The strange story of the one and only Tucker Convertible
09/29/2012
The Tucker 48 "Torpedo" from 1947 was made famous by Coppola's film. It was the unsuccessful vision of Preston Tucker that became reality. A total of 52 Tucker vehicles are documented: the prototype called "Tin Goose", 50 pre-production vehicles and a car built later from existing parts. Some time ago, number 53 appeared and caused confusion in the scene. Benchmark-Classics offers a convertible. A previously unknown derivative or a clumsy fake?
Let's start with the facts. After the completion of the 1 plus 50 vehicles and the closure of the factory, around eight more cars could have been built with the available parts. But only two more vehicles are known: Nos. 1051 and 1057. Here are the details:
No. 1051 was completed in the eighties from the above-mentioned liquidation fund. It is therefore regarded as the last No. 52 car, but no longer under Tucker's responsibility. Incidentally, the numbering starts at 1000 (prototype). Therefore, No. 1051 is the 52nd car, which is located in New Jersey, USA and is privately owned.
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Preston Tucker was already thinking about the future. Consequently, he was already working on the successor, to be known as the Tucker 49. Chassis number 1057 was therefore built as an experimental vehicle. In photos taken immediately after the factory closure, the incomplete body can be recognized by the striking panoramic rear window.
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It was criticized for its poor rearward visibility. However, this successor car was never completed and its whereabouts are unknown. It was presumably sold to parts dealers together with the rest of the liquidation mass.
Vera is the first name of Tucker's wife. As she fully supported her husband in his goals, she was also allowed to exert some influence. For example, body color no. 200 "Waltz Blue" is her favorite color, which she was allowed to mix herself. But we also know that Mrs. Tucker downright hated convertibles. It is therefore more than unlikely that Preston Tucker wanted to build a convertible. His wife would not have given him her blessing.
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However, because there were still enough components left over for other cars, these could be used to build the ominous convertible. In addition to the 52 known Tucker vehicles and the incomplete limousines mentioned above, there are also other examples. For example, dummies were built for Francis Ford Coppola's 1988 film to preserve the original vehicles used on set. Tucker fans also built their own cars because they couldn't afford an original. These are replicas on the technical basis of US road cruisers from later years, but they are usually incomplete (e.g. without an exact reproduction of the interior). At least two open versions were built from these. A blue and a red convertible made of fiberglass. However, none of these vehicles are ever referred to as originals.
The authenticity of a fully restored Tucker convertible is more than controversial. The current owner, Benchmark Classics, Madison, USA, says that the base is the lost Experimental Chassis No. 1057, i.e. the Tucker 49 with panoramic rear window. There are markings all over the parts that point to this. However, there is no evidence for this claim. Benchmark has an affidavit from the (unknown) previous owner. In it, a certain Bernie says that he had to cut open a vehicle at the factory. Designer Alex Tremulis also confirms that a car was cut open. However, the original text in English says nothing about a convertible. Presumably the cutting open refers to the rear section of number 1057 to make room for the panoramic windshield. On the basis of photos, it can be seen that number 1057 was still standing around in the factory with a fixed roof and cut-out panorama window when it was already closed.
According to other documents from Benchmark-Classics, the Convertible was not credibly sighted until 1966. Undated color photos show the car in a disassembled state under a pile of parts in a garage before restoration. It is therefore definitely untrue that 1057 was converted into a convertible under Tucker. Quintessence: it could actually be number 1057. But then the car was subsequently converted into a convertible between 1948 and 1966. And is therefore only half original and by no means a previously unknown project under Tucker.
The highest authority, the TACA (Tucker Automobiles Club of America), assumes that it is probably an original base and perhaps the lost number 1057. The engine, chassis and front end are genuine. However, it is assumed that the rest, i.e. the rear end and the hood construction, were not initiated by Preston Tucker. Incidentally, the TACA is very open when a new Tucker appears. Especially because there are still four examples and the remaining parts mentioned, the exact fate of which is unknown or only partially known. However, in the case of the Convertible, there seems to be reasonable doubt and it is being denied official authorization.
Benchmark Automobiles has a big problem as a result. They want to sell the Tucker as the eighth wonder of the world in the 1 - 1.3 million dollar range. But if it is only half a real Tucker, the most you could ask for is a quarter of that. This is what happened with chassis no. 1046, which is equipped with Mercury technology and therefore only fetched 207,000 dollars at an eBay auction in 2007.
If you want to know more, you can find out more about the convertible on a specially created homepage . The official statement from the TACA can be found on their website. And the entire Tucker story with the whereabouts of each individual car can of course be found on Zwischengas.
