Tucker 48

Tucker '48
1948 Tucker Sedan
Overview
Manufacturer	Tucker Car Corporation
Production	1947–1948 (MY1948; total of 51 cars completed)
Model years	1948
Assembly	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Designer	George S. Lawson, Alex Tremulis, Read Viemeister, Budd Steinhilber, Tucker Madawick, Hal Bergstrom, Philip S. Egan
Body and chassis
Class	Sedan
Layout	Rear engine, rear-wheel drive, 4-wheel independent suspension (rubber torsion tube (no springs) with shock absorbers)
Powertrain
Engine	H-6 (horizontally opposed), OHV, 334.1 cubic inches (5.475 L) (4.50" bore × 3.50" stroke), 7.0:1 compression ratio, 166 bhp, 372 lb·ft (504 N·m) torque
Transmission	Cord 810/812; Tucker Y-1 (Modified Cord 810/812); TuckerMatic (R-1, R-1-2, R-3 versions)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	128 in (325 cm)
Length	219 in (556 cm)
Width	79 in (201 cm)
Height	60 in (152 cm)
Curb weight	4,200 lb (1,900 kg)

The Tucker 48 (named after its model year) is an automobile conceived by Preston Tucker and briefly produced in Chicago in 1948. Only 51 cars were made before the company folded on March 3, 1949, due to negative publicity initiated by the news media, a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation and a heavily publicized stock fraud trial (in which allegations were proven baseless in court with a full acquittal). Speculation exists that the Big Three automakers and Michigan senator Homer S. Ferguson also had a role in the Tucker Corporation's demise. The 1988 movie Tucker: The Man and His Dream is based on the saga surrounding the car's production. The film's director, Francis Ford Coppola, is a Tucker owner and displays his vehicle on the grounds of his winery. The 48's original proposed price was said to be $1,000, but the actual selling price was closer to $4,000. A 1948 Tucker sedan was featured in the July 26, 2011, installment of NBC's It's Worth What? television show. The car's estimated value at that time was US$1,200,000. The car is commonly referred to as the "Tucker Torpedo". This name was never used in conjunction with the actual production car, and its name was officially "Tucker 48".

After World War II, the public was ready for totally new car designs, but the Big Three Detroit automakers had not developed any new models since 1941. This provided great opportunities for new, small automakers, which could develop new cars more rapidly than the huge legacy automakers. Studebaker was the first to introduce an all-new postwar model, but Tucker took a different track, designing a safety car with innovative features and modern styling. His specifications called for a water-cooled aluminum blockflat-6 rear engine, disc brakes, four-wheel independent suspension,fuel injection, the location of all instruments within reach of the steering wheel, seat belts, and a padded dashboard.