Photo: RM Auctions
If we were to make a top ten list of our favorite post-WWII American luxury cars, the Tucker 48 would definitely be somewhere at the top. It's design and technology were groundbreaking, it was built in only 51 units and Francis Ford Coppola as well as George Lucas own or have owned an example of this rare breed.
Developed by American automobile designer and entrepreneur Preston Thomas Tucker, the 48 was fitted with a 335 c.i. (5,5-liter) 166 horsepower OHV six-pot engine at the rear, with its cylinders horizontally-opposed. The mill is mated to a four-speed pre-selector transmission and the oomph is sent to the rear axle. But the best mechanical treat of the 48 is its all-around independent suspension with rubber torsion tubes instead of conventional steel springs.
Also, each wheel was fitted with power disc brakes and the luxury sedan incorporated a curious safety feature in an era when safety belts weren't even mandatory. We're talking about a windshield that would pop out in case of an accident, as well as a wide space under the dash where front seat passengers could duck before a collision and a center-mounted third headlight that would turn with the front wheels. Beat that Volvo and Citroen DS!
Unfortunately, the Tucker 48 dream was short-lived after the Tucker Corporation came under the scrutiny of the bigwigs from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Comission. Eventually, this stock fraud investigation echoed with great negative publicity in the news media and the company folded in March 1949, never to see the light of day ever again. Chassis #1036 we're talking today is just one of the 51 Tucker 48s ever built and its owner decided to part ways with it next month, at RM Auction's Monterey sale event. So how much does this baby cost?
Last year, RM Auction tried to sell George Lucas' car. Bidding reached $1.475 million but that didn't meet the reserve, thus that car hasn't been sold. As for the perfectly restored fiery bronze Tucker 48 chassis #1036 slated to go under the hammer next month at Monterey, we expect the selling price to break the $1.5 million mark. In a 2011 episode of NBC's It's Worth What? television show, a similar car was estimated at $1,2 million, while interest and selling prices for this classic among American automobile enthusiasts are getting higher year-over-year.
Also, each wheel was fitted with power disc brakes and the luxury sedan incorporated a curious safety feature in an era when safety belts weren't even mandatory. We're talking about a windshield that would pop out in case of an accident, as well as a wide space under the dash where front seat passengers could duck before a collision and a center-mounted third headlight that would turn with the front wheels. Beat that Volvo and Citroen DS!
Unfortunately, the Tucker 48 dream was short-lived after the Tucker Corporation came under the scrutiny of the bigwigs from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Comission. Eventually, this stock fraud investigation echoed with great negative publicity in the news media and the company folded in March 1949, never to see the light of day ever again. Chassis #1036 we're talking today is just one of the 51 Tucker 48s ever built and its owner decided to part ways with it next month, at RM Auction's Monterey sale event. So how much does this baby cost?
Last year, RM Auction tried to sell George Lucas' car. Bidding reached $1.475 million but that didn't meet the reserve, thus that car hasn't been sold. As for the perfectly restored fiery bronze Tucker 48 chassis #1036 slated to go under the hammer next month at Monterey, we expect the selling price to break the $1.5 million mark. In a 2011 episode of NBC's It's Worth What? television show, a similar car was estimated at $1,2 million, while interest and selling prices for this classic among American automobile enthusiasts are getting higher year-over-year.
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