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History Searching for 1948 Tucker photos

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Tucker Fan 48, Nov 26, 2010.

  1. Tucker Fan 48
    Joined: Oct 21, 2010
    Posts: 650

    Tucker Fan 48
    Member
    from Maui

    Aerial photos taken between 1999 and 2003 show the Motel was leveled sometime in between those dates. There is a large building near US 15 that remains. Is that where Automobilorama was located on the property?

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    I found this ad in the October 1964 issue ad Golfdom Magazine about the Golf Course being built. I think it was down next to the Turnpike

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  2. Hot Rod Tucker
    Joined: Nov 9, 2006
    Posts: 70

    Hot Rod Tucker
    Member
    from NJ

    My Grandfather Joe Ida's Tucker Dealership in Yonkers NY 1947
     

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  3. Tucker Fan 48
    Joined: Oct 21, 2010
    Posts: 650

    Tucker Fan 48
    Member
    from Maui

    Was this 1947 or 1948? I notice the sign in the window promoting a Tucker being on site August 16, 17 & 18. If it were 1947 it would have had to be to Tin Goose as no other cars were built yet. If it were 1948, Tucker #1001 was in that area at that time. Do you have any photos of a Tucker at the dealership?
     
  4. Hot Rod Tucker
    Joined: Nov 9, 2006
    Posts: 70

    Hot Rod Tucker
    Member
    from NJ

    His dealership was one of the few that saw two cars. The Tin Goose rolled through in 1947 and then a production rolled through in 1948 when my Grandfather drove it in a parade in NYC with the Rockefellers.


     
  5. noboD
    Joined: Jan 29, 2004
    Posts: 8,458

    noboD
    Member

    Tf48, I'm going to go with I don't know. I thought the musuem was in the building that runs parallel to rt.15, which is still there last I drove by there. Let me check on that.
     
  6. Chaz
    Joined: Feb 24, 2004
    Posts: 5,016

    Chaz
    Member Emeritus

    From reading this entire thread it seems there were a lot of Tucker dealerships, but few Tuckers. How many dealers were set up? What was the cost of a Dealership? Any numbers?
     
  7. Tucker Fan 48
    Joined: Oct 21, 2010
    Posts: 650

    Tucker Fan 48
    Member
    from Maui

    You are correct about that. There were over 2,000 Tucker Dealers. The cost of a dealership was around $5,000. Many made a downpayment and chose to pay the balance over time by signing a contract with the Tucker Corporation. This would prove to be costly for many.

    Only 50 Tuckers were built. 51 if you count the first all hand built car. Since this was a new company and an entirely new car, they knew there would be some bugs to work out. Basically each was a prototype. After each car was built they began driving and testing them. As problems were reported they would be corrected on the next car. This is why almost every car has some minor changes from the ones built before it.

    Unfortunately, bad press and continued delays on starting production caused investors and dealers to push the company into bankruptcy before full production ever began.

    What the dealers did not realize is that the bankruptcy trustees now held all their contract notes and even though Tuckers would never be delivered to their dealerships, the trustees intended to collect on all the notes. This turned into several major court cases and in the end the trustees won. Many dealers ended up paying thousands years later for a dealership that never delivered a car. The courts collected this money well into the 1960s. This is why many old Tucker dealers don't want to talk about Tuckers. A lot of them were even sued by car buyers that bought radios, luggage, etc. Some of them had to pay that money back as well.

    The Tucker case is an interesting study in a lot more ways than the car itself.
     
  8. 40 & 61 Fords
    Joined: May 17, 2006
    Posts: 1,999

    40 & 61 Fords
    Member

    Almost seems like the trustees were working for the "Big 3" and wanted to prove a point to any others who may have wanted to try and be the next Preston Tucker. I can imagine once word got around how the Tucker "dealers" got the shaft from Tucker and the trustees, that anybody thinking of starting a non "big 3" dealership would think twice about it! It's crazy that they were able to still enforce the contracts with the dealers. It shows that it more than just a witch hunt for Preston Tucker himself.

    Also, where were the Tucker dealerships here in Minnesota?
     
  9. Tucker Fan 48
    Joined: Oct 21, 2010
    Posts: 650

    Tucker Fan 48
    Member
    from Maui

    There was less Big Three involvement than people think. The movie hyped that a lot but the Big Three were all selling parts to Tucker. There were several other automakers that were more of a threat at that time. The big problem Tucker had was that he tended to anger people if he did not get his way. This got him several enemies in Washington.

    There were over 50 dealers in Minnesota. Probably the closest to you was in Columbia Heights on the corner of 40th and Central where the bank building is now.
     
  10. 40 & 61 Fords
    Joined: May 17, 2006
    Posts: 1,999

    40 & 61 Fords
    Member

    Is there a list of the dealers in the state somewhere?
    Did many dealers (nationwide) get to the point of having signage and the works, or were most a small repair garage or gas station that just hung up a banner stating they were a Tucker dealer??
     
  11. Tucker Fan 48
    Joined: Oct 21, 2010
    Posts: 650

    Tucker Fan 48
    Member
    from Maui

    There is not really a list anywhere. I've just put mine together after years of research.

    As far as how dealerships looked, it was a mixed bag. Some were small service stations. Others built huge showrooms. Many buildings were not finished until after the company failed. Many converted to other makes. Some owners never recovered.
     
  12. Hot Rod Tucker
    Joined: Nov 9, 2006
    Posts: 70

    Hot Rod Tucker
    Member
    from NJ

    This is a check that my Grandfather received years after the closing of the Tucker Corp. Check the date!
     

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  13. jimi'shemi291
    Joined: Jan 21, 2009
    Posts: 9,499

    jimi'shemi291
    Member

    Seems that people wouldn't have been permitted to simply claim to be Tucker dealers, awaiting the product. Wouldn't they have had to BUY a franchise agreement, which would have included a company-authorized "shingle," so to speak?
     
  14. Hot Rod Tucker
    Joined: Nov 9, 2006
    Posts: 70

    Hot Rod Tucker
    Member
    from NJ

    I've seen the actual Tucker Corporation book listing all of the dealers. I even found my Grandfather's franchise agreement. Its currently in the Dave Cammack Collection
     
  15. Tucker Fan 48
    Joined: Oct 21, 2010
    Posts: 650

    Tucker Fan 48
    Member
    from Maui

    Yes, each dealer bought a dealership. There was no standard for what each had to look like as far as size and shape. They did all have to use company approved forms and follow procedures setup by Tucker.

    Tucker had an approved logo and did sell some window decals. They just never got far enough along to get their dealers all looking pretty. As I mentioned earlier, many dealerships were not even completed before the company failed.
     
  16. Tucker Fan 48
    Joined: Oct 21, 2010
    Posts: 650

    Tucker Fan 48
    Member
    from Maui

    I don't believe Dave's book has all the dealers but it is probably close. After the plant closed the records became a bit of a mess. At the time who would have thought anyone would care 60+ years later? Dave rescued much of it after the "dump" refused to take all the blueprints.
     

  17. cruse was '06 for sure. i've only been once. labor day weekend auburn in. i bought my 57 chevy that weekend and saw a tucker again. it was a big weekend for me. they where anouncing all week end over the P.A. system that it was at gate one, on display only and it was dean cruse's personal car. for the life of me i can't remember what color.


    the green one might have been from detriot now that you brought it up. he was a young guy (i'd say under 30) real pleasant to talk to. i asked him if he any more rare cars, he said he had another tucker at home. i could be wrong about the year, could be a little earlier than 96. it was a long time ago. i was thinking i had my first "show" car there, but , it's possible it could have been before that. the car was on the show flyer. they advertised it alot.
     
  18. jimi'shemi291
    Joined: Jan 21, 2009
    Posts: 9,499

    jimi'shemi291
    Member

    Good, thorough answer, man. Thanks!:)
     
  19. noboD
    Joined: Jan 29, 2004
    Posts: 8,458

    noboD
    Member

    Tucker Fan, a friend says the motel is what was torn down. The building by rt. 15 is where the museum was and is still there as I thought. When the musuem closed it was an indoor antique mall. It is now used as an office building.
     
  20. Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Joined: Apr 20, 2008
    Posts: 4,670

    Hot Rods Ta Hell
    Member

     
  21. Tucker Fan 48
    Joined: Oct 21, 2010
    Posts: 650

    Tucker Fan 48
    Member
    from Maui

     
  22. Tucker Fan 48
    Joined: Oct 21, 2010
    Posts: 650

    Tucker Fan 48
    Member
    from Maui

    Thanks for the information. I thought that might be the building but it looks quite new on the exterior. They must have done a refurb on the exterior.
     
  23. ALLISON
    Joined: Oct 26, 2004
    Posts: 616

    ALLISON
    Member

    This is a very awesome thread.. been a Tucker/Tremulis fan since I was a kid and this thread is packed full of info i didnt know.. I have nothing of importance to add but thought anyone into Tuckers might like to see my ruff concept for a coupe.

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  24. noboD
    Joined: Jan 29, 2004
    Posts: 8,458

    noboD
    Member

    If you come to the AACA fall meet I will drive you there.
     
  25. Well,

    I can vouch for at least one green Tucker being around the Detroit area- my dad is in the orange shirt taking the picture 'under the hood'. This is from a show in Ypsilanti, picture credit is the Ann Arbor News.

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    JK
     
  26. Tucker Fan 48
    Joined: Oct 21, 2010
    Posts: 650

    Tucker Fan 48
    Member
    from Maui

    That would be Tucker #1038 taken in June of 2008 at the Tucker Club convention in Ypsilanti. Note many of the same people in the photo below.

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  27. Tucker Fan 48
    Joined: Oct 21, 2010
    Posts: 650

    Tucker Fan 48
    Member
    from Maui

    Merry Christmas to Everyone

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  28. reborn55
    Joined: Jun 11, 2003
    Posts: 228

    reborn55
    Member

    Merry Christmas---great thread
     
  29. Not sure where I found this pic - hope it's not a re-post. I don't have any info on it.

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  30. 40 & 61 Fords
    Joined: May 17, 2006
    Posts: 1,999

    40 & 61 Fords
    Member

    Is this what those who bought a dealership recieved to get their parts department started along with the promise of as many cars as they could sell??? :)
     

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