1948 Tucker
"The Car of Tomorrow, Today"
On Loan from Debbie Hall
Engine |
Flat opposed, 6 cyl |
Assembled in |
Chicago, IL |
Bore & Stroke |
4.5 x 3.5 inches |
Number Built |
51 |
Displacement |
335 cu in |
Transmission |
4-speed manual |
Valves |
L-head |
Fuel Economy |
25 mpg |
Horsepower |
166 @ 3200 rpm |
Top speed |
120 mph |
Wheelbase |
128 inches |
Cost new |
$2450 |
Weight |
4235 lbs. |
Other |
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The only American car that received more publicity than the
Kaiser in the post World War II years was the Tucker Torpedo.
Preston Tucker was determined to build a new car with more
forward-looking features - "the first completely new car in
fifty years" as the Tucker brochures stated. At his side, the
flamboyant Tucker had Alex Tremulis, the renowned auto stylist
who had learned his craft from E.L. Cord. The original design
for the new car featured a center placed steering wheel and front
fenders that would turn with the wheels. In the original design,
the car used a horizontally opposed engine with hydraulically
actuated valves, and an integrated crankshaft driving an automatic
transmission. This engine could not be made functional in time for
production, so a Franklin helicopter engine, modified from air to
liquid cooling, was used to drive a redesigned Cord front wheel drive
transmission replacing the Turnermatic (which was not developed in
time to be installed in the production Tuckers).
In place of the moving front fenders, Tucker installed a third headlight
that turned with the steering wheel. The "Cyclops Eye" headlight was just
one of several safety features that were placed in the Tucker. The dash
area was padded, the windshields could be popped out, and all controls were
grouped in front of the driver. The area ahead of the front seat, called
the Safety Chamber, was a large carpeted box that driver and front seat
occupants could drop into if a crash was imminent. Tucker had considered
safety belts, but they were abandoned because designers felt that they
might imply his car was unsafe. The disc brakes planned for the car were
abandoned because of cost, but the car retained all-independent suspension
and tubular shocks. Though not built with uni-body construction like
Hudson, the Tucker had a step down passenger compartment, which gave the
car a very low center of gravity. This, in turn, allowed the 4200-pound
car to handle surprisingly well.
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