1947 - After working on the 589 engine for several months, an August 1947 engineering report deemed the cost for the starter would be prohibitive. The report also pointed out that the piston load was three times greater than that of any competitor’s engine.
1948 - After a rather difficult July, August 1948 seemed to hold some promise for Tucker Corporation and the fulfillment of Preston Tucker’s dream. Renowned automotive journalist and regular contributor to “Mechanix Illustrated,” Tom McCahill test-drives a Tucker ‘48 and writes a glowing review on the auto for the magazine. Work continues swiftly on the less expensive helicopter engine, the 335, with 91 units being delivered by Tucker Corporation’s newly acquired Aircooled Motors of Syracuse, NY.
1948 - The War Assets Administration awards a Cleveland blast furnace/steel plant to automaker Kaiser-Frazer even though Tucker Corporation’s sealed bid proves to be the highest. The second Securities and Exchange Commission investigation of Tucker Corporation officially ends.
1988 - The Tucker auto again captivates America’s interest in August of 1988 when the movie “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” is released nationwide. The Francis Ford Coppola (“The Godfather”) and George Lucas (“Star Wars”) production stars Jeff Bridges and his father Lloyd.
1988 - The 1960 Charles Pearson book “The Indomitable Tin Goose - The True Story of The Tucker Auto” is re-released in paperback following the movie.
1995 - August of 1995 finds the Tucker Automobile Club of America on the internet with a website created by member Chris Miller. The following year, Larry Clark, automotive historian and TACA member, nominates Preston Tucker for induction in the Automotive Hall of Fame.
2010 - The Tucker Automobile Club of America expands its internet presence even further with the introduction of a blog and a Facebook page.
(Post credits: Jay Follis and Kit Fox)
(Post credits: Jay Follis and Kit Fox)
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