Preston Tucker and His Battle to Build the Car of Tomorrow

Preston Tucker and His Battle to Build the Car of Tomorrow by Lehto, Steve. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781613749531.

A 2017 Michigan Notable Book After World War II, the American automobile industry was reeling. Having spent years building tanks and airplanes for the army, the car companies would need years more to retool their production to meet the demands of the American public, for whom they had not made any cars since 1942. And then in stepped Preston Tucker. This salesman extraordinaire from Ypsilanti, Michigan, had built race cars before the war, and had designed prototypes for the military during it. Now, gathering a group of brilliant automotive designers, engineers, and promoters, he announced the creation of a revolutionary new car: the Tucker 48, the first car in almost a decade to be built fresh from the ground up. Tuckers car would include ingenious advances in design and engineering that other car companies could not match. With a rear engine, rear-wheel drive, a safety-glass windshielf that would pop out in case of an accident, a padded dashboard, independent suspension, and automatic transmission, it would be more attractive and aerodynamic—and safer—than any other car on the road. But as the public eagerly awaited Tuckers car of tomorrow, powerful forces in Washington were trying to bring him down. An SEC commissioner with close ties to Detroits Big Three automakers deliberately leaked information about an investigation the agency was conducting, suggesting that Tucker was bilking investors with a massive fraud scheme. Headlines accused him a perpetrating a hoax and claimed that his cars werent real and his factory was a sham. In fact, the Tucker 48 sedan was genuine, and everyone who saw it was impressed by what this upstart carmaker had achieved. But the SECs investigation had compounded the companys financial problems and management conflicts, and a superior product was not enough to keep Tuckers dream afloat. Here, Steve Lehto tackles the story of Tuckers amazing rise and tragic fall, relying on a huge trove of documents that has been used by no other writer to date. It is the first comprehensive, authoritative account of Tuckers magnificent car and his battles with the government. And in this book, Lehto finally answers the questions automobile aficionados have wondered about for decades: Exactly how and why was the production of such an innovative car killed?