Vintage cars are cool to look at, cool to sit in, and cool to drive. There is something magical about looking at a vehicle that was made thirty, forty, fifty or more years ago. The care and love that a person has put into restoring a car, or in maintaining one, can be interesting as well. Compared to the cars that are being built today, some of the old ones are literally works of art, both in the way they look and in the way they drive. Today’s Family First Site looks at a vintage car that never quite made it into production, but was years ahead of it’s time.
The automobile I am talking about is the Tucker ’48, or the Tucker Torpedo. The website is called The Tucker Automobile Pages. It is the website for anything and everything related to this car, and is the official site of the Tucker Automobile Club of America. Preston Tucker was a car-crazy kid who hung around auto speedways and grew up to create his automobile that was years ahead of its time. His pioneering spirit, ingenuity and daring revolutionized Detroit in the 1940s with his stunning “Car of Tomorrow.” It was streamlined, futuristic and fast, the car every American dreamed of owning, at a price most people could afford. Tucker publicized his model all over the country to wild acclaim. He sold stock, set up a factory . . . and the rest is history. His story was told in the movie “Tucker: The Man and His Dream”.
In reality, only 51 Tuckers were built, and only 47 of them survive. At this website you can see where each and everyone is located. There is information about the car club, memorabilia, club meetings and conventions, a detailed history of the car, and a forum/bulletin board to discuss everything Tucker-related. There are also links where you can get your own Tucker replicas, from a small die cast versions, to a full scale, working, drive-down-the-road reproductions which are made from fiberglas casts used in the movie.
Preston Tucker was the embodiment of America. He had an idea, he used his resources to make that idea a reality, and his success and failure is what makes the story so interesting. This is a wonderful site for a wonderful car.
http://www.tuckerclub.org/
