General Discussion

Omaha Steve

(99,646 posts) Sun Jul 21, 2013, 10:35 PM Jul 2013

Was it the missing Tucker car?

I'm watching the movie "Tucker" on EPIX on demand. A couple months ago Marta and I were coming back to Omaha after breakfast in Council Bluffs, IA. We saw what looked like a Tucker car that had been smashed down to the bottom of the window level headed in the direction of the metal recycle yards. There is only ONE Tucker not accounted for. Mathematically I don't think it was a Tucker and that the driver didn't know what it was.

I hate to use wikipedia, but it has the list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Tucker_Sedan#Tucker_.2748_legacy

Remaining Tucker '48s today and original configuration:

16 replies

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Highlight:

Was it the missing Tucker car? (Original Post) Omaha Steve Jul 2013 OP

Are you sure it wasn't a Studebaker Champion? onehandle Jul 2013 #1

Is that a stock color? nm rhett o rick Jul 2013 #2

Dunno. That's not the one I saw today. onehandle Jul 2013 #4

My father owned one when I was young. It was a mustard color. nm rhett o rick Jul 2013 #5

I remember from my childhood, someone in the neighborhood had a Studebaker and they had fitted a RC Jul 2013 #6

Marta agrees that it was probably a Studebaker Omaha Steve Jul 2013 #7

There was a car show in Des Moines over the 4th of July weekend. Morning Dew Jul 2013 #11

Similar look but quite different side by side. Egalitarian Thug Jul 2013 #8

a bit of trivia: uncle ray Jul 2013 #9

Most all the Tuckers in the film were modified Studebakers Brother Buzz Jul 2013 #10

Cool. I love trivia and am glad to hear that no Tuckers were harmed to make the film. Egalitarian Thug Jul 2013 #12

Are you sure. John82 May 2015 #15

What you saw was probably a '48-51 Studebaker which was also a Virgil Exner design. leveymg Jul 2013 #3

If you & Marta have a spare afternoon, go to Lincoln and see this OmahaBlueDog Jul 2013 #13

It is John82 May 2015 #14

from your link cyberswede May 2015 #16

onehandle

(51,122 posts)

1. Are you sure it wasn't a Studebaker Champion?

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 21, 2013, 10:40 PM

Jul 2013

At a casual glance, they can look like a Tucker. Saw one at a car show today.

rhett o rick

(55,981 posts)

2. Is that a stock color? nm

Reply to onehandle (Reply #1)

Sun Jul 21, 2013, 10:41 PM

Jul 2013

onehandle

(51,122 posts)

4. Dunno. That's not the one I saw today.

Reply to rhett o rick (Reply #2)

Sun Jul 21, 2013, 11:12 PM

Jul 2013

Just grabbed that pic from the 'net.

rhett o rick

(55,981 posts)

5. My father owned one when I was young. It was a mustard color. nm

Reply to onehandle (Reply #4)

Sun Jul 21, 2013, 11:17 PM

Jul 2013

RC

(25,592 posts)

6. I remember from my childhood, someone in the neighborhood had a Studebaker and they had fitted a

Reply to onehandle (Reply #1)

Sun Jul 21, 2013, 11:54 PM

Jul 2013

headlight in the middle. This was in the early 50's. It was a Studebaker, because the name was on the car.

Omaha Steve

(99,646 posts)

7. Marta agrees that it was probably a Studebaker

Reply to onehandle (Reply #1)

Mon Jul 22, 2013, 06:51 AM

Jul 2013

When I was coming home on I-80 on July 6th, I did see a 50's Studebaker convertible that had probably been to a car show.

Morning Dew

(6,539 posts)

11. There was a car show in Des Moines over the 4th of July weekend.

Reply to Omaha Steve (Reply #7)

Mon Jul 22, 2013, 11:24 AM

Jul 2013

Lots of great cars to look at!

We were heading back to Minnesota from Missouri and decided to stay overnight in Des Moines. We tried for Altoona so we could be near the casino but the hotels we checked were full - wound up in Ankeny instead.

Egalitarian Thug

(12,448 posts)

8. Similar look but quite different side by side.

Reply to onehandle (Reply #1)

Mon Jul 22, 2013, 08:48 AM

Jul 2013

That 1951 Studebaker always reminds me of Steelyard Blues.

uncle ray

(3,156 posts)

9. a bit of trivia:

Reply to Egalitarian Thug (Reply #8)

Mon Jul 22, 2013, 10:32 AM

Jul 2013

the Tucker from the crash scene in the movie was actually a Studebaker customized to look like a Tucker.

Brother Buzz

(36,439 posts)

10. Most all the Tuckers in the film were modified Studebakers

Reply to uncle ray (Reply #9)

Mon Jul 22, 2013, 11:11 AM

Jul 2013

I worked in Sonoma the summer Coppola filmed 'Tucker' in the town. I swear I saw dozens of the modified Studebakers driving around all summer. They may have been the same half a dozen cars I saw every day, but one might logically assume Coppola had fifty of them made up, and the shop boys were simply out joyriding the product of their labor; one doesn't drive a genuine Tucker to run errands.

Egalitarian Thug

(12,448 posts)

12. Cool. I love trivia and am glad to hear that no Tuckers were harmed to make the film.

Reply to uncle ray (Reply #9)

Mon Jul 22, 2013, 01:48 PM

Jul 2013

John82

(2 posts)

15. Are you sure.

Reply to Egalitarian Thug (Reply #8)

Sat May 30, 2015, 04:17 AM

May 2015

That ain't no Studie, It's a Tucker 48, very rare car and only 47 around plus replicas.

leveymg

(36,418 posts)

3. What you saw was probably a '48-51 Studebaker which was also a Virgil Exner design.

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sun Jul 21, 2013, 10:43 PM

Jul 2013

Last edited Sun Jul 21, 2013, 11:54 PM - Edit history (1)

Did it look like this? On Edit: the main designer of the Tucker was Alex Tremulis; he and Exner were part of a small group of visionary designers that included Raymond Loewy who influenced each other as they filtered in and out of the Ford Advanced Styling and other Detroit studios in the 1940s and 50s.

OmahaBlueDog

(10,000 posts)

13. If you & Marta have a spare afternoon, go to Lincoln and see this

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Tue Jul 30, 2013, 12:18 AM

Jul 2013

http://www.museumofamericanspeed.com/Regular.html

Founded in 1992 by “Speedy” Bill and Joyce Smith, the Smith Collection Museum of American Speed is dedicated to preserving, interpreting and displaying physical items significant in racing and automotive history. The federally recognized 501 (c) (3) museum currently encompasses more than 135,000 sq. ft. over three levels. The vast collection results from the Smiths’ personal involvement in racing and hot rodding for more than six decades, and their lifelong passion for collecting and preserving historic automotive artifacts.

Millions of hours have been spent, as Bill puts it, “turning over rocks” and chasing countless leads to assemble a collection of this magnitude. As a result, museum visitors can witness a stunning array of history-making cars, engines, parts, toys and memorabilia. You’ll see countless rare and one-of-a-kind items, all presented in beautiful displays and dioramas that will make you feel like you’ve taken a step back into the past!

They have Tucker #24 in "Waltz Blue"

Call ahead. During summer they are open every day, but most of the year it's Fridays only, and they only allow visitors to enter in a tour that's given once per day at 2 PM.

John82

(2 posts)

14. It is

Reply to Omaha Steve (Original post)

Sat May 30, 2015, 04:12 AM

May 2015

Sorry to disappoint, the car you saw was not a Studebaker heading to the scrap yards, it was an actual Tucker. No 1023, painted in priming grey was stored in a warehouse when the warehouse caught fire. A steel girder fell and crushed the car. [link:http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/news/editors-picks/tucker-tally|

cyberswede

(26,117 posts)

16. from your link

Reply to John82 (Reply #14)

Sat May 30, 2015, 08:32 AM

May 2015

The damaged Tucker sat unprotected until April 1980 when it was finally released from the site. The rusted, warped hulk revealed only a few salvageable items when noted Tucker historian Richard Jones inspected it and brought it home. What was left was taken to the scrap yard crusher, reduced to a square block of metal and later buried in his back yard.
- See more at: http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/news/editors-picks/tucker-tally#.dpuf

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