“…luxury refinements newer and finer than you’ve seen yet…glorious, carefree driving, the kind you’ve dreamed about.”
-Pittsburgh-Post Gazette, June 20, 1948
Luxury Features
Photo from the collections of The Henry Ford
The Tucker '48 also had several luxury features. One example is its doors. They were cut into the roof which made for easy entry and exit of the vehicle without having to stoop to get in. They also raised up about two inches when they were opened to avoid collision with the curb. The front and back seat cushions were interchangeable, so they wouldn't wear out as quickly from being in the same spot over an extended period of time. The car also included 4-wheel independent suspension to provide for a smoother ride, and a pre-selector type transmission, a forerunner to the modern-day automatic transmission. Tucker offered all this at the affordable price of $2,450 while an average luxury car of that time, such as the 1948 Lincoln Mark I Continental, cost about $4,662.