PARKER, Colo. The Tucker ’48 is one of the most mysterious, and perhaps fabled, cars to roll out of an American factory. Of the 51 built, only 47 remain. Four have been destroyed.
Keith and Eileen Carpenter are the proud owners of Tucker No. 1017, and what a beauty it is. A friend of theirs owned the car for nearly 20 years and at his death, the car was sold to Fred Hunter of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and he restored it from “a complete rust bucket,” as Carpenter described it.
“They had to cut the front apart and completely redo it,” Carpenter said. “It was horrible, horrible, horrible.” After Hunter’s death, the Carpenters bought the car from his wife. That was about three years ago.
The Carpenter’s Tucker is possibly one of the nicest ones in existence. Look underneath, and the car’s chassis is as shiny and spotless as the dark green paint on the body. Carpenter beams with pride as he shows it off.
The Carpenters also own several pieces of Tucker literature, not to mention Tucker movie posters and original dealership banners that decorate the showroom that is their garage. They also have an extra engine, several Tucker models, new-old stock radios and seat covers in original boxes. They also have fitted Tucker luggage.
“We hit the jackpot on this luggage,” Carpenter said. “A lady called and asked if we would like to buy a set of luggage. She said her mother-in-law was in a care home, and she asked, ‘Mom, what did you ever do with that set of luggage that you bought when you looked at the Tucker?’”
“It’s upstairs in the closet, in the original boxes,” she said. Now the Carpenters have it.
The “Car of Tomorrow,” as Preston Tucker called it, has an almost mythical quality about it. Tucker was a visionary man, and the company he created exploded onto the automotive scene like Fourth of July fireworks. But like a rocket, the company’s bright launch soon fizzled.
The Tucker car was unique. The aerodynamic shape and the third headlight that turned with the front wheels when the car went around a corner made it instantly recognizable.
It had advanced safety features, such as seatbelts, a padded dash, a built-in rollbar and a pop-out windshield. All were years ahead of their time.
Power comes from a rear-mounted Franklin six-cylinder, air-cooled helicopter engine that was converted to water cooling. The transmission was a modified Cord preselector unit called the Y-1.
To raise money for production, Tucker encouraged customers to buy a radio, seat covers or fitted luggage in advance of their car purchase. The Securities and Exchange Commission investigated and a heavily publicized stock fraud trial ensued. Tucker was acquitted, but the damage had been done. Some speculate that the Big Three automakers conspired to undermine Tucker as well.
The company folded, but the legend lives on, and cars such as the one owned by the Carpenters show why the Tucker will always be regarded as a very special automobile.
