Summary

The 1948 Tucker sedan was an advanced automobile conceived by Preston Tucker and briefly produced in Chicago in '48. Only 51 examples were made. This example is professionally and correctly restored to show specifications. From the Ron Pratte Collection.

Details

The 1948 Tucker sedan was an advanced automobile conceived by Preston Tucker and briefly produced in Chicago in 1948. Only 51 examples were made before the company folded on March 3, 1949. Studebaker was first with an all-new post-war model. But Tucker took a different tack, designing a safety car with innovative features and modern styling. His specifications called for a rear engine like Porsche, disc brakes, fuel injection and a padded dashboard. The final car was only 60 inches (1524 mm) tall, but was very roomy inside. It featured a directional third headlight, dubbed the 'Cyclops Eye,' for use in turns. It lit up whenever the car was steered by more than 10 degrees. The body design came from Alex Tremulis and was called the most aerodynamic in the world. Although it still sported pre-war type fenders, it was startlingly modern. Mathematically-computed drag coefficient was only 0.27, though this was 'rounded up' publicly to 0.30. Today, the '48 Sedan has fame far greater than would be expected from its modest production run. Of the 51 cars built (50 production and 1 prototype), 47 still exist, the majority in excellent condition. This particular example is professionally and correctly restored to show specifications. From the Ron Pratte Collection. **CHASSIS NUMBER 1043 - ENGINE NUMBER 33550**