In the last 75 years, few cars have enamored the public like the Tucker ’48 of 1948. Despite so few being built — one prototype plus 50 pilot-production cars — the Tucker is widely recognized and appreciated. The public’s familiarity with the Tucker may be due to the car’s unique looks, its innovative features and its interesting history. More than likely, however, many people are familiar with the Tucker because the story of the car and its creator were famously dramatized in the 1988 motion picture “Tucker: The Man and His Dream.”
Today, each of the 47 surviving Tucker automobiles is highly valued; well-restored examples regularly sell in excess of $1 million on those rare occasions when one becomes available.
Due to their significant value, few museums have the resources to house a Tucker, and many are now tucked in private collections. One of those Tuckers that can be seen in a museum is Tucker 1015, which is housed at the Stahls Automotive Foundation in New Baltimore, Mich. The non-profit organization shares its Tucker at select automotive events throughout the year, and during the collection’s regular hours of operation on Tuesday afternoons and the first Saturday of each month.
Until a personal visit to the Stahls Automotive Foundation can be planned, the following story and images provide a look of the collection’s Tucker
