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Tucker '48 (Torpedo)

'48 (Torpedo)
Vehicle Model

A car produced by Tucker in 1948.  Often simply known as a Tucker because it was the only car the automaker produced.  Commonly known as the Tucker Torpedo based on what was supposed to be its intended name, but as only the name "Tucker '48" made it into marketing materials that is what is known as its official name to many automobile enthusiasts.

The car's production was the subject of the 1988 film Tucker: The Man and His Dream starring Jeff Bridges as Preston Tucker.

Justin Cole of Benchmark Classics (Madison, Wisconsin) built a convertible Tucker that is said to have been originally developed by the factory but whose authenticity is debated by the Tucker Automobile Club of America.  Crittenden Automotive Library advisor John Walczak has a connection to this car, having seen the vehicle in the early 1970's along with engineering drawings for a converible bearing the Tucker Corporation's stamp.  The restored convertible was bid to $1.5M at the January 2010 Russo & Steele auction but did not meet the reserve.

Page Sections Article Index Documents Photographs

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Documents

Date	Document Name & Details	Documents
14 June 1949 grant date	Design for an Automobile United States Patent USD 154,192 Preston T. Tucker for Tucker Corporation	PDF - 132KB - 4 pages
19 September 1958 filing date	Jay E. Darlington vs. Studebaker-Packard Corporation Appellant's Brief and Appendix United States Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit	PDF - 3.2MB - 85 pages

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Photographs

	Photo ©2002 Heidi Walczak View photo of 1948 Tucker Torpedo - 846KB
	Photo ©2002 Heidi Walczak View photo of 1948 Tucker Torpedo - 866KB
	Photo ©2002 Heidi Walczak View photo of 1948 Tucker Torpedo - 750KB
	Photo ©2002 Heidi Walczak View photo of 1948 Tucker Torpedo - 769KB
	#46 Photo ©2003 Heidi Walczak June 11, 2003 View photo of 1948 Tucker Torpedo #46 - 775KB
	#46 Photo ©2003 Heidi Walczak June 11, 2003 View photo of 1948 Tucker Torpedo #46 - 812KB
	#46 Photo ©2003 Heidi Walczak June 11, 2003 View photo of 1948 Tucker Torpedo #46 - 867KB
	#46 Photo ©2003 Heidi Walczak June 11, 2003 View photo of 1948 Tucker Torpedo #46 - 900KB
	#46 Photo ©2003 Heidi Walczak June 11, 2003 View photo of 1948 Tucker Torpedo #46 - 741KB
	Convertible (Under Construction in 2009) Photo ©2009 John Walczak Photo Courtesy Photo ©2009 John Walczak All Rights Reserved.  Used with permission. View photo of the Tucker Torpedo Convertible - 1,565KB
	Convertible (Under Construction in 2009) Photo ©2009 John Walczak Photo Courtesy Photo ©2009 John Walczak All Rights Reserved.  Used with permission. View photo of the Tucker Torpedo Convertible - 1,654KB
	Convertible (Under Construction in 2009) Photo ©2009 John Walczak Photo Courtesy Photo ©2009 John Walczak All Rights Reserved.  Used with permission. View photo of the Tucker Torpedo Convertible - 1,679KB
	Convertible (Under Construction in 2009) Photo ©2009 John Walczak Photo Courtesy Photo ©2009 John Walczak All Rights Reserved.  Used with permission. View photo of the Tucker Torpedo Convertible - 499KB
	Convertible (Under Construction in 2009) Photo ©2009 John Walczak Photo Courtesy Photo ©2009 John Walczak All Rights Reserved.  Used with permission. View photo of the Tucker Torpedo Convertible - 1,956KB
	Convertible (Under Construction in 2009) Photo ©2009 John Walczak Photo Courtesy Photo ©2009 John Walczak All Rights Reserved.  Used with permission. View photo of the Tucker Torpedo Convertible - 1,615KB
	Convertible (Under Construction in 2009) Photo ©2009 John Walczak Photo Courtesy Photo ©2009 John Walczak All Rights Reserved.  Used with permission. View photo of the Tucker Torpedo Convertible - 1,269KB
	Convertible (Under Construction in 2009) Photo ©2009 John Walczak Photo Courtesy Photo ©2009 John Walczak All Rights Reserved.  Used with permission. View photo of the Tucker Torpedo Convertible - 1,434KB
	Convertible (Under Construction in 2009) Photo ©2009 John Walczak Photo Courtesy Photo ©2009 John Walczak All Rights Reserved.  Used with permission. View photo of the Tucker Torpedo Convertible - 1,609KB
	Convertible (Under Construction in 2009) Photo ©2009 John Walczak Photo Courtesy Photo ©2009 John Walczak All Rights Reserved.  Used with permission. View photo of the Tucker Torpedo Convertible - 1,638KB
	Convertible (Under Construction in 2009) Photo ©2009 John Walczak Photo Courtesy Photo ©2009 John Walczak All Rights Reserved.  Used with permission. View photo of the Tucker Torpedo Convertible - 1,560KB

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Article Index

Date	Article	Author/Source
17 October 2014	The American Automobile Industry that Almost Was	Bill Crittenden

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