Words By Dionysis Nanos
After suffering with an internet connection that can only be described as the network equivalent of a sigh of disappointment for the better part of three weeks I’m finally back. Keep the flowers and the drinks for later though as it’s time to wrap up the third and final installment of the story of a car many didn’t want to even exist (more on that later). Last time we looked at the history of the Tucker we were just about to unveil it after many setbacks and some obscure manufacturing techniques, like using second hand transmissions and helicopter engines (really, check the other two parts if you haven’t already… I’m waiting), meant that the car’s reveal to the public not only was overdue but it also needed to be perfect. Well about that…
More than three thousand people turned up at Tucker’s factory in June 1947 to see the unveiling of this hyped and futuristic car. They went on a tour around the factory and saw the place were this revolutionary new thing was going to be built… while said revolutionary thing was having trouble being an actual car. See, there were many problems with the prototype that was unveiled. To start, the night before the actual unveiling the suspension on both prototypes collapsed under the immense weight of the cars, which was far bigger than that of production 48s to be fair. And like that wasn’t enough, the engine that powered the prototype 48s was the original 589, meaning that the car was so loud during the presentation that Preston Tucker famously told the band to play as loud as they could to hide the noise. Also when the car went on stage the coolant boiled over and steam came out of the car, not to mention that because the car needed an external power source that was powerful enough to start it, it was running the entire time so the public wouldn’t see how hard it was to start it. Needless to say the presentation was a disaster. Many journalists called Tucker a fraud, ignoring the fact that the car was rushed and developed under immense pressure. And it wasn’t only bad press that plagued Tucker.
A shell of a 48. This picture was probably taken after the company went bankrupt.
Apparently, The Big Three, namely General Motors, Ford and Chrysler to be exact weren’t too keen on a new competitor entering the market, especially at a time when car sales were expected to skyrocket as returning veterans would want a new car. But, to speak with facts, there is no official report of one of the companies mentioned above ever having anything to do with Tucker’s demise. But, one of the people that were strongly opposed to Preston Tucker was US Senator Homer S. Ferguson, who allegedly had very close ties to GM. Nevertheless, there are different opinions on the matter, with quite a few saying that The Big Three didn’t have to do anything to bring Preston Tucker down, as he was already on his way to hit a brick wall at full speed. Enter the criminal charges.
In order to get the car and the company going, Tucker had to sell stocks, and not only that but he also came up with a plan to secure further funding from dealerships, the Accessories Program, according to which you could buy accessories for your new 48 before it actually arrived, helping the company get more money in the process. Problem is that the months were passing and the company was struggling to make any cars at all, leading many to believe that Preston Tucker wasn’t interested in making a car, but rather to line his pockets with cold hard cash. The US Security And Exchange Commission launched a secret investigation in 1948 into Tucker, which lead to Tucker himself being charged with fraud in 1949. Production of the cars was halted and even though all charges were dropped a year later, in the process Tucker lost all his money and most importantly, he lost his dream. Only 6 years after that he would die from cancer.
A man and his dream…
After Tucker went bust, a fairgrounds owner called Nick Jenin bought ten 48s, the prototype rolling chassis, an assortment of parts and many photos and documents, and set up a rolling exhibition called “The Fabulous Tuckers”; an exhibition that would go on for ten whole years and that let people get a glimpse of what could have been the American car of the century. Nowadays Tuckers have a loyal following and even though they don’t go on sale all that often, but when they do they go for astronomical amounts in the many millions, something that I’m sure makes Preston Tucker smile and laugh somewhere…
Tucker then. A company created by a man with a dream to make a car so radically ahead of its time that it failed to win the hearts of the people of the time it was created. They battled it, they almost destroyed it, but at the end of the day the dream of Preston Tucker lives on and will live on and his car will forever be a myth of the automotive industry, and just for that we thank you Preston Tucker. Now if only the car would start on its own…