RARE ONE of 51 – Tucker 48 | SEAN TUCKER Takes Us Inside! | Lime Rock Historic Festival
The Classic Auto team had the opportunity to view a highly influential and incredibly rare piece of motor history: the 1948 Tucker Torpedo. The Tucker Corporation only produced 51 of these remarkable classics, with only 47 remaining today.
This incredible example was no. 44 of the Tucker 48’s limited production run, and the Tucker family was heavily involved in the car’s restoration process. Preston Tucker’s great-grandson, Sean Tucker, even presented this innovative and historic ride at the 2024 Lime Rock Historic Festival “Sundays at the Park” show.
The 1948 Tucker Torpedo was clearly a hit among the classic and antique car enthusiasts who were present that day, and our team was excited to survey this groundbreaking ride inside and out.
For full-coverage insurance on your classic car, contact us at 888-901-1338.
History of the 1948 Tucker Torpedo
During the 1940s, the largest and most influential American automotive manufacturers used factory resources to assist America’s war efforts. This created opportunities for smaller brands to develop newer vehicles with less competition, as the “Big Three” American manufacturers weren’t releasing new models.
Before designing the Tucker 48, Preston Tucker also strived to use his automotive and engineering experience to develop weapons and vehicles for the United States. By that time, he had already made a name for himself in the automotive industry by developing race cars for the Indy 500.
Tucker was largely unsuccessful in creating military-grade vehicles and weapons, but he did develop the Tucker gun turret, which the government used on US Navy PT boats and World War II bombers. However, it’s unclear how widely utilized these turrets were during the war, and some sources claim that the Tucker gun turret was never actually utilized by US bombers.
In the mid-1940s, Tucker saw the opportunity to develop a new, innovative car, as Chrysler, GM, and Ford hadn’t developed new models since 1941. Tucker enlisted the help of George Lawson to develop the car prototype, but Alex Tremulis of the Auburn Automobile Company eventually replaced Lawson. Preston Tucker’s team developed a highly innovative vehicle that featured advanced safety and performance features as well as one-of-a-kind style choices.
Despite Tucker’s inventiveness, his automotive company failed before it was able to mass-produce the Tucker 48. There was much interest in the car leading up to its debut, but the prototype’s unveiling ruined its chances of becoming a success. Due to its rapid development, the prototype had glaring engine issues, leading to considerable criticism from journalists and soured enthusiasm from the public.
To make matters worse, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) launched an investigation into Preston Tucker and his company for alleged stock fraud. Despite eventually being acquitted, the damage was already complete – Tucker and the Tucker Corporation suffered a barrage of negative press. Due to the negative coverage, the Tucker Corporation’s investors pulled funding after the new automaker had only completed 36 Torpedo units.
Preston Tucker and his small team went on to complete 50 Torpedos, including the No. 44 featured at the 2024 Lime Rock Historic Festival. The Tucker Corporation ultimately shut its doors in 1950, shortly after Preston Tucker was found “not guilty” for his alleged financial crimes.
The ‘48 Tucker Torpedo’s Exterior
The 1948 Tucker Torpedo No. 44 is an exceptional example of Preston Tucker’s automotive contributions. The car is all the more stunning when you consider that it was recovered from a barn, where it had resided for numerous years. Preston Tucker’s great-grandson, Sean Tucker, joked that the car sported a root-beer brown finish after aging in the barn. They restored the car in its original Adante green finish.
One of the first things you may notice about this car’s body is its three headlights, with the extra headlight being at the center. Interestingly, 17 states had laws prohibiting cars from having three headlights at the time of the Tucker Torpedo’s release. To address this issue, the Tucker Corporation featured a cover to obscure the center headlight in these restrictive states.
Sean Tucker noted that the center-mounted headlight turns with the car’s wheels, and it only comes on when the driver turns more than 10 degrees while the bright lights are active.
In addition to this novel feature, the Tucker 48 features a windshield that was highly inventive for the time. The windshield is made up of shatterproof glass, and is designed to pop out in a crash. This detail was considered highly advanced in the 1940s, as the pop-out feature prevented glass from shattering onto the vehicle’s occupants if they were involved in an accident.
The 1948 Tucker Torpedo’s Specifications and Features
When Preston Tucker developed the Torpedo, he intended to equip it with an original engine construction: a 589 cu in flat-six that could clock 200 hp. Tucker’s engine included highly innovative features, including fuel injection and hemispherical combustion chambers. The use of fuel injection is especially impressive, as this feature didn’t become commonplace until the 1990s.
Unfortunately, the car’s engine was more impressive in theory than in practice, as it didn’t perform consistently. The Tucker Corporation ended up using a 335 cu in flat-six Franklin O-355 designed to power a Bell 47 helicopter. They installed the O-355 in the car’s rear, allowing for a shorter frontal area of the car and better aerodynamics. They then mated the Torpedo’s hefty engine to a Tucker “Y-1” four-speed pre-selector gearbox.
With its powerful, helicopter-sourced engine and semi-automatic transmission, the car produces 166 hp and 372 pound-feet of torque. It can reach a top speed of 120 mph and can go from zero to 60 in just ten seconds.
The Tucker Corporation also equipped the Torpedo with revolutionary safety innovations for the 1940s, including a perimeter frame, integrated roll bar, and relocated steering box to protect vehicle occupants in a crash.
Protect Your Rare Automotive Beauty
While the Tucker 48 had a very short production lifespan, the car set the stage for significant safety and mechanical innovations, and it remains a stunning entry in automotive history.
If you are the proud owner of a rare model or mass-produced classic, you need the best classic auto insurance on the market to protect it. Here at Classic Auto, we offer custom insurance plans based on agreed-upon value coverage, and our policies feature great benefits that can help safeguard your ride.You can learn more by contacting our team at 888-901-1338 or get an instant quote here.
