What is the history of the Tucker automobile and why was it important?
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. Only 51 cars were made before the company folded on March 3, 1949, due to negative publicity initiated by the Big Three.Overview After World War II, entrepreneurs like Henry J. Kaiser and Preston Tucker saw an opportunity to enter the automobile market. The United States government was auctioning off surplus factories and giving preference to startup companies rather than the large corporations that had benefited from war production. Studebaker was first with an all-new post-war model. But Tucker took a different tack, designing a safety car with innovative features and modern styling. 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. Famed stylist Alex Tremulis, previously of Auburn/Cord/Duese
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. Only 51 cars were made before the company folded on March 3, 1949, due to negative publicity initiated by the Big Three. Sources: http://en.wikipedia.
