The Tucker Torpedo

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/1948-tucker/

http://www.hotrod.com/articles...rod-power-tour-2015/

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/f...hotos.534872/page-40

http://horsepowersports.com/tw...r-48-tucker-hot-rod/

http://www.britishv8.org/Artic...f-American-Speed.htm

Had an old racer friend from the south side of Chicago who was 18 when the Tucker 48 came out. We were at a museum one time that had a Blue tucker on display and it nearly brought him to tears just to see it. Were he still alive I doubt the blobs of today would stir the same emotions.

Me and my Rockabilly band played at the AACA Museum in Hershey a year or so ago for the opening of an exhibit.  It was one of the gigs I was portraying Buddy Holly for some of the gig.

Anyway, I'll have to dig out the photos we have of us in front of some of the cars.  It's truly a beautiful museum.

This is a very good friend of mine, he owns this survivor and I had a chance to snap some images at one of our Concours events this last Summer  

My ugly mug 

Love those Rolls 

I will get to my computer later and add some more of the Tucker 

Lionel Route 66 Series with Tuckers. Don't believe the car make was mentioned in the catalog at the time.

Very cool exhibit in Hershey PA, went there last year after Fall York.

BobbyD posted:

http://www.hotrod.com/articles/1948-tucker/

http://www.hotrod.com/articles...rod-power-tour-2015/

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/f...hotos.534872/page-40

http://horsepowersports.com/tw...r-48-tucker-hot-rod/

http://www.britishv8.org/Artic...f-American-Speed.htm

Had an old racer friend from the south side of Chicago who was 18 when the Tucker 48 came out. We were at a museum one time that had a Blue tucker on display and it nearly brought him to tears just to see it. Were he still alive I doubt the blobs of today would stir the same emotions.

 

Whoa, let's back up the Tucker train a bit. Is that a real Tucker that somebody hot rodded???? Only 51 cars ever produced and not many survived. I hope that's not real steel in those last two pictures.

Oops, guess I should have looked at the links before posting. It is a reproduction body.

The green Tucker in the last post is a new Tucker made by Rob Ida Concepts in NJ.  If you have the money, they will build a brand new custom one.  I've seen the green car at some local shows.  If I recall Car and Driver did a review on one of their new retro Tuckers.

www.robidaconcepts.com/

handyandy posted:

 

Whoa, let's back up the Tucker train a bit. Is that a real Tucker that somebody hot rodded???? Only 51 cars ever produced and not many survived. I hope that's not real steel in those last two pictures.

Oops, guess I should have looked at the links before posting. It is a reproduction body.

All 51 Tuckers are accounted for. IIRC 49 are serviceable.  The others could be rebuilt if someone undertakes the task. 

The hot rod Tucker uses sheet metal made from original molds....so while not a factory built car....It's real...in a way!

Is the Swigart Museum still open? I visited it decadea ago and thought l heard it closed......

Nice ride!  I have been in love with the Eldorado Brougham since before 4 doors was cool.  A veritable test bed for outlandish and ingenious accessories.  Still got the magnetic julep tumblers in the glove box?  You don't need the shades...you've got Poloroid sunvisors!

Bruce

Bruce, That speedometer looks identical to my Father's Oldsmobile...or, Buick..  Did you say the year of the car.

AMCDave posted:

All 51 Tuckers are accounted for. IIRC 49 are serviceable.

This link does a great job with the locations of them all (or what had happened to them).

Wanna see something truly insane? One was in a building that caught fire and very badly damaged. So, the owner sent to the crusher, regardless how rare it was!

p51 posted:

AMCDave posted:

All 51 Tuckers are accounted for. IIRC 49 are serviceable.

This link does a great job with the locations of them all (or what had happened to them).

Wanna see something truly insane? One was in a building that caught fire and very badly damaged. So, the owner sent to the crusher, regardless how rare it was!

Based on some prices our trains bring, no matter the condition, he probably could have made out by selling the fire damaged car in damaged condition.  What a shame.

colorado hirailer posted:

Is the Swigart Museum still open? I visited it decadea ago and thought l heard it closed......

It's currently closed for the winter season, but will reopen in the spring. 

 http://www.swigartmuseum.com/

Nice thread!!!  I love Tuckers .... so much so that I have a Tucker dealership on my layout ... with Mr. Preston Tucker wearing suit and tipping his hat.

I was fascinated with the Tucker since I first time I seen one at Gene Zimmerman's Holiday West in Harrisburg Pa way back in 1970. I also converted a MTH Smith Brothers Dealer into a Tucker Agencey.

Dennis,

There's no mistaking...it's a '57 or '58 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. At a price of $12,000 when new, they weren't flying off the showroom floors.  Each one sold at a loss to GM, they were just so costly to produce.  The Brougham became more of a promotional tool rather than a production vehicle. Now that you mention it, the speedo does have a family resemblance to the Olds.

CORD!  My all time favorite car.  I get the pleasure of looking at a supercharged 812 sportsman every day at work.  But you didn't mention which Cord....the L29 or the 810/812.  Here's an L29 cabriolet we restored 13 years ago and sold at auction for $185,000....highest paid at auction for an L29 at that time. 

I get the whole fascination with Tucker.  I'm a huge Corvair nerd so the rear engined Tucker naturally appeals to me.  Still, from an engineering, styling and driveability standpoint, Cord wins hands down IMHO.  I have the blue Tucker for the layout but need to find 1/43-1/50 examples of both Cords

Bruce

What was up front on the Cord was the transmission.  All Cords are front wheel drive.

The turning headlight was a Tucker exclusive, but the idea was nothing new.  Note the pair of driving lights mounted close to the bumper of the L29.  Those pivot with the steering too, an aftermarket accessory handy for navigating corners and curves in darkness.

If I'm not mistaken, both Tucker and the 810 Cord debuted without their transmissions/differentials installed.  Remember them pushing the Tucker on stage in the movie?  In both cases they hadn't even engineered, let alone tested a prototype by introduction time.  Guess what transmission/differential Tucker eventually ended up using?  Yep!

Bruce

A lot of 1/43 models of the 810/812 Cords have been offered, including inexpensive Matchbox models.  Not sure who has made L-29 models but l have seen expensive models offered at the A-C-D Museum in Auburn, Ind. My favorite of Cord Corp. cars are the 1931-33 Auburns.  I think there are only rare and expensive 1/43 models of those, worse luck.

The Tucker is one of my dream cars.  But it's probably best that I'll never get one because I'd use it what it was meant for, I'd drive it everywhere!

Of all places to find a Tucker ...

My across-the-street neighbor in Peoria, IL, owned a maroon 1948 Tucker and showed it to the public for several years at the Heart of Illinois Fair - a show stopper!  However, the car didn't remain in the neighborhood for long -- he probably sold it to a Tucker enthusiast.  FYI, only one YELLOW color Tucker was made. Rarest of the rare.

Mike
(ritrainguy)

Back in 1951 my father had a Chris-Craft Catalina that we would basically live on all summer. Every year we would cruise from Grand Haven (our home port) to Charlevoix, Michigan. Boaters tend to be real social animals and it wasn't long before my father knew everybody that had a boat at the municipal dock.  I was coming ashore one morning and my dad hollered at me to join him.  He was in light hearted discussion with another boater who had docked a few slips away.  I came over to my father's location and was introduced to a fellow boater who had his arm in a sling.  His name was Preston Tucker!  He also had a Chris-Craft cruiser and was vacationing  as we were.  As a boy of 12, I don't remember what we talked about but do remember him as very, very friendly, with a great sense of humor.  I think that he had slipped and fallen on the dock a couple of days before. I didn't make a connection with the name until my dad told me who he was.

TRAINGUY posted:

Back in 1951 my father had a Chris-Craft Catalina that we would basically live on all summer. Every year we would cruise from Grand Haven (our home port) to Charlevoix, Michigan. Boaters tend to be real social animals and it wasn't long before my father knew everybody that had a boat at the municipal dock.  I was coming ashore one morning and my dad hollered at me to join him.  He was in light hearted discussion with another boater who had docked a few slips away.  I came over to my father's location and was introduced to a fellow boater who had his arm in a sling.  His name was Preston Tucker!  He also had a Chris-Craft cruiser and was vacationing  as we were.  As a boy of 12, I don't remember what we talked about but do remember him as very, very friendly, with a great sense of humor.  I think that he had slipped and fallen on the dock a couple of days before. I didn't make a connection with the name until my dad told me who he was.

Wow!  How cool.

George

One of the big die cast sellers is selling Brooklyn brand 1/43 Tuckers under $50.....high for me but good price for a Brooklyn model. hit me offline for info. 

TRAINGUY posted:

Back in 1951 my father had a Chris-Craft Catalina that we would basically live on all summer. Every year we would cruise from Grand Haven (our home port) to Charlevoix, Michigan...I was coming ashore one morning and my dad hollered at me to join him.  He was in light hearted discussion with another boater... Preston Tucker!...

As Tucker did with automobiles, Chris Smith, of Chris Craft, and Connie Ray ("Sea Ray") made some beautiful boats, and, left a lasting legacy -- Chris with wooden boats (then fiberglass), and, Connie Ray, with that "newer material", fiberglass.  For those who don't know, Trainguy has discussed two of the most beautiful areas of southwest Michigan - Grand Haven and Charlevoix.  I would love to have met Preston Tucker -- and, Chris Smith of Chris Craft, and Connie Ray, of Sea Ray.

With respect to the three-rail hobby,  the tooling and manufacturing infrastructure that manufacturers such as Tucker, Chris Craft,  and the other similar companies developed in Michigan are likely one of the major reasons that Lionel moved to Chesterfield, MI during the last century.  That infrastructure  was very likely attractive to Lionel because of the considerable supply of skilled workers that could help design, manufacture, assemble and market the Lionel product.

I emailed Chris Miller of Miller Engineering asking if there were plans for Tucker Signs and his reply was a positive one. Not a yes or no.