The Tucker Automobile

The 1948 Tucker was dreamt up by Preston Thomas Tucker and designed by Alex Tremulis. This was one of the last attempts made by a small enterprise to break into large volume car production. This car was said to be "The first new car in 50 years". Many people felt that a car this great wasn't possible. The many new innovations in the car were always surrounded by controversy. The car seemed to be doomed, and it was.

Much of the appeal of the Tucker was the man behind it. Preston Thomas Tucker was always obsessed with cars, as long as anyone could remember. Tucker was born on September 21, 1903 in Capac, Michigan. He spent his childhood in car repair garages and used car lots. He worked as an office boy at Cadillac, a policeman in Lincoln, Illinois; he even worked at Ford motor company for a while. After he attended Cass Technical School in Detroit, Tucker became a salesman and went to work for Studebaker, then Stutz, Chrysler, and later became regional manager for Pierce-Arrow.

During WWII the automotive industry was focused on the war effort. There were no new models of cars produced for over four years, and people needed a new car. Any new car. Tucker thought that the time was right to make his move. He formed the Tucker Corporation for the Production of Automobiles in 1946.

Tucker wanted the old Dodge plant in Chicago. Its main building was the largest under one roof. During WWII B29 engines were built in the plant. The War Assets Administration leased him the plant under the understanding that he could have $15 million capital by March of the following year. Tucker moved into the plant in July and started work on his prototype immediately.

The corporation needed money desperately and Tucker realized backing from businessmen would cause him to lose almost all control over his company. This was not an option for him so he started brainstorming for ideas, and got one. Franchising. He began selling dealership franchises, and quickly raised $6 million to be held in escrow until the car was delivered.

The dealerships seemed suspicious to the SEC. This caused them to put Tucker under investigation. This was the first of many to span the next three years.

The franchise agreements were rewritten to satisfy the SEC. Soon after that Tucker experienced his first serious obstacle, Wilson Wyatt. The head of the national housing agency who ordered the WAA to cancel Tucker's lease and to turn the plant over to the Lustron corporation to build pre-fabricated houses. In the end Tucker got to keep his plant, but made some enemies in Washington.

The WAA extended his %15 million cash deadline to July first and senator George Malone of Nevada began his own investigation of the SEC.

Tucker still had a prototype to finish. In December of 1946 he called on Alex Tremulis to design his car and have it built in one hundred days. The engineers working on the project couldn't get any clay so they beat the design out of sheet iron. The first car; completely handmade was nicknamed "The Tin Goose".

The Tucker '48 debuted to the