brought up on several Federal charges, one of which was Securities Fraud. After a mistrial Tucker and
his board were acquitted of all charges. But, it was too late to save his dream.
Assets of the Tucker Corp were auctioned off in October of 1950. Preston Tucker made the claim several times that the "Big Three" in Detroit deliberately sabotaged his efforts. The Senator that initiated the S.E.C.'s pursuit of Mr. Tucker, was from Detroit. Hmmm.
Preston Tucker died of lung cancer on December 26, 1956. He was 53.
Click on the picture to see more pictures of the cars
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