Memories of Tucker and his visionary cars of the future
01/05/2011
The movie "Tucker - The Man and his Dream", which some may still remember, starring Jeff Bridges as the visionary car manufacturer, depicts the rise and fall of the Tucker car company. The movie is a fairly accurate historical depiction of the actual events. The man Tucker and his advanced vehicles/prototypes did indeed exist. The Tucker vehicles impressed with their aerodynamic design and a variety of future-oriented design ideas. For example, the engine was installed in the rear in favor of a large trunk that could be easily packed at the front, and instead of a large and heavy six or eight-cylinder engine, a helicopter engine was used. In many ways, the car represented the future of motoring in the 1940s. Marketing and sales were correspondingly euphoric and it is not surprising that many potential buyers were found in the USA who put down a deposit on this revolutionary car. But even in Europe and Switzerland, for example, drivers who believed in the future paid the not inconsiderable deposit ... and werenever tosee their vehicle. This was not primarily due to the vehicle's problems. Although it would certainly not have been easy to live with a car without reverse gear or to deal with a not insignificant loss of oil, it was the major US car manufacturers and politicians who, in addition to the not unexpected financial problems, put an end to the Tucker.
The picture shows promotional material that can be found in the 1948 AR catalog.
