The 1948 Tucker Torpedo is an iconic sedan with only 51 examples ever built. While it wasn't particularly revolutionary, it was very modern and innovative at the time. Most recently, one of them sold for $2,650,000 at Barrett-Jackson in 2012.
According to the Barrett-Jackson auction listing of the Torpedo, the 1948 Tucker sedan was considered to be an advanced and state of the art automobile at the time. It was conceived by Preston Tucker himself and produced very briefly in Chicago. A total of only 51 units were made before the company eventually went bankrupt in 1949.
While Studebaker was first to make an all-new post-war model, Tucker took a different approach. He opted to focus on designing a car which focused on safety, modern styling, and innovative features.
The resulting model was the 1948 Tucker Torpedo. It has a rear engine similar to the Porsche and the classic VW Beetle, disc brakes, fuel injection, and a padded dashboard. While it was only 60 inches tall, it was very comfortable and roomy inside.
One of the other significant features is its "Cyclops Eye." This is basically a directional third headlight that is used during turns. It lights up whenever the car is steered by more than 10 degrees. At the time, it was considered to be the most aerodynamic car in the world.
It was designed by Alex Tremulis. Another significant feature of the car is it had a mathematically computed drag coefficient of only 0.27 and it had a very startlingly modern look.
In another report by Jalopnik, a beautiful blue 1948 Tucker Torpedo was sold at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale in 2012 for $2.65 million. It was professionally and correctly restored and came from the Ron Pratte Collection.
Considering that only 47 examples are left, this car is very exclusive. Previously, a Tucker last sold for $1,127,500. However, since then no Tucker's have been seen at auction.
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