The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 28, 1988, Page 5, Image 5
Keeping up wit]
'Car of U
By the Associated Press
ORANGE PARK, Fla. ? Richard
Jones never met Preston Tucker and
has never even owned one of his
automobiles. But Jones, founder and
president of the Tucker Club of
America, has carried on a 40-year
love affair dedicated to keeping "the
legend alive" about Tucker's "car of
tomorrow."
"I wanted one from the very
beginning when they first came out
with the ads in the newspapers," said
Jones, who was 19 at the time.
But the retired Navy electronics expert
and civil service employee
couldn't afford a Tucker in 1948 and
says, "1 can't afford one today."
A new movie, starring Jeff
Bridges, Tucker: The Man and His
Dream, has increased the popularity
of the limited edition car. Only 51,
counting the prototype, were made.
Jones, 59, was hired by Francis
Ford Coppola and George Lucas as a
mechanic and extra for the movie.
The club, which counts Coppola
and Lucas among its 275 members,
also helped out by rounding up 22 of
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The owners who allowed their
Tuckers to be used in the movie were
given $150,000 insurance and $2,500
for the use of each car. Tones said.
In addition, four plastic replicas
were made for use in the movie when
it was impractical or dangerous to
use an actual Tucker, which was dubbed
"the Tin Goose."
Although he expects he will never
own a Tucker, Jones has two parked
in his garage that he restored for
Maryland investor Dave Cammack.
After Jones founded the club in
1973, he was contacted by Cammack,
who purchased a Tucker for $12,000.
Tucker No. 22 has been restored to
near-perfection with its metallic gray
paint job and its refurbished interior.
The Tuckers were numbered 1 to
50, with only the existing prototype
not having a number. Jones has kept
Tucker No. 22 for more than a
decade and recently displayed it outside
an Orange Park theater showing
the movie.
Jones has kept the car, since Cam
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The value of the car, Jones said, is
in excess of $100,000.
Later, Cammack purchased
Tucker No. 26. Although Jones is
still working on it, he was able to get
it in running condition in time for the
filming of the movie. No. 26, with a
metallic blue finish, is one of only
two Tuckers built with an automatic
transmission.
In restoring the Tuckers, one of
the biggest problems has been finding
parts. The Tucker used a Franklin
AirCooled Motor 336 cubic inch
engine, reworked so that it was
water-cooled. Jones often has to go
through companies specializing in
aircraft parts to get what he needs to
restore the cars' engines or has to go
to a machine shop and have parts
handmade.
Jones, who has file drawers stuffed
with information about the shortlived
auto venture, said the club is
dedicated to "keeping the legend
alive."
Once the club was formed, Jones
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"I wanted one from the
very beginning when they
first came out with the ads
in the newspapers."
Richard Jones
president,
Tucker Club of America
began tracking down the remaining
Tuckers. Of the 47 remaining cars,
about a third have been restored,
another third is in fair to good condition
and the remaining third is
"rusting to death."
Four cars were destroyed. One was
wrecked during testing at Indianapolis,
a scene depicted in the
movie by modifying a Studebaker to
resemble a Tucker. One was
destroyed when it was hit by a train,
one was severely vandalized and sold
for scrap and the fourth was
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Celebrati
TODAY'S MA
Wednesday, Septembi
1st Event: 1988 CAR
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2nd Event: HOMECC
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Cultural Art
October 3-7, 9-4
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Special Progr
Todd Yohn &
October 4, 12:0C
CINEMATIC
Chitty Chit
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These acti\
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destroyed in a fire.
The Tucker, the first American car
with a rear engine, had many innovations
that were ahead of its time, including
a pop-out windshield, a padded
dash and a crash compartment
on the passenger side of the front
seat.
It also had a movable center
cyclops headlight that turned 10
degrees to either side of the car, matchine
the direction of the steerine
wheel, to habilitate better night-time
vision around curves.
Each of the Tuckers is slightly different
because they are all
handmade.
"They were trying out all kinds of
ideas. No two were exactly alike,"
said Jones, pointing out subtle differences
between No. 22 and No. 26,
including a different design on the
door handles.
The Tucker, which was clocked at
131 mph in 1950 on the Bonneville
Salt Flats, "will cruise 60-70-80 all
day long, but it doesn't have the
brakes to run it that fast," Jones
said.
'88 G?'J
<3 o
ions of Olympic Pro
IN EVENTS?
er 28, 1988
OLINA CARNIVAL
10 AM - 3 PM
Greene Street
Rain Location: Russell Hoi
There will.be booths, stuck
lots of fun!
DMING COOKOUT
4:30 - 7 PM
Russell House Patio
Food by Marriott
Enjoy music by Jim LeBla
Rain Location: Grand Mar
Don't Miss Out
ponsored by the 1988 Homecoming Commissi*
Financed by Student Activities Fees
3 IMP
CAROLINA PROGRAM UNION
:s Print Sale/Trc
:30, Russell House P
eakfast with Presid
ber 6, 1988.
ams Presents Com?
Mark DiShera
), Russell House Pati
ARTS PRESENTS
ty
Sept. 28
ig
IOCKY HORROR
JRE SHOW
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>r More Information, call 777-713<
dties funded in part by Student Actn
rend alive
"It is not a comfortable car to
drive. It is too light on the front
end."
Despite its advanced systems,
Jones said, the Tucker had some
serious transmission problems, and
the suspension is weak.
How did the Tucker compare with
AtK^r IQdfi c9
V/I11VI l/TU 11IVWWIJ .
"This car would run circles around
them," Jones said.
Preston Tucker's dream cars,
however, never reached the market.
Tucker was investigated by the
Securities and Exchange Commission
and was forced into bankruptcy. He
faced charges for attempting to
defraud the public but was acquitted.
Tucker, following his trial, went to
South America where he tried unsuccessfully
to launch another
automobile company. He died of
cancer in 1956 at the age of 53.
"I don't believe Tucker would
have made it if they left him alone,"
said Jones, adding that he just didn't
have the money he needed to start a
new line of cars. "He promised a car
way before he had it developed."
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Sept. 29-30, Oct. 1