“He [Tucker] knew what he wanted and he knew what the public wanted”
-From The Indomitable Tin Goose
-Tucker Promotional Video (1948)
Premier of the Tucker '48
Photo from, "Design and Destiny: The Making of the Tucker Automobile" by Philip S. Egan
On June 19, 1947, the first Tucker ’48 was unveiled at the Tucker Plant in Chicago. Preston only had 100 days to build the automobile, because he had to finish it before he was able to start raising money. The crew was forced to make it completely by hand, so it was missing several features and was constantly breaking down. Thankfully, the public didn’t notice, as the premier was delayed by several long speeches and performances while the crew behind the curtain was frantically trying to make the car work. 3,000 spectators were expected to attend the ceremony, but a much larger crowd of 5,000 actually showed up.