Tucker No. 1045 Sells for a Record $1,127,500!

Tucker No. 1045 in the RM Auctions catalog

RM Auctions' restored Tucker No. 1045 sold at the Monterey auction this weekend for a record $1,127,500 (with fees).  RM previously sold restored Tucker No. 1038 at the 2008 Monterey auction for $1,017,500 (with fees).

Tucker No. 1045

Check out RM Auctions website for more information.

CORRECTION: RM Auctions did not restore No. 1045 prior to this auction.

(Photo credits: http://www.tuckerclub.org/, http://www.rmauctions.com/)

(Post credit: Kit Fox; photo credits: RM Auctions and TACA websites)

This Month in Tucker History

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)

Unveiling of the NEW Tucker Tribune

The Tucker Tribune email bulletin was started in June of 1998 by Jay and Barbara Follis with 11 subscribers, and grew to a peak of over 4,500 Tucker enthusiasts by 2008—not too shabby.

The last issue of the Tucker Tribune email bulletin was mailed in late December 2008, issue #110 – announcing the death of long-time TACA member, author, friend and Tucker design team member Phil Egan.

While it certainly wasn’t our intent to make that our last it appeared at the time that it was. With taking on more duties within the Tucker Automobile Club of America, Inc. creating and mailing the Tribune become more time consuming and burdensome. We had utilized an automated service to email the Tribune and to manage the subscriber database which billed TACA based on the number of email addresses shown in the Tribune database—regardless if they were outdated, incorrect, or non-functioning. It was at that time that we decided to stop sending the Tucker Tribune email bulletin.

Barbara and I are pleased that TACA Board Member Kit Fox has revived the Tucker Tribune as an online blog. He shares the same goals we had with the email newsletter—to provide timely, bite-sized news and information on the Tucker automobile and its legacy.

We welcome the Tucker Tribune Blog as our newest partner in “BRINGING THE LEGEND ONLINE” and invite you to follow it.

DON'T LET THIS TUCKER PASS YOU BY!

Jay and Barbara Follis

(Post credit: Jay Follis)

2010 Midwest Tucker Mini-Meet

Historic Spring Street in Jeffersonville, IN

Join co-hosts Millie & Brent Morris for this fall's Midwest Tucker Mini-Meet in Jeffersonville, IN on October 1st and 2nd. You can book rooms at the Fairfield Inn-Louisville North at the special rate of $79/night by calling the hotel directly at (812) 280-8220 and mentioning the "Tucker Automobile Club" rate.  Plus, the Louisville Concours d'Elegance will be held across the Ohio River in Louisville, KY at historic Churchill Downs on October 3rd.

(Post credit: Kit Fox and Brent Morris; photo credit: Wikipedia) 

2010 Commemorative Tucker Coins

Obverse

Reverse

After a slight delay, attendees to this year's TACA Conference in Atlanta, GA should be receiving their commemorative coins in the mail.  A very limited number of additional coins--along with a 2010 dash plaque--will be made available for $20 (including shipping) by contacting shop@TuckerClub.org.  These coins will not be re-minted, so when they're gone, they're GONE!

(Post and photo credits: Kit Fox)

Tucker Topics, Volume 38, No. 7

The July 2010 issue of our award-winning, printed monthly newsletter, Tucker Topics, should be appearing in TACA members' mailboxes by now.  Look for articles about the upcoming Midwest Tucker Mini-Meet in October, and a brief pictorial history of Tucker Corporation sales brochures.

(Post credit: Kit Fox)

Welcome to the Tucker Tribune!

This is the inaugural post of the new blog for the Tucker Automobile Club of America, Inc., the Tucker Tribune.  Long-time TACA members may recall our former e-mail newsletter of the same name.  Well, we're back, and we'll be posting regularly with items of interest to TACA members and other fans of Preston Tucker, the Tucker Corporation and the Tucker '48.  Take a moment to "follow" this blog, using the link in the column to the right.  Thanks for helping us to keep the dream alive!

(Post credit: Kit Fox)