Tucker - Great Cars

From the PBS series Great Cars. Just after World War II, Preston Tucker wanted to be the first automaker to introduce an entirely new car, not just a touched up pre-war model. Tucker set up shop in an old Dodge plant and got financial backing through stock and dealers. Despite his "futuristic" car models, the government thought Tucker was a swindler and began a lengthy investigation. Tucker and several of his employees were eventually charged but acquitted of mail fraud and conspiracy. By the time the trial was over, Tucker's hopes were shattered. Preston Tucker dared to dream the impossible dream. More at GreatCarsTV.com

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• tucker
• rare
• orphan
• classic
• experimental
• Preston
• car
• dodge

[devilred1971]

if you beat the big 3 they will put you out of business ''automaker mafia" at least ford didn't take the bailout though

[mrpitv]

@devilred1971 thanks for commenting. Ford did avoid taking a direct cash handout but benefited greatly from the bailout because without it, Ford's, and every other car makers' supply network would have collapsed and so would the banking system that propped them all up. They also were given cash infusions for various R&D efforts and were the biggest winners in the so-called "Cash for clunkers" program. Ford execs are the first to admit that it saved them all.

[neatoauctions]

The Tucker, it's been said, was conceived with an emphasis on safety, yet the car was designed with "suicide" doors. I wonder , why?

[mrpitv]

@neatoauctions the irony of it all.

[mrpitv]

Clearly the Tata influenced Tucker as did the streamlining fashion of the times.

[aleangelo]

this car is rare? i dont know much about teh car....have a expectative how many have?

[patsematary]

@neatoauctions: builders were more concerned by costs-revenues ratio,

marketing & sales.Safety,fuel consumption & environment and aerodynamics concepts on bodyworks were introduced (namely in USA) following state decrees & rules. Without Ralph Nader actions maybe car builders never reproject safe models,without the "moose hazard" complaint made by two Swedish journalists, Mercedes never fit EBD system on his class A models.

[unitedwetrance]

this car was so much ahead of its time...crazy what companies wuld do to get sales n drown small hardworking ppl like tucker

[galoon]

@galoon And Alex Tremulis, who designed the Tucker, is one of the most respected US auto designers. By the time he came to Tucker, he had extensive design experience with Auburn/Cord/Duesenberg, plus solid knowledge of aircraft design/aerodynamics, which he studied during WWII. He went to Ford after Tucker folded, and frequently published articles for Road & Track after retiring. He knew what he was doing when it came to aerodynamics, that's for sure!

[galoon]

@DanFrederiksen The 0.27 C/d figure for the Tucker is based on Alex Tremulis's coast tests that he conducted on the car--he was somewhat skeptical of the results too, so he rounded it up to 0.3 as a figure to give the public. Today's passenger cars are between 0.3 and about 0.5, so this is a pretty darn good C/d. Most US manufacturers in the '40s ignored anything related to aerodynamics!

[galoon]

@DanFrederiksen The Porsche figures sound about right; drag is greater with a spoiler because it's there to reduce lift (and thus keep that speed machine on the ground LOL!) Low drag is one of the reasons why the Tucker's modified helicopter engine could get 20mpg at 50mph, which was pretty good for that time--all US cars were big; that's what most of the public wanted. It took the Oil Crisis to change their minds!

[DanFrederiksen]

@galoon porsche drag coefficient is typically around 0.28 without spoiler and 0.31 with spoiler.

they claimed it was mathematically calculated. which seems unlikely at the time : )

probably more like pulled out of their ass : )

and yes aerodynamics is an absolutely critical parameter of a car when it comes to fuel efficiency and that all cars were that stupid large at the time is little excuse.