“…they’ve created a car that will be the inspiration of automotive engineers for years to come.” -Pittsburgh-Post
Gazette, June 20, 1948
-Tucker Promotional Video (1948)
What the Tucker Gave Us
Photo from, "The Indomitable Tin Goose" by Charles Pearson
Unfortunately, the Tucker never made it into the big time auto industry. However, what it did accomplish was the introduction of a number of useful safety features and cutting edge technological advancements. Some of Tucker’s ideas have been incorporated into modern cars, while others are “new” even today. One example of a feature used today is the padded dashboard. The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 legislated padded dashboards to be required in all cars. The “Cyclops-eye” headlight idea has also been used on choice car models, such as the 2003 Porsche Cayenne and the 2004 Lexus RX. It has been altered so there are only two headlights, but the same concept is being used. The Tucker ‘48’s door design is also used in cars today. It is evident through these features that Preston's work did not go to waste. The Tucker's innovations brought
safety to the forefront of design considerations for other car companies, and shaped the way cars are designed today.The Tucker ’48 truly deserves the name, “Car of Tomorrow.”