Recurring Dream Some Dreams Merit a Rerun BY GERRY BERGER December 2000 At first it might strike you as odd, an obscure car such as the Tucker Torpedo being built as a modern-day hot rod. But think about it. Were Preston Tucker in our midst today, he would embrace the hot rod movement and some of the new car designs with open arms. While the debate may continue on about Preston Tucker and his car company one thing is undeniable: Preston Tucker was a forward thinker and a bona fide car lover. The Tucker automobile was scheduled to go on sale in 1948. It was a car that started with a clean sheet, and plenty of the aforementioned forward thinking. The car was downright revolutionary, approaching exotic. The Tucker was like no car ever before, and many of the innovations found on the Tucker would be "introduced" years later as new concepts. It was to be the "car of tomorrow." In 1947, Joseph Ida saw the photographs of the new Tucker Torpedo and was so taken with the car, the company and the concept, he pooled his savings with his three brothers to invest in a Tucker dealership. It would be Ida Brothers Tucker. He hoped someday his young son Robert might enjoy automobiles and carry on the Tucker dealership. Preston Tucker helped design Miller race cars before World War II, so you see, the Tucker was conceived by a hot rodder. Described as a car-crazy kid who used to hang around racetracks, Preston Tucker became a part of the legendary Harry Milter Indy race car efforts of the 1930s. Then came World War II. After the war, the United States government made it possible for enterprising men to enter the automotive manufacturing business. After all, there was a bumper crop (pun intended) of manufacturing facilities available after the war effort ended. Many of the defense plants were sold at attractive prices to men with a plan. Preston Tucker was a man with a plan. His new car caught the eye of the automotive world with its advanced design. It seemed innovations were everywhere on the car. From the unmistakable Tucker third headlight (which turned with the front wheels), to the wide egg-crate grille in the rear of the car (designed to exit heat from the mid-engine), the Tucker was unique. Audrey Moore Hodges designed the interior for the new Tucker. The front and rear seats were interchangeable, with the thought being that since the front seat endures more wear than the rear, why not rotate the seats for longer life? (This in a time when other automakers were hoping you would buy a new car every two to three years.) A new safety dash located the gauges and controls below the steering wheel. The doors were cut into the roof for ease of entry, and the windshield was designed to pop out, from inside the car in case of impact. The pop-out windshield would not find its way into other production cars for 20 years. The doors had glove compartments built in for added storage. The taillights were mounted atop the fenders so the lights could he seen in three directions. Such sidelights would be mandatory safety equipment exactly 20 years later when, in 1968, government standards dictated taillights or sidelights must be seen from the sides of cars. Even the choice of power-plant proved to be unique. A modified Franklin six-cylinder was built by Aircooled Motors of Syracuse, New York, for use in the Tucker. The 335ci engine produced 166 hp and 372 lb-ft of torque, impressive figures by 1948 standards. The aluminum alloy engine had the distinction of weighing less than one pound per cubic inch, with a total weight of 320 pounds. The engine was located in the rear for better weight distribution, and the car had four-wheel independent suspension. The stepped chassis put the framerails below the centerline of the wheels, thereby further lowering the center of gravity. The cars performed well, and Tucker promised a top speed of 120 mph with gas mileage approaching 30 mpg. The car went 0-60 in 10.1 seconds. In 1950, a Tucker showed up at the Bonneville Salt Mats and ran an average speed of 131.64 with 4.31 gears. A taller rear gear may have put the Tucker over the 150-mph mark! Joseph Ida never opened his Tucker dealership. He never received any cars to sell. He never owned a single Tucker 48 (while many people still refer to these cars as a Tucker Torpedo, actually that was the design name; the actual model name when the ear went on sale was the Tucker 48, named for the year of release). After a run of only 50-1/2 cars, the Securities and Exchange Commission investigated the Tucker Car Company for fraud in 1949. Although Preston Tucker would ultimately be found not guilty on all charges in 1950, by that time the public had lost all faith in his ideas. The Chicago plant was lost to creditors, but Preston Tucker continued to promote his forward-thinking automotive ideas. A second-generation Tucker automobile was planned called the Talisman. It was an aerodynamic sedan designed by Alex Tremulis (formerly with Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg and Briggs Body Company), who had also designed the Torpedo. Hot rodders are also indebted to Tremulis for his design of the Bantam coupe and roadster. Tucker soon gave up hope of launching a new car in the United States and retired to Brazil. Tucker was designing and planning a sporty economy model (once again ahead of his time) when he died in 1956 at the age of 53. Preston Tucker maintained that his car company failed because of industrial espionage, rumors started by big business and politicians representing the states of the major automakers. No doubt the advanced design of the Tucker automobile was a worry to the Big Three automakers and also some Michigan Congressmen. The problem is Tucker was never able to prove that the Torpedo could be produced for the $2,485 he had promised. This was due in no small part to the constant barrage of legal problems and investigations that consumed much of the corporation's time and money. While much suspicion is cast on the Big Three automakers, the government proved to be the biggest obstacle in building the cars. The "production line" had only managed to build 51 cars, 51 great cars today. We'll never know for sure what ultimately ended the Tucker production, but Joseph Ida did get half of his dream. His son Robert had inherited a distinct love of cars. Not just any cars, but unique motorcars. Fast-forward 50 years and the young son is now constructing forward-thinking cars with his own son, Rob. Ida Automotive is building Willys hot rods of distinction. Everything from fiberglass bodies to one-off wheels arc whittled out inside the walls of Ida Automotive. Joseph Ida still would have loved to own just one Tucker 48. Was the world finally ready for the Tucker 48? Could three generations of men bring this obscure automobile back to life? Ironically, the number 51 Tucker, last of the run, was owned by a family friend who lived several miles from Ida's shop. Hoping to use the car as a plug to "pop a mold," a discussion ensued. It was brief. "No Way!" was the answer. However, permission was granted to measure, photograph, touch and feel every square inch of the car. The youngest of the bunch decided he was up for the challenge. Rob Ida painstakingly set about molding a life-size model of the 1948 Tucker in his shop. It would take over a year just to complete the clay model. Measure..... shape..... measure..... reshape. Finally, a large, red lump had been transformed into a Tucker. (Actually, it's really this simple: Take a couple of tons of red modeling clay 219 inches long by 60 inches high and 79 inches wide. Now carefully shave away anything that doesn't look like a Tucker 48.) From that clay model the fiberglass molds would be built. It was an awesome feat. Now, the good part of slapping a couple of tons of red clay around with your bare hands is it provides a fellow with plenty of time to think, allowing Rob time to ponder the other portions of this project. Power, suspension, interior and other appointments were thought out thoroughly. Between Bob and Rob, it was decided from the get-go to maintain as much of the original Tucker engineering and design as possible. Oftentimes, late at night, alone with the clay, Ida couldn't help but wonder what would Preston Tucker use today? The Cadillac Northstar motor seemed fitting, and of course it would reside mid-ship just as the engine had in 1948. Four-wheel independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes were a must for the 130-inch wheel base car. Much like Preston Tucker, producing this forward-thinking hot rod would be a mammoth task. How does a small shop in New Jersey go about producing things like the huge front bumper/grille assembly? How do you make the center headlight turn with the front wheels? These and many other problems were solved as the project progressed (all the while, Ida Automotive was busy cranking out some of the wildest Willys hot rods ever to rumble over planet Earth). Bob Ida found a forming company that could form the bumpers in plastic and then chromeplate them. Yet another mold was built using the original measurements. The bumpers were formed, but when it came time to plate the plastic, they were too large to get a good plating job. They would have to be cut into pieces and plated. Likewise, out back the rear bumper chrome glazed when heat from the engine grille hit it. Constant technical problems and obstacles were overcome in the building of the repro Tucker. Fate smiled on Ida when the front fender grilles were being formed. The original wood pattern for the side grilles was a part of the Tucker memorabilia his friend had in the garage. A mold was made using the original pattern and aluminum castings were poured. The taillights were also cast and machined to perfection, while taillight lenses were molded for the modern three-sided lights. Similar efforts produced the front headlight rims and parking light assemblies. It was a huge task that would consume untold dollars and some 20,000 man-hours. On the inside, the dash is filled with Dolphin Series white-face gauges, and a pair of seats from Tea's Design provides comfort and style that would make Audrey Moore Hodges proud. A basic yet billet steering wheel turns this hot rod of tomorrow, and Vintage Air cools the 48. The steering wheel is a replica at the wheel that Tucker had proposed for the car, but never produced. Power-window buttons are also in the center of the dash. Under the front hood is a luggage compartment, and shown in these photos is a set of genuine Tucker luggage, specifically designed to fit the car. These suitcases came with your new Tucker in 1948. Behind the sweeping rear window is the Northstar engine by Cadillac, providing smooth, modern power for the Tucker. The chassis is completely hand-formed by Ida Automotive. The complete engine, cradle and suspension from a 1998 Cadillac are bolted in place with four bolts. Stainless Specialties mufflers and tubing lead to the six exhaust pipes. The four-wheel independent suspension has ride control by Air Ride Technologies. Running ShockWaves up front and Air Tech Struts in the rear, the ride height is fully adjustable, Fatman spindles connect the Bob Ida aluminum control arms and mount 11-inch rotors up front, while the stock Cadillac 11-inch rotors in the rear provide ample stopping power. Now you know a bit about the history of the famous Tucker 48/Torpedo, but how does it all connect to hot rodding? Is this car a reproduction or an extension of the Tucker? As it turns out, it can be both or either. Running wide whites and stock-style hubcaps and plenty of air in the suspension, the car is a dead-on repro of the original, Add a set of 18-inch billet discs that reflect the past flavor and drop some air and you have a modern statement of the Tucker. Go one step further and start modifying the fiberglass body and you could actually create a true Tucker sled. What exactly does this car say to hot rodders? This car is possibly the most unlikely candidate for hot rodding, and yet the very spirit in which the car was conceived, designed and built is exactly what drives hot rodders today. We know there was a little hot rodder in Preston Tucker, Conversely, we'd like to believe there's a little bit of Preston Tucker in every hot rodder. For it is ultimately a hot rodder's ability to dream, to envision and to execute that makes it possible for the high quality of today's hot rods to become a reality, and for an 86-year-old Joseph Ida to know there was finally a Waltz Blue Tucker 48 in the family. Finally, the Ida boys are selling Tuckers. Some interesting facts about the man and the dream cars are made of: * Preston Tucker (1903-1956) of Ypsilanti, Michigan, worked with Harry Miller to build successful Indy race cars for Ford in the 1930s. * Alex Fremulis (1914-1991) provided a concept drawing for the Tucker Torpedo in a mere six days. The experienced designer penned the drawing, and the final car didn't vary much from that initial sketch. Fremulis is a member of the Automotive Hall of Fame for his design work. * The Tucker factory was located in the Chicago area, and today is the site of the Ford City Shopping Center, on Cicero Avenue. Many of the original buildings were torn down, but luckily some remain today. The main building is now world headquarters for Tootsie Roll, Inc. It is ironic that the mall is named after Ford, and that the federal government has a Federal Archives building on the grounds. * The original plans called for fuel injection and disc brakes. This man had an eye for the future, but these items were eliminated for cost reasons. * The first prototype engine for the Tucker displaced a whopping 589 cubic inches. The engine proved unreliable, so a 335ci engine was used. * The rumor that the new Tucker had no reverse gear was false. The cars could back up. The rumor may have come from the fact that the original prototype had no reverse gear. * While the final production of the Tucker is 50 cars, the last 13 cars lacked the installation of an engine and/or transmission. So some Tuckers may have come with a sticker: "Some assembly required." * Audrey Moore Hodges, designer of the Tucker interior, also lays claim to designing the 1948 Studebaker hood ornament, a torpedo in a circle. * Want to own an original Tucker 48? As of September 27, 2000, the #1003 car was for sale, here's the e-mail address: mgagnebin@lucasfilm.com. Bear in mind that the last Tucker sold for around $315,000. * At least four Tuckers are known to be destroyed. Numbers 1018 and 1023 were destroyed through accidents and neglect. Number 1027 was destroyed by the Tucker Company during testing with parts used on other cars, but #1042 is possibly the most interesting story. It seems this Tucker was found badly vandalized and abandoned on the banks of the Mississippi River in the Memphis area. A local police officer had the remains hauled to his home. While he was in the hospital recovering from injuries caused in a motorcycle accident, the remains were stolen from his property. No part of this car has ever been seen again except for the transmission. And finally, the car used in the movie crash test scene wasn't a Tucker but a "Stucker," a Studebaker modified to look like a Tucker.