See an Original Tucker ’48 Motorcar on Display at Gilmore Car Museum

Tucker automobiles are an important part of automotive history in general and the industrial legacy of Washtenaw County in particular. [1]

This “Car of the Future” was the brainchild of a former General Motors clerk and later Packard dealership vice president Preson Tucker. Just after the end of World War II, he leased a Chicago plant formerly used for production by Chrysler Corporation and later to build B-29 bombers. He was gearing up to start a new car company that would manufacture a completely different kind of car. [2,3,4,5]

The Tucker Automobile Club of America substantiates this goal with the following list of specifications and features. [6]

• Engine: H-6 (horizontally opposed), ohv, 335 ci (4.50 x 3.50 in. bore x stroke), 7.0:1 compression ratio, 166 bhp, 372 lbs/ft torque
• 4-wheel independent Torsilastic suspension
• 4-speed manual, electronic pre-select transmission
• Pop-out safety glass windshield
• Padded dash and doors
• Upper doors cut into the roof line
• 6 volt positive ground electrical system

Exactly fifty “Tucker ’48” motorcars were originally produced, plus one prototype (referred to as “Tin Goose”). Before manufacturing could begin, a federal lawsuit was brought against Preston Tucker by the federal government accusing him of fraud, SEC violations, and conspiracy. A jury acquited him on all counts. [7,8,9,10,11]

Notwithstanding, the litigation process destroyed his access to necessary financing. And thus the company and the making of its sedans ended. [12]

All but a handful of the Preston Tucker cars still exist, about half of which available to be seen on public display. What you’ll see depends on where you go, of course. For example, it’s believed that more than a dozen Tucker ’48 automobiles have been repainted.

Fortunately, one of the best examples can be found right here in Michigan at the Gilmore Car Museum. Located more or less equadistant from either Battle Creek or Kalamazoo, it’s said to house nearly 400 vehicles displayed in approximately 190,000 square feet of display space. [13]

Tucker ’48 number 1047 has it original paint color — code 200 “Waltz Blue,” which was the choice for eighteen of the fifty. It’s currently located in the 1897 Campania Barn.

Gilmore Car Museum is located 110 miles west-northwest of Saline, although necessary travel on country roads for the last leg of the trip put travel time by car close to two hours.

References

1. “Tucker” Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum.
2. “Preston Tucker: Inducted 1999” Automotive Hall of Fame.
3. “Dec 26 This Day in History: 1956 – Carmaker Preston Tucker dies” History.
4. “An Open Letter from Preston Tucker” Preston Tucker (June 15, 1948) Tucker Automobile Club of America.
5. “The Tucker Was the 1940s Car of the Future” Abigail Tucker (December 2012) Smithsonian Magazine.
6. “Tucker 48 Specifications and Features” Tucker Automobile Club of America.
7. “The car is called the ‘Tucker ’48” (for its model year). It was only called the ‘Tucker Torpedo’ as it was being designed and promoted. Therefore no Tucker Torpedos were ever built” Fact Sheet, Tucker Automobile Club of America.
8. “The Cars” Tucker Automobile Club of America.
9. “Only 52 Tuckers Were Built, but Their Impact Is Still Felt” Dave Kinney (October 29, 2006) The New York Times.
10. “The Tucker Car Company: A Wreck Waiting to Happen?” (May 26, 2012) The History Rat.
11. “Jan 22, 1950: Jury Acquits Tucker of Fraud” Keith Barry (January 22, 2010) Wired.
12. “Whatever Happened to: Tucker?” Glenn Arlt (August 13, 2013) Historic Vehicle Association.
13. Gilmore Car Museum (home page).

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