TUCKER CAR: We hope you’re not “tuckered” out by our reports on
the Tucker Automobile. We’ve had a couple reports already this week
but have one more cache of Tucker memorabilia to report on
today.

Clayt Vecellio stopped by and showed us a carload of framed
photographs of old Tucker cars, and an armload of other material
ranging from Tucker stationery to calendars to magazine
reports.

The calendar, actually from 1993, shows a model stretched out
over the hood of a Tucker car which really shows off the assets of
this unique vehicle (not to mention the model).

The notation says, “Conceived in a barn, Preston Tucker’s ‘car
of the future’ fulfilled his dream for a faster, safer vehicle —
with aerodynamic styling, pop-out safety windows, seatbelts and
disc brakes. While only 50 Tuckers were ever made, the innovations
they introduced are standard in today’s car.”

A 1991 calendar (also with picture of beautiful blue Tucker)
adds some information to our growing pool of information: “Preston
Tucker used the money he made from the invention of a World War II
gun turret to build this futuristic machine designed by Alex
Tremulis. Tucker loved automobiles and race cars and his Torpedo
could do 0-to-60 in 10 seconds with a top speed over 120 mph.”

The information says it had a “helicopter engine” but we’ve been
told it was a jet engine.

The car pictured was valued at $275,000 at the time of the
calendar publication. Imagine its current worth!

Other material indicates that the location of the No. 1018
Tucker — the one owned by George McKinney of Bradford — was
unknown, but that data is obviously dated since the Tucker
aficionados can now account for much of this vehicle which slammed
into a tree and was largely demolished.

Clayt’s material confirms some of the controversy surrounding
Mr. Tucker’s vehicle and the man himself.

Some indicates the car handled like a dream and could take 100
mph with no trouble. Another report called the car’s handling a
joke, and suggested that Tucker was a fraud. Other sources say that
Tucker’s dream was derailed by car executives in Detroit who
perceived the Tucker as a threat to their dominance.

Whatever the truth, our walk through Tucker-ville has been
fascinating.