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A 1948 Tucker Sedan at the Blackhawk Auto Museum.
A 1948 Tucker Sedan at the Blackhawk Auto Museum.
See also Preston Tucker

The 1948 Tucker Sedan or Tucker '48 Sedan (also nicknamed the Tucker Torpedo) was an advanced automobile conceived by Preston Tucker and briefly produced in Chicago in 1948. Preston Thomas Tucker ( September 21, 1903 &ndash December 26, 1956) was an American Automobile designer and entrepreneur Preston Thomas Tucker ( September 21, 1903 &ndash December 26, 1956) was an American Automobile designer and entrepreneur Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Only 51 examples were made before the company folded on March 3, 1949, amid allegations of fraud. Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In the broadest sense a fraud is a Deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual

Contents

Overview

After World War II, entrepreneurs like Henry J. Kaiser and Preston Tucker saw an opportunity to enter the automobile market. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Henry John Kaiser ( May 9, 1882 — August 24, 1967) was an American Industrialist who became known as the father of modern American Preston Thomas Tucker ( September 21, 1903 &ndash December 26, 1956) was an American Automobile designer and entrepreneur The United States government was auctioning off surplus factories and giving preference to upstarts rather than the large corporations that had benefitted from war production.

Studebaker was first with an all-new post-war model. Studebaker Corporation, or simply Studebaker, was a United States Wagon and Automobile manufacturer based in But Tucker took a different tack, designing a safety car with innovative features and modern styling. In Motorsport, a safety car or pace car is a car which limits the speed of competing cars on a racetrack in the case of a caution period such His specifications called for an air-cooled, flat 6 rear engine, disc brakes, fuel injection, the location of all instruments on the steering wheel, and a padded dashboard. In Automotive design, a RR, or Rear-engine, Rear-wheel drive layout is one which places both the engine and drive wheels at the rear The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a Wheel. Fuel injection is a system for mixing fuel with air in an Internal combustion engine.

Famed stylist Alex Tremulis, previously of Auburn/Cord/Duesenberg, was hired on December 24, 1946 and given just six days to finalize the design. Alexander Sarantos Tremulis (January 23 1914 in Chicago, United States - December 29, 1991 in Ventura California) was an industrial Auburn was a Brand name of American Automobiles produced from 1900 through 1936 Cord was the Brand name of a United States Automobile, manufactured by the Auburn Automobile Company from 1929 through 1932 and again Duesenberg was an Auburn Indiana based luxury Automobile company active in various forms from 1913 to 1937 and is most famous for their high-quality record-breaking Events 563 - The Byzantine church Hagia Sophia in Constantinople is dedicated for the second time after being destroyed by Earthquakes Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On December 31, 1946, Tucker approved the design, dubbed the Tucker Torpedo. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He had also hired another firm to create an alternate body, but only the horizontal taillight bar from that model appeared on the final car.

Innovative design

A Tucker '48 Sedan design patent illustration
A Tucker '48 Sedan design patent illustration[1]

The mechanical components were innovative. In the United States, a design patent is a Patent granted on the ornamental design of a functional item The perimeter frame surrounded the vehicle for crash protection. The steering box was behind the front axle to protect the driver in a front-end accident. But numerous Tucker innovations were dropped. Magnesium wheels, disc brakes, and a direct-drive torque converter transmission were all left on the drawing board. Magnesium (mægˈniːziəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Mg, Atomic number 12 Atomic weight 24 The disc brake or disk brake is a device for slowing or stopping the rotation of a Wheel. A torque converter is a modified form of Fluid coupling that is used to transfer rotating power from a prime mover, such as an Internal combustion engine

The car's innovative engine continued on the production path for a while longer, however. It was a flat-6 cylinder with hemispherical combustion chambers, fuel injection and overhead valves operated by oil pressure rather than a camshaft. flat-6 or horizontally-opposed-6 is a Flat engine with six Cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of three cylinders on each side of a central A Hemi engine (from hemisphere) is an Internal-combustion engine in which the Combustion chambers are of hemispherical form A combustion chamber is the part of an Engine in which Fuel is burned Fuel injection is a system for mixing fuel with air in an Internal combustion engine. An overhead valve (OHV engine, also called pushrod engine or I-head engine is a type of Piston engine that places the Camshaft The camshaft is an apparatus often used in Piston engines to operate Poppet valves It consists of a cylindrical rod running the length of the Cylinder bank These features would have been auto industry firsts in 1948, but as engine development proceeded, problems appeared. Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The large 589 in³ (9. 7 L) engine functioned, but the 150 hp (112 kW) motor's valvetrain proved problematic. The engine and Cord transmission were mounted on a separate subframe which could be lowered and removed in minutes with just six bolts removed—Tucker envisioned loaner engines being quickly swapped in for service.

The final car was only 60 in (1524 mm) tall, but was very roomy inside. It featured a directional third headlight, dubbed the "Cyclops Eye", for use in turns. In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, a cyclops (ˈsaɪklɒps or kyklops ( Greek) is a member of a primordial race of It lit up whenever the car was steered by more than 10 degrees. Tremulis' design was called the most aerodynamic in the world, and though it still sported pre-war type fenders, it was startlingly modern. The mathematically-computed drag coefficient was only 0. The drag coefficient ( Cd, Cx or Cw) is a Dimensionless quantity that describes how streamlined an 27, although for the public this figure was rounded up to 0. 30.

Troubled premiere

The world premiere of the much-hyped car was set for June 19, 1947. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Over 3,000 people showed up for launch, a train tour of the plant, and the unveiling in the main auditorium. The unveiling looked doomed, however, as last-minute problems with the car cropped up. The suspension snapped and the car would not move. Tucker ad-libbed on stage for two hours while emergency repairs were carried out. It was finally pushed onto a turntable by hand, and the curtain was lifted to thunderous applause. Tucker was joined on stage by his family, with his daughter smashing a champagne bottle on the "Cyclops Eye" and soaking her father. Champagne is a Sparkling wine produced by inducing the in-bottle Secondary fermentation of Wine to effect Carbonation. Also on stage were Tucker's engineers, still covered in grease from the last-minute repairs.

Tucker had promised 150 hp (112 kW), and his innovative 589 was not working out, so another engine was sourced. The company first tried the Lycoming aircraft engine but it would not fit in the car's rear engine compartment. For other meanings of ' Lycoming', please see Lycoming. The Lycoming engine was produced by Lycoming, one of the Errett The Franklin air-cooled helicopter flat-6 did fit, however, so Tucker purchased four samples for $5,000 each. The Franklin Engine Company was a manufacturer of aircraft engines Air-cooled engines rely on the circulation of air directly over hot parts of the Engine to cool them History Since 400 AD Chinese children have played with bamboo flying toys. flat-6 or horizontally-opposed-6 is a Flat engine with six Cylinders arranged horizontally in two banks of three cylinders on each side of a central The company's engineers converted it to a water-cooled design, and its 166 hp (124 kW) pleased Tucker. Water cooling is a method of Heat removal from components As opposed to Air cooling, Water is used as the heat transmitter He quickly bought the Franklin company to secure the engine source.

Another failed element of the prototypes was the Cord transmission, designed for front-engine/front wheel drive use. In Automotive design, a FF, or Front-engine, Front-wheel drive layout places both the engine and driven wheels at the front of It could not handle the power of the Franklin engine, so a new design was needed. The creator of the Buick Dynaflow transmission was called in, designing a special "Tuckermatic" transmission with only 27 parts, about 90 fewer than normal. Buick (ˈbjuːɪk is a Marque of automobile sold in the United States, Canada, China, Taiwan, Qatar, and This transmission caused more trouble, however, as the prototype lacked a reverse gear. A skeptical press reported that the car could not go backward, hurting its reputation.

Although it was well-funded, the company decided to raise more money in order to secure its future and credibility. $17,000,000 was raised in a stock issue, one of the first speculative IPOs. Initial public offering (IPO, also referred to simply as a "public offering" is when a company issues Common stock or shares to the public for the first Another money maker was the Tucker Accessories Program. Future buyers could purchase accessories, like seat covers, the radio, and luggage, before their car was built. This brought an additional $2,000,000 into the company.

With the final design in place, Preston Tucker took the pre-production cars on the road to show them in towns across the country. The cars were an instant success, with crowds gathering wherever they stopped. One report says that Tucker was pulled over by a police officer intent on getting a better look at the car.

Failure

Tucker Torpedo at Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, CA
Tucker Torpedo at Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, CA

One of Tucker's most innovative business ideas caused trouble for the company, however. His Accessories Program raised funds by selling accessories before the car was even in production. This concept was investigated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the United States Attorney, and led to an indictment of company executives. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (commonly known as the SEC) is an independent agency of the United States government which holds primary responsibility United States Attorneys (also known as federal prosecutors) represent the United States federal government in United States district court and In the Common law legal system an indictment (ɪnˈdaɪtmənt (in-DITE-mint is a formal accusation of having committed a criminal offense Although all charges were eventually dropped, the negative publicity destroyed the company and halted production of the car.

To counteract the bad press, Tucker again took the cars on the road. He scheduled a two-week public test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a few of the 37 cars that had been built. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway Indiana (an Enclave of Indianapolis) in the United States, is the home of the One car was rolled at 100 mph (160 km/h), and the driver walked away with just bruises. Public perception changed from outrage at Tucker's alleged misconduct to anger at the press and the government.

Today, the '48 Sedan has fame far greater than would be expected from its modest production run. Of the 51 cars built (50 production and 1 prototype), 47 still exist, the majority in excellent condition. When the cars appear at auction, they command prices attained by only a few marques. Car number 43 was recently sold for the record-setting price of $700,000. [2] Several other cars are prominently featured in automotive museums.

During the trouble Tucker faced while trying to promote his car and get it into production, he claimed that the "Big Three" automakers were deliberately attempting to sabotage his efforts, through the influence of Detroit Senator Homer Ferguson, who is commonly held responsible for initiating the SEC's pursuing of Tucker's business.

At one point in his life Mr. Tucker was admitted to a mental hospital.

Replica vehicles

In 1997, Rob Ida Automotive started work on a replica of the Tucker '48 Sedan, which culminated in the release and marketing of the 2001 Ida Automotive New Tucker '48. This replica faithfully recreates the Tucker's external bodywork, but is built on a hotrod chassis with plastic body panels. The paint and wheels reflect modern hotrod styling, and the interior is fully modern. It is powered by a rear-mounted Cadillac Northstar V8. Claimed performance is 0–60 in 7 seconds, with a top speed in excess of 120 mph. Ida has built three cars. [3]

The Tucker in popular culture

The Tucker story and legacy were recounted in the 1988 movie, Tucker: The Man and His Dream. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Tucker The Man and His Dream is a 1988 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Jeff Bridges which tells the story of Preston Starring Jeff Bridges, the film was produced by George Lucas and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is a four-time Academy Award -nominated American Actor and Musician. George Walton Lucas Jr (born May 14, 1944) is an Academy Award -winning American Film director, producer, Screenwriter Francis Ford "Frank" Coppola (born April 7, 1939) is a five-time Academy Award -winning American Film director,

In the 1991 Stephen King novel Needful Things, the antagonist, Leland Gaunt, owns a Tucker Talisman which is similar to the Torpedo but which Mr. Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American Author, Screenwriter, Musician, Columnist, Needful Things is a horror Novel by Stephen King and published in 1991. Gaunt says is "one of a kind," and has "been modified in some ways. "

In Frank Miller's Sin City graphic novel A Dame to Kill For, Ava Lord, the titular "dame" owns a Tucker which is subsequently stolen by Marv as a getaway car. Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American Writer, Artist and Film director best known for his dark Sin City is the title for a series of comics by Frank Miller, told in a Film noir -like style (now known as Neo noir) A Dame to Kill For is the second Sin City story and the first Sin City story to have its own comic Ava Lord is a fictional character in Frank Miller 's Sin City universe, the title character in the graphic novel A Dame To Kill This article is about the fictional character For other uses see Marv (disambiguation.

In The White Stripes' song "The Big Three Killed My Baby" there is a reference to the Tucker Torpedo. The White Stripes is an American Garage rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. " The Big Three Killed My Baby " is the third track on The White Stripes, the eponymous debut of the Detroit Michigan Garage rock

In Tom Waits' song "Trouble's Braids" one of the many malfeasant actions taken by the protagonist is ". Thomas Alan Waits (born 7 December 1949) is an American Singer-songwriter, Composer, and Actor. . . build[ing] a fire in the skeleton back seat of an old Tucker. "

In the computer game Harvester, everyone in the town drives a Tucker. Harvester is a controversial point-and-click adventure Computer game.

In Star Wars: Episode III, the flying car that Senator Organa drives intentionally bears a resemblance to a Tucker. Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith is a 2005 Space opera Film written and directed by George Lucas.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ U.S. Design Patent no. 154,192 , P. The Studebaker Avanti was a sports Coupe originally built by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend Indiana, USA between June The Bricklin SV-1 was a Gull-wing door Sports car assembled in Saint John New Brunswick. The NSU Ro 80 was a technologically advanced large sedan -type Automobile produced by the German firm of NSU from 1967 until 1977 Below is a list of defunct United States automobile manufacturers from the 1800s to the present T. Tucker, Design for an Automobile, June 14, 1949
  2. ^ The Tucker Automobile Club of America
  3. ^ "Better Than The Real Thing - Tucker 48"; Car Audio and Electronics

References

External links

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