WANTED!

Please contact us at HCL@TuckerClub.org.

(Image credit: Tucker Topics, Vol. 38, No. 11)

Merry Christmas!

Vintage Tucker Corporation Christmas Card (featuring the "Tin Goose")



(Image credit: Jay Follis)

Vote for Tucker No. 1039 in the Smithsonian's "Race to the Museum"

Tucker No. 1039, "America's Tucker"

The Smithsonian has announced its "Race to the Museum" poll, where you can vote on 2 cars from the Smithsonian's holdings to be placed on public display in the Smithsonian Museum on the Mall in Washington, DC from January 22 to February 21, 2011.  Among the 8 candidates for consideration is Tucker No. 1039.  Attendees at the 2007 TACA convention in Washington, DC will recall getting a rare, behind-the-scenes look at No. 1039 at the Smithsonian's warehouse in suburban Maryland (or was it Virginia?).  Before that, it was most recently on long-term loan to the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, CA for several years.

You may not be aware that TACA was instrumental in getting No. 1039 transferred to the Smithsonian after it was seized by the Drug Enforcement Agency in the early 1990s.  The Tucker '48 is at the top of many movie car lists, and it would be wonderful to see it back on public display in the nation's capital (the Smithsonian gets 5 million annual visitors)!

Voting in the "Race to the Museum" began on December 21, 2010, and ends on January 11, 2011.  Click here to vote now, and pass this information along to other Tucker fans!

UPDATE 12/23/10 1:15 PM:  There is now a link to vote on the TACA website.  The Tucker is now in second place and only the top 2 vote-getters will win.  VOTE NOW!


Results as of December 23, 2010


(Post credit: Jay Follis, Kit Fox and Smithsonian website; photo credit: Smithsonian website)

Tucker Road Trip, Day 9

Now we swoop diagonally across the country to the San Diego Automotive Museum in San Diego, CA on the next leg of the Tucker Road Trip.  Our quarry is Tucker No. 1019, a beautiful, privately-owned example that has been on long-term loan to the museum for several years.

Tucker No. 1019

The San Diego Automotive Museum is located in San Diego's Balboa Park, a lush complex of art, cultural and historic museums and structures (including the world-famous San Diego Zoo) that were originally erected for the California Pacific International Exposition of 1935.

The original idea of creating an automotive museum in Balboa Park came from Briggs Cunningham, the renowned automobile collector and racer. The idea circulated for many years until an inspired group of local automotive enthusiasts propelled the idea forward. In 1979 the San Diego City Council first considered the issue and in 1980 they gave unanimous approval to the museum and granted a long term lease for one of the historic buildings in Balboa Park.

The San Diego Automotive Museum is located at 2080 Pan American Plz., San Diego CA 92101.  For more information, see the museum's website.

(Sources: http://www.tuckerclub.org/, http://www.sdautomuseum.org/)

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credit: TACA website)

Tucker Topics, Volume 38, No. 11

Check your mailbox for the latest issue of Tucker Topics, our award-winning print newsletter.  This month you'll find.articles about Tuckers and Tucker fans "down under," including the new owner of Tucker No. 1045 and Australian TACA member Brendan Edgerton.  You can also catch up on the latest regarding "barn find" Tucker No. 1010 and the new Model 'A' Ford Museum coming to the Gilmore Car Museum campus (home of the Tucker Historical Collection and Library).

(Post credit: Kit Fox)

It's Winter for (Most) Tuckers!

...except for No. 1035 in Sao Paulo, Brazil and

No. 1045 in Melbourne, Australia,

which are both welcoming Summer!

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credits: TACA website)

When They're Gone, They're Gone....

TACA's eBay store (ShopTACA) has a special on end-of-run embroidered denim shirts at just-reduced "blow-out" prices of $18.50 each (including shipping).  You can choose from a Tucker '48 in MAROON or (Vera Tucker's favorite) WALTZ BLUE.  Once these are gone, they will  not be re-ordered.  Be sure to buy yours soon!

Click here to see all of ShopTACA's current offerings--they make great gifts!

(PS - This is our 50th post!)

(Post credit: Jay Follis and Kit Fox; photo credit: eBay)

10 Tuckers in 10 Days

TACA member Brendan Edgerton shares another episode of Blokes in Sheds, this one focusing on his cross-country road trip with TACA Historian Martyn Donaldson from Los Angeles, CA to Atlanta, GA (and back) earlier this year.

(Post credit: Kit Fox; video credit: Brendan Edgerton and YouTube)

Tucker Road Trip, Day 8

Tucker No. 1016

From our last stop, it's a short jaunt to see Tucker No. 1016 on the next leg of the Tucker Road Trip.  The world-famous Henry Ford Museum is located in Dearborn, MI.  The museum is located at 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, MI 48124.  Check the museum website for more information.

No. 1016 is only one of the many automotive gems among the museum's holdings (and, unfortunately, is not very well displayed, in our opinion).  TACA members will recall seeing it at our 2008 convention in Ypsilanti, MI.  However, the Henry Ford Museum encompasses a dizzying array of automotive and cultural artifacts of American history, including Greenfield Village.  Also nearby is Ford's Rouge Assembly Plant, and Preston Tucker's hometown of Ypsilanti, MI is located only a few miles to the west along I-94 (be sure to visit the site of Tucker's home at 110 N. Park St., Ypsilanti, MI).

(Sources: http://www.tuckerclub.org/, http://www.hfmgv.org/)

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credit: TACA website)

Blokes in Sheds with Tucker No. 1045

Check out this video of Tucker No. 1045, hosted by TACA member Brendan Edgerton.

(Post credit: Kit Fox; video credit: Brendan Edgerton and YouTube)

Happy Hanukkah!

TACA wishes you mazel tov

on this first night of the

Festival of Lights!

(Post credit: Kit Fox; image credit: Microsoft clip art)

This Month in Tucker History

1946 - The January 1946 issue of PIC Magazine featured a story by Charles T. Pearson, a freelance automotive reporter, about the revolutionary “Tucker Torpedo” automobile on the drawing board. But it was the December 1946 “Tucker Torpedo” story in Science Illustrated that gave many their first look at Preston Tucker’s dream car and a real sense he was serious. A photo showed the George Lawson designed “Torpedo On Wheels” that looked “more like a Buck Rogers Special” than any auto of its day.

1946 - Just two days after Christmas 1946, and within days of seeing the story, automotive designer Alex Tremulis called Preston Tucker and asked for an interview. They met the very next day for a 15-minute meeting that turns into three hours, and ends with Alex landing a styling consultant contract for his employer, the design firm of Tammen and Denison of Chicago. On New Year’s Eve, just four days later, Alex had already finished several drawings and presents them to Preston Tucker. This meeting lost Tammen and Denison the Tucker contract as Preston hired Alex outright and appointed him Tucker Corporation Styling Chief.

1947 - By December 1947, all in-house work on the “Tucker 589” engine was canceled as the results proved to be “completely unsatisfactory” and the company began exploring other engine options with outside firms. Contracts were signed with Hoffman Motor Development Company of Detroit, MI, who would build six engines, as well as with Ex-Cello-O Fuel Injection Systems, who proposed adapting a Jacobs Aircraft Engine for use in the Tucker. The Ypsilanti Machine and Tool Company, owned by Preston’s mother, pursued yet another engine. The Ypsi group worked on converting four Aircooled Motors-built “Franklin 335” helicopter engines purchased from Bell Aircraft from air-cooled to water-cooled. In the end, these projects paid off well and they found the engine to power the new Tucker ’48 – the converted Franklin 335.

1956 - The month of December also marks great sadness in Tucker history and we mourn the loss of three true pioneers. On the day after Christmas 1956, Preston Tucker passed away of lung cancer. Stylist Alex Tremulis passed away in December 1991, followed by the death of Tucker interior stylist Audrey Moore-Hodges five years later in December 1996, and Tucker design team member Philip Egan in December 2008.

(Post credit: Jay Follis)

Cyber Monday at the Tucker Store

For the Tucker fans in your life this holiday season, don't forget the Tucker Store, your source for Tucker-themed gifts and collectibles.  Or consider giving a gift membership to TACA.  Click here to check out the latest Tucker Store offerings.

UPDATE 12/2/10 5:17 PM: Check out more on-line holiday deals from the Tucker Store on eBay (seller ID "ShopTACA").

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credit: TACA website)

Happy Thanksgiving!

TACA wishes you and your family

a Happy Thanksgiving!

(Post credit: Kit Fox; image credit: Microsoft clip art)

Tucker No. 1047 on Loan to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum

Tucker No. 1047

Tucker No. 1047 resides at the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners, MI, which is also the home of the Tucker Historical Collection and Library (HCL).  The Gilmore's season ends on October 31st, so normally No. 1047 is not on display during the winter months.  This year, however, No. 1047 will be on loan to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum in Auburn, IN until April 15, 2011.

The Auburn Cord Duesenberg
Automobile Museum

The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum, a National Historic Landmark, has welcomed nearly two million visitors from all 50 states and from over 40 countries since the museum opened its doors in 1974. It inhabits the former Auburn Automobile Company’s national headquarters building.  The museum's mission is to preserve, interpret and create passion for Auburn, Cord and Duesenberg automobiles and their heritage of innovation, influence, design and competition while meeting or exceeding the highest museum standards.  The museum is a fitting alternate venue to display No. 1047; as many Tucker fans may already know, the Tucker '48 uses a Cord transmission.

The museum is located at 1600 S. Wayne St., Auburn, IN 46706, just to the east of I-69 about 1-1/2 hours south of the Gilmore.  It's open daily except for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.  Visit the museum's website for more information.

UPDATE 12/1/10 11:34 AM: Click here for more information about No. 1047 on the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum's Facebook page.

UPDATE 12/9/10 11:39 AM:  Click here for more information from Old Cars Weekly.

(Sources: http://www.tuckerclub.org/, http://www.acdmuseum.org/)

(Post credits: Jay Follis and Kit Fox; photo credits: TACA and ACD Museum websites)

Tucker Road Trip, Day 7

The next leg of the Tucker Road Trip takes us to the shores of Lake St. Clair and the Stahls Automotive Foundation in St. Clair Shores, MI.  This is the proud home of Tucker No. 1015 (formerly on display at the Stone Mountain Museum in Stone Mountain, GA), just a few miles northeast of Detroit, MI.

Tucker No. 1015

The Stahls Automotive Foundation is a non-profit organization that exists in order to preserve, restore and exhibit specific vintage vehicles of the 20th century for educational purposes.  The collection includes emphases on Brass Era, Vintage Era, Pre-War Era, Post-War Era and Modern Era vehicles.

The foundation is located at 22960 Industrial Dr. W., St. Clair Shores, MI 48080, just a few minutes from Detroit off I-94.  See the foundation website for more information.

UPDATE 11/17/10 2:19 PM: The foundation is currently closed, but will re-open on March 8, 2011.

(Sources: http://www.tuckerclub.org/, http://www.stahlsauto.com/, TACA message board)

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credit: TACA website)

New Boyd's Glass Tucker Available in CIDER

Boyd's Crystal Art Glass of Cambridge, OH has recently released a new Tucker figurine in its latest color, CIDER.  This is No. 27 in the second series of Boyd's Tucker figurines.  Visit the Boyd's website to order yours.

(PS - This is our 40th post for the Tucker Tribune!)

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credit: Boyd's Crystal Art Glass website)

Tucker Topics, Volume 38, No. 10

The latest issue of our award-winning monthly printed newsletter, Tucker Topics, features a fascinating article by Jay Follis about the 4 "lost" Tuckers: Nos. 1018, 1023, 1027 and 1042.  Attendees at this year's TACA conference in Atlanta, GA will recall Jay's presentation on this topic at our Saturday night banquet.  Also featured is Brent Morris' report on this year's Mid-West Tucker Mini-Meet, "Red Hot Tucker."  The Tucker Tribune is only one of the benefits of membership in TACA--join us today!

(Post credit: Kit Fox)

TACA Salutes Veterans' Day

TACA salutes all of the American men and women who have bravely served in our country's armed forces.

(Post credit: Kit Fox; image credit: Microsoft clip art)

Gooding & Company Press Release regarding Tucker No. 1010

Gooding & Company has formally announced some of the highlights of its upcoming January 2011 auction in Scottsdale, AZ, including Tucker No. 1010.  Click here for the press release.

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credit: Gooding & Company Facebook page)

One Week Left for Facebook Fans' and Blog Readers' Membership Special

The special membership offer for Facebook fans and Tucker Tribune readers is only available for another week until November 15, 2010.  See this recent post for details.

(Post credit: Kit Fox)

Don't Forget to "Fall" Back Today

Daylight Savings Time ended at 2:00 AM!

(Post credit: Kit Fox; image credit: Microsoft clip art)

Tucker Road Trip, Day 6

Tucker No. 1012

The Tucker Road Trip travels next back to America's heartland to see Tucker No. 1012.  Formerly housed at the Door Prairie Auto Museum, No. 1012 is now on display as a part of the Kesling Automobile Collection at the La Porte County Historical Society Museum in La Porte, IN.

The museum is located at 2405 Indiana Ave., Ste. 1, La Porte, IN 46350, and is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM.  La Porte, IN is roughly half-way between Gary, IN and South Bend, IN.  Check the Kesling Collection's website for more information.

(Sources: http://www.tuckerclub.com/, http://www.laportecountyhistory.org/)

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credit: TACA website)

This Month in Tucker History

1946 - It was in November of 1946 that articles detailing concepts for the “Car of the Future” appeared on newsstands in both Mechanics Illustrated and Popular Mechanics magazines. A year later in November 1947, the Tucker Corporation was well on its way to bringing the Tucker ’48 to the car-hungry public.

1947 - The company launched a national advertising campaign featuring full-page (or two-page) ads in Colliers, Saturday Evening Post, Life, The New Yorker and Time magazines. Its ten-year lease of the former Dodge Chicago plant formerly began and the company was awarded six different patents. The day after the failed testing of the 589 engine, Tucker Corporation contracted with Hoffman Motor Development Company of Detroit, MI to build six engines. In the arrangement, Borg Warner Corporation would also develop three experimental transmissions for Tucker. The development of each would end just four months later when the Aircooled Motors 335 engine was selected to power the Tucker ’48.

1948 - By November of 1948, Tucker Corporation sees the value of its stock fall to an all-time low and suspends plant operations. In less than a year, criminal indictments are issued against Preston Tucker and seven associates, and a trial begins in October of 1949. By the following January all defendants in the case are found NOT GUILTY.

(Post credit: Jay Follis)

Happy Hallowe'en!

TACA wishes you and your family a safe and happy Hallowe'en!

(Post credit: Kit Fox; image credit: Microsoft clip art)

Tucker No. 1010 to be Auctioned in January 2011

Tucker No. 1010, fresh from the "barn"

Hemmings Blog reports that Tucker No. 1010 will be auctioned by Gooding & Company at its upcoming auction in Scottsdale, AZ on January 21 and 22, 2011.  According to the blog post, No. 1010--reportedly stored in a barn in the Pacific Northwest for the past half-century--is un-restored with (purportedly) less than 10,000 miles on the odometer.  Click here to read the Hemmings Blog post and reader comments.  You can also read more about No. 1010 (and see lots more photos) on the TACA message board by clicking here.

(Post credit: Kit Fox and Hemmings Blog; photo credit: Hemmings Blog)

Tucker Topics, Volume 38, No. 9

This month's issue of our award-winning print newsletter, Tucker Topics, includes a fascinating article about Ricardo Iraheta and the creation of Tucker No. 1051-1/2 by Natalie Kochmar of The eXperimental Garage; a tribute to the late George Boucher (TACA No. 41), who passed away in August 2010; and updates on TACA's recent forays into social networking.  Check your mailbox for future issues of Tucker Topics for details about the 2011 TACA Convention in Los Angeles, CA!

Tucker No. 1045 at the Motorclassica

One of our Facebook fans in Australia, Adam Williams, shares these photos of Tucker No. 1045 on display at the Motorclassica in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on October 24th.

UPDATE 10/24/10 6:21 PM: Tucker No 1045 won "best in class" at the Motorclassica Concours d'Elegance!  Tony Decinque shared this photo on the TACA Facebook page.

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credits: Adam Williams and Tony Decinque)

Tucker Road Trip, Day 5

It's a pretty long leg of the Tucker Road Trip from the Southeast USA to the Pacific Northwest, but that's where we find Tucker No. 1007 on display at the LeMay Museum in Tacoma, WA. "America's Car Museum" is housed in a former Catholic boys' school (Marymount Academy), with beautiful cars on display in the former auditorium, gymnasium, boys' locker room--even the indoor swimming pool!

Tucker No. 1007

Harold and Nancy LeMay amassed the largest privately-owned collection of automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, other vehicles and related memorabilia in the world. At its peak, the LeMay Collection numbered in excess of 3,000 vehicles and thousands of artifacts and was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. In 1998, Harold and Nancy LeMay formed the 501(c)(3) charitable organization, The Harold E. LeMay Museum, and committed themselves to donating the vast LeMay Collection to the Museum for the benefit of the public. The LeMay Museum was chartered to secure, preserve and interpret the valuable LeMay Collection, along with additional vehicles and artifacts that it may acquire, in order to explore the broad themes of American mobility and lifestyle in an instructive and entertaining manner.

The LeMay Museum is located at 325 152nd St. E., Tacoma, WA 98445, and is open year-round for guided tours only. The museum is located southeast of downtown Tacoma, near the interchange of I-5 and WA-512, and less than an hour south of Seattle. Check the museum's website for directions and more information.

(Sources: http://www.tuckerclub.com/, http://www.lemaymuseum.org/)

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credit: TACA website)

Tucker No. 1045 on Display in Melbourne, Australia this Weekend

Hot off the "Google Alert" presses:

"A rare Tucker car made famous in a Hollywood movie with Jeff Bridges has arrived in Australia for a three-day international classic car show in Melbourne starting on Friday.

The Tucker, worth more than $1 million and one of just 50 ever made in 1948, is powered by a rear-mounted helicopter engine.

The designer and builder of the car, Preston Tucker, was brought undone by legal and financial battles, but his car became a legend.

A Melbourne businessman bought the Tucker in the United States in August for $US1.14 million ($A1.15 million).

It will be one of more than 80 classic cars driven through Melbourne on Friday morning as a prelude to the Motorclassica, the Australian International Concours d'Elegance and Classic Motor Show."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Check the Motorclassica website for more information about this exciting event "down under!"

(Post credit: Jay Follis and the Sydney Morning Herald; photo credit: TACA website)

San Diego Tucker Weekend

Tucker No. 1019 at the
San Diego Automotive Museum

This blogger took another quick overnight trip to visit a Tucker in Southern California this past weekend.  This time, my destination was the San Diego Automotive Museum, home of Tucker No. 1019.  No. 1019 has been on display at the museum in in San Diego's Balboa Park for many years, thanks to the generosity of TACA member Deb Hull and her family.  This "Waltz blue" beauty--reportedly Vera Tucker's favorite color--is a wonderful addition to the museum's holdings, which also include a rare Tucker 589 engine.  The Tucker display includes an enlarged reproduction of Jay Follis' March 2010 article from Old Cars Weekly regarding the fate of the 4 "lost" Tuckers.  Besides No. 1019, I particularly enjoyed seeing Louie Mattar's Fabulous $75,000 Car, a highly modified 1947 Cadillac that made record-breaking non-stop cross-country runs in the early 1950s.

Balboa Park Conservatory

Balboa Park is a 1,200-acre urban oasis in the heart of San Diego, and is home to the world-famous San Diego Zoo and numerous museums and other local cultural institutions, including the San Diego Air & Space Museum and the Old Globe Theatre.  Most of the existing park structures were originally developed for the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition and the 1935-36 California Pacific International Exposition.  It was a very popular place on a Saturday afternoon in October!

Keep checking our "Tucker Road Trip" posts for information about Tuckers on public display.  And feel free to send us your photos and comments on Tuckers displayed near you! 

(Post & photo credits: Kit Fox)

It's Columbus Day

Enjoy the day off (if you get one)!

(P.S. - This was our 25th post!)

(Post credit: Kit Fox)

Tucker Road Trip, Day 4

Tucker No. 1005

The Tucker Road Trip returns stateside with a visit to the Tallahassee Antique Car Museum in Tallahassee, FL, home to Tucker No. 1005.  The Tallahassee Antique Car Museum (TACM) is an expression of the personal creed and crusade of Devoe Moore, and includes not only American automobiles but also such unique antiques and collectibles as pedal cars, cash registers, can openers, spark plugs and time pieces.

TACM is located at 6800 Mahan Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32308, in the beautiful Florida Panhandle.  It's just off I-10, roughly half-way between Mobile, AL and Jacksonville, FL.  Check the TACM website for more information.

(Sources: http://www.tuckerclub.org/, http://www.tacm.com/)

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credit: TACA website)

Exclusive TACA Membership Offer for Tucker Tribune Followers and Fans

The Tucker Tribune blog has been up for only a couple of months and we want to reward you for taking the plunge with us.  Join the Tucker Automobile Club of America, Inc. (TACA) with a new membership for yourself (or as a gift) between now and November 15, 2010, and we will extend membership and subscription to the award-winning monthly printed newsletter TUCKER TOPICS by six additional months! That’s right– join TACA today and receive a one half year FREE—that’s a total of six extra issues of TUCKER TOPICS mailed to your door!

Okay, here’s the fine print: This special introductory offer is for NEW memberships only, and is available in the US and Canada at $30.00, other countries at $50.00 per membership. Orders by mail must be postmarked or received via PayPal no later than November 15, 2010, to qualify for the FREE six month extension.  All memberships under this special offer will be good until February 29, 2012.

So, turn your passion for the Tucker story into action by joining TACA and helping us “Keep the Legend Alive,” and get 18 monthly newsletters for the cost of 12. Mail your check or money order for $30.00, postmarked no later than November 15, 2010, for this special offer to: TACA Tribune Membership Offer, 9509 Hinton Drive, Santee, CA 92071–2760.  To pay by PalPal or credit card, e-mail Treasurer@TuckerClub.org to take advantage of this special offer.  Be sure to mention the “Tribune Membership offer” and include the name, full mailing address, and e-mail address for each new membership you’re purchasing.

(Post credit: Jay Follis)

Black & White & Tucker All Over

Tucker No. 1030 at the
Petersen Automotive Museum

Your faithful blogger took a well-deserved "stay-cation" this past weekend, and checked out a couple of the local Tuckers in Southern California.  First up was Tucker No. 1030 at the Petersen Automotive Museum.  This black beauty has some interesting lettering, chrome trim and other doo-dads that I'd never seen on other Tuckers.  No. 1030 was purportedly Preston Tucker's personal car--which may explain a lot!  I wish that the lighting in the Petersen gallery was just a little brighter--a black car like this just kind of disappears and is tough to photograph!



Tucker No. 1040 at the
Nethercutt Museum

Next was Tucker No. 1040 at the Nethercutt Museum, which appears to be in good, un-restored condition.  I'm not sure that white is the most attractive color I've every seen on a Tucker.  The "Tucker" stencil--usually seen on the center of the rear bumper--was on the left front bumper of No. 1040--I couldn't get around the back to see if it was on the rear bumper as well (I hate those ropes!).  The "moon" wheel covers and red steel rims were also an interesting touch.

Keep watching our "Tucker Road Trip" posts in the future for more information about visiting these--and other--museums where Tuckers can be seen on public display.

(Post & photo credits: Kit Fox)

This Month in Tucker History

1946 - In October of 1946, the National Housing Agency (NHA) awarded the Lustron Corporation, an upstart company ready to build pre-fab steel housing, a lease on the gigantic Dodge Chicago plant. However, five weeks earlier, the War Assets Administration had signed an agreement with Preston Tucker awarding him a lease on the same factory. In response to protest by Tucker, the NHA's Office of Housing Expediter issued a press release stating that "Tucker had refused to allow Lustron joint occupancy and therefore the plant was awarded to Lustron." The press release also stated that "other options" had been explored, such as either company using other war surplus plants in Chicago or even the Curtiss-Wright Plant in Lockland, OH.

1947 - Nearly a year later, in September of 1947, the court ruled on behalf of the Tucker Corporation, stating that the agreement between Tucker Corporation and the War Assets Administration was, in fact, valid. In October of 1947, Tucker Corporation placed a winning bid with the War Assets Administration for the Granite City blast furnace at $2,751,000, only to have it awarded to lower bidder.

1948 - The nearly three-week-long testing of seven Tucker cars on the famed "Brickyard" of the Indy 500 Speedway was completed in October of 1948. One car, serial #1027, rolled over several times during a high speed crash on the track. The car appeared to be heavily damaged, yet the safety windshield had popped out just as planned and the driver, unhurt during the incident, was able to drive the car away.

1949 - October of 1949 proved to be one of the more difficult months for Preston Tucker and Tucker Corporation, as the fraud trial against Tucker and others began in Federal Court. By January of 1950, Preston Tucker and all the other defendants were acquitted on all charges, which included mail fraud, conspiracy, and several Securities and Exchange Commission infractions.

1950 - The final public auction of Tucker Corporation assets took place in October of 1950 at the Chicago Tucker plant grounds. Just days before, during the legal deposition of a news reporter, it was indicated that the SEC had illegally leaked information about Tucker investigation to the press prior to the SEC taking any action. The damage, however, had already been done, and the twenty-two Tucker cars on site, thirteen without transmissions, and the thirty-two Franklin Aircooled engines, were sold at auction. One car located in New York, a test chassis, several parts and various all non-Tucker company vehicles were sold by Samuel Winternitz & Company at a reported a $47,990.00--just pennies on the dollar.

1993 - It wasn't until October of 1993, following the very successful lobbying effort by the Tucker Automobile Club of America, that the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, considered the "nation's museum," added a Tucker to its collection. The United States Marshals' Service donated Tucker #1039, which car had been seized in 1992 by the Drug Enforcement Administration following a narcotics investigation, to the museum rather than sending it to the auction block.

2000 - The 1988 Francis Ford Coppola/George Lucas film, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, was released on DVD in October of 2000. This much-anticipated version featured an original 1948 company promotional film and included several bonus features, such as interviews and a "making of" the film featurette.

(Post credit: Jay Follis)

It's Autumn!

Japanese Maple Leaves



(Photo credit: iStockphoto)

Tucker Road Trip, Day 3

On our next stop on the Tucker Road Trip, we'll be visiting Tucker No. 1004, but make sure that your passport is in order first.  We'll be visiting one of five Tuckers known to be on foreign soil, and the only one on public display at this time!

Tucker No. 1004

The Toyota Automobile Museum in Aichi prefecture, Nagakutecho, Japan proudly displays No. 1004 along side vintage Toyotas, as well as other examples of American and European automotive ingenuity.  Oddly, Tucker No. 1004 does not appear on the museum's list of possessions on its website, but eyewitness reconnaisance in Spring 2010 confirms that the car is there.

The museum is near Nagoya, between Osaka and Tokyo on the main Japanese island of Honshu.  Check the Toyota Automobile Museum website for more information.

(Sources: http://www.tuckerclub.org/, www.Toyota.co.jp/Museum, TACA message board)

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credit: TACA website)

Happy Birthday, Preston Tucker!

Preston Tucker
1903-1956

Preston Thomas Tucker was born 107 years ago today--and the automotive world has never been the same since!  Read more about Preston Tucker on the TACA website and on Wikipedia.

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tucker Topics, Volume 38, No. 8

The latest issue of TACA's award-winning monthly printed newsletter, Tucker Topics, includes information on the upcoming Midwest Mini-Meet; an entertaining article by Australian TACA member Brendan Edgerton; and 2010 TACA Convention photos from Atlanta, GA.  Tucker Topics is a benefit of your membership in TACA.  Also, we're honored to announce that Tucker Topics has won yet-another Golden Quill Award  from Old Cars Weekly.  Congratulations to Bill Pommering and Patty Fortin!

(Post credit: Kit Fox)

More Details about the 2010 Midwest Tucker Mini-Meet

Fairfield Inn-Louisville North

This year's Midwest Tucker Mini-Meet is scheduled for October 1st & 2nd, 2010, with the Fairfield Inn-Louisville North serving as headquarters. The hotel is located at 619 N. Shore Dr., Jeffersonville, IN 47130.  For the special "Tucker Automobile Club" rate of $79/night, call the hotel directly at (812) 280-8220.  According to hosts Millie & Brent Morris, there are three good restaurants near the hotel for your Friday night meal.

Brent says, "As usual, there will be a lot of 'talking Tucker', and I feel certain that there will also be a good sing-a-long with some pickin' and grinnin'!"  It certainly wouldn't be a Mini-Meet without a sing-a-long.  Brent also tells us that TACA members Keith & Eileen Carpenter (owners of Tucker No. 1017) will be bringing one of their FASCINATION cars to the Louisville concours, and will be glad to show it to Mini-Meet attendees on Friday the 1st.

Schimpff's Confectionery

Saturday activities will include the exploration of historic downtown Jeffersonville, IN. Highlights are expected to include Heuser Hardware and Schimpff's Confectionery before lunch at a downtown restaurant.  After lunch, attendees will travel a short distance to see the Indigo Classic Cars Collection in Linden, KY.  Then it's back to the Fairfield Inn for supper and more "talkin' Tucker."

For those who can stay over on Sunday, the third annual Louisville Concours d'Elegance will be held on October 3rd at historic Churchill Downs, home of the legendary Kentucky Derby.  Some of the rarest, most elegant cars in the country will be displayed at this year's event.  Proceeds will benefit Brooklawn Child & Family Services, a non-profit home for children who suffer the effects of abuse, neglect or other severe trauma.  Advance tickets to the Concours d'Elegance can be purchased for $15 at http://www.concourslouisville.com/ or for $20 at the gate on Sunday.

(Post credit: Kit Fox and Brent Morris; photo credits: Marriott, Schimpff's and Louisville Concours websites)

TACA Honors Patriot Day

TACA encourages you

to remember the sacrifice

of those who we lost

9 years ago today.

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credit: Wikipedia)

Tucker Road Trip, Day 2

Tucker No. 1001

The next stop on the Tucker Road Trip is Alexandria, VA, home of The Cammack Collection.  Dave Cammack's wonderful collection--open by appointment only, but free of charge--is located in a non-descript warehouse tucked into Old Town Alexandria, just minutes from Washington, DC off I-495.

Tucker No. 1022

The crown jewels of the collection are three--count 'em, THREE--Tucker '48s: No. 1001, No. 1022 and No. 1026.  The Cammack Collection also includes Tucker parts, engines, original blueprints, photos and other articles.  It is by far the largest and most complete collection of Tucker automobile memorabilia in the world.  TACA members will recall visiting the collection during our 2007 convention in Washington, DC.

Tucker No. 1026

Contact information for The Cammack Collection can almost always be found in the most-recent issue of our monthly printed newsletter, Tucker Topics, available to TACA members as a benefit of their annual membership.  You can also contact us here at our blog (Tribune@TuckerClub.org), and we'll get you the information you'll need to arrange a visit.

(Source: http://www.tuckerclub.org/)

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credits: TACA website)

TACA Salutes Labor Day!

Tucker No. 1034 at the High Museum in Atlanta, GA
Summer 2010

Enjoy the "unofficial" end of summer!

(Post and photo credit: Kit Fox)

Tucker No. 1045 in Melbourne, Australia

Tucker No. 1045 at the Monterey auction

TACA member Brendan Edgerton reports that Tucker No. 1045, after selling for a record price in Monterey, CA last month, is making its new home "down under" in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.  Brendan tells us that No. 1045 will be going on display on October 22nd.  Perhaps a southern hemisphere TACA convention is in our future!

(Post credit: Kit Fox and Brendan Edgerton; photo credit: RM Auctions website) 

This Month in Tucker History

1947 - It was September 12, 1947 that the court ruled on behalf of the Tucker Corporation. The agreement Tucker was able to reach with the War Assets Administration requiring an initial payment of $15,000,000 to lease the Chicago plant was ruled valid. Tucker gained formal control of the former Dodge B-29 engine plant and showed $15,007,000 had been raised by the sale of stock, yet both came six months behind schedule due to court delays.

1947 - September also saw the resignation of Tucker Corporation Board Chairman, Harry Toulmin, who cited “Preston Tucker’s hard sell tactics” as his reason for leaving.

1947 - While a lawsuit by Tucker stockholders asked the court for receivership of the corporation, six Tucker cars began testing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway—the famous “Brickyard,” best known for the Indy 500 race.

1949 - The September 1949 issue of Reader's Digest carried a reprint of the June Collier’s article that had attacked Tucker and called the car a fraud. Bad press seemed to snowball and, on the 22nd, a reorganization hearing was held on Tucker Corporation.  One year later, Preston Tucker and Corporation, now acquitted of all charges, sued the publishers of both Collier’s and Reader’s Digest for damages totaling $19 million.

2000 - The Tucker Historical Collection and Library (HCL), the Tucker Automobile Club of America’s archive collection and exhibit, was established on the grounds of the Gilmore Car Museum located in Hickory Corners, MI. The display features a recreated 1948 office, reminiscent of what one may have found at Tucker Corporation, along with Tucker #1047. On September 30, 2000, Mary Lee Tucker-McAndrew proudly dedicated this new venture in the memory of her parents—Preston and Vera Tucker.

(Post credit: Jay Follis)

Miscellaneous Tucker Memorabilia

From Diamond Matches "Classic Cars" Series

The July 2010 issue of our printed monthly newsletter, Tucker Topics, included Reggie Foote's "Foote Notes," which mentioned a series of Diamond Match kitchen match boxes featuring Tucker No. 1041 (as well as other classic American cars of the 40s, 50s & 60s).  Founding TACA member Bev Ferreira and his wife, Dorothy, were the proud owners of No. 1041 (Dorothy passed away in July 2008, followed by Bev in February 2009).  No. 1041 was sold at auction in June 2009 for $853,100 (including fees).

Tucker No. 1041

Bev purchased No. 1041--then painted black--for $5,000 in 1970 from the collection of the famous Cliff House restaurant in San Francisco, CA.  He drove the car regularly, bringing it to many TACA conferences over the years.  Images of distinctive yellow No. 1041 may also be found on posters and calendars--and possibly a postage stamp from a former Soviet republic!

(Sources: http://www.tuckerclub.org/, http://thecolektr.com/)

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credits: thecolekter.com and TACA websites)

2010 TACA Conference Videos and Photos Needed

Those of you who attended this year's TACA Conference in Atlanta, GA will remember that our regular conference videographer/documentarian, Bud Harrington, was not able to join us.  To help us to help Bud to compile the 2010 conference DVD, please contact TACA President Jay Follis if you have photos or video to share.  Thanks!

(Post credit: Kit Fox; image credit: Microsoft clipart)

Tucker Road Trip, Day 1

We're kicking off a new feature in the new Tucker Tribune--the Tucker Road Trip!  Starting in September 2010, twice each month we'll feature a brief article about about a location where you can view a Tucker on public display, with photos and contact information.  We'll be visiting Tuckers in ascending order by serial number.  It may not be the shortest road trip you've ever taken--or the most direct route--but we hope you'll have fun along the way!

The "Tin Goose"

For the first installment in this series, we'll begin with the home of the "Tin Goose", the Swigart Museum in Huntingdon, PA.  In addition to housing the Tucker '48 prototype, the Swigart Museum is also home to Tucker No. 1013.

The William E. Swigart, Jr. Automobile Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit museum dedicated to the preservation of the American automobile history. Its remarkable collections have existed for more than 85 years, beginning as a private passion of its founder, W. Emmert Swigart.  His son, William E. Swigart, Jr., fell under the spell of these wonderful machines and built up the collection to about 150 cars, of which 30 to 35 are on display at the museum at one time. Some are one-of-a-kind such as the 1936 Duesenberg 12 cylinder Gentlemen’s Speedster, the 1920 Carroll, and the 1916 Scripps-Booth, in addition to the "Tin Goose" and Tucker No. 1013.

Tucker No. 1013

Open daily from Memorial Day weekend through the end of October, the Swigart Museum is located at 12031 William Penn Hwy., Huntingdon, PA 16652.  Located in beautiful central Pennsylvania, "America's Oldest Automobile Museum" is not far from Altoona, and roughly half-way between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.  Check out the Swigart Museum website for more information.

(Sources: http://www.tuckerclub.org/, http://www.swigartmuseum.com/)

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credits: TACA website)