The Tucker

I'll give credit to Juju for the idea for a Tucker thread....

For those of you who don't know or didn't see the movie, Preston Tucker challenged the big 3 automakers back when such things were strictly verboten in the USA and paid for it dearly. He was truly a visionary.

He had several ideas that were well ahead of his time. Most people remember the "cyclops eye" but that car also had a removable engine and other features that were well ahead of his time. It is a really interesting story in American (read USA) culture.

In any event, I actually thought about the Tucker the other day (pre-Juju's idea about a thread) when I saw ads touting the idea of headlights that respond when turning (Lexus and Mercedes-Benz). This is a great idea. Too bad Preston Tucker came up with the idea in 1948. Yes 1948. Did I mention 1948 was the year. From listening to the ads one would think that is was Lexus in 2006. Nope. Preston Tucker in 1948. Took the Germans and Japs ( ) almost 60 years to catch an american visionary

For those who have not ever heard of one or seen one, here's the Tucker...

The Tucker was easily spotted. The unconventional number of headlights included the signature "cyclops-eye" that turned with the front wheels to illuminate the road ahead of the driver. Preston Tucker's original idea called for the front fenders and headlights to turn with the wheels, but this proved unfeasable.

The powerful Tucker engine, placed in the rear in part to eliminate floor bumps, was a flat six, modified from a helicopter engine made by Aircooled Motors. Preston Tucker promised the engine could be removed and replaced again by three men in 18 minutes. Potentially an owner with a bad engine could exchange it for a loaner until repairs were made. The engine weighed just 320 pounds, and , after converted to water cooling, saw the industry's first sealed cooling system. The Tucker could go from 0 to 60 mph in 10 seconds, cruised easily at 100 mph, and allegedly reached 131 mph. It was clocked at an easy 119 mph in 1956.

The Tucker automobile included many previously unknown safety features, including the cavernous cushion-edged crash chamber that replaced the standard dashboard. The company sales department had a particular dislike for this feature feeling the stripped down interior was too barren to appeal to customers. The front and rear seat cushions were interchangable to eliminte wear of the cloth seats. The safety glass windshield was designed to pop out on impact.

The Tucker boasted an automatic transmission. For greater ease of entry, the door extended into the roof, and the frame was low allowing the passeger to step down into the vehicle as opposed to climbing up as with most cars of the era.

The Tucker "Torpedo"

1948 Tucker

An American Classic. Enjoy.

Classic Car. and nice Thread (beer) to both of you

Was it 50? or 51? cars that were produced before bankruptcy closed the factory? The car was so revolutionary,and the financial influence on the investment bankers by the Big 3, that development, production, and sales were strangled. Sad.

Quote:

Originally posted by Mr_Big_

An American Classic. Enjoy.

I do Mr_Big_.

Thanks for posting.

Quote:

Originally posted by zztopp

Was it 50? or 51? cars that were produced before bankruptcy closed the factory? The car was so revolutionary,and the financial influence on the investment bankers by the Big 3, that development, production, and sales were strangled. Sad.

51 cars. Here they are...

http://www.tuckerclub.org/html/see_a_tucker.php

Saw the movie and have read a lot about him. The guy was simply amazing with his revolutionary ideas.

Thanks Mr Big!


Great Car & A Great Man, Too Bad Preston Tucker Died of Cancer in 1956, who knows what he would have accomplished!





"Hold That Tiger, Hold That Tiger"

man these cars are simply amazin'
i'm glad there are some people here that keep the memory alive!
great post mr.Big! thnx!!

oh, and the idea of the turnin' headlights was also used on the Citroën DS in 1950. dunno which idea was first, or maybe they had the same ideas miles away from each other...

too bad they didn't ship them Torpedos to europe...
must be one hell of a headturner on european roads!

i've heard of 'em before, but it's nice to see some more... here at WBW it's almost scandalous that there is only one tucker in the database, but on the other hand: the car is só rare...
i really wonder what if the car turned out to be a million seller... and if tucker would have lived longer, man the ideas he could have realised!

fantastic car ive red some on them before. its really sad that its competitors couldn't have learned from it before destroying the company