The Only Tucker 48 Convertible Prototype On Earth Is A $2.5 Million Piece Of Automotive History

A rare prototype car built by the Tucker Corporation is currently up for sale on eBay with a $2,495,000 asking price. That may seem like a huge sum of money but the story behind the car is quite fascinating.

After the Second World War, Preston Tucker and his company, the Tucker Corporation, decided to create a car to rival those from the Big Three. The vehicle he came up with was dubbed the Tucker 48 and at the time, it was one of the most innovative cars ever conceived.

Among the 48’s most intriguing features was a shatterproof laminated safety windshield, a centered swiveling third headlight that was synchronized to the movement of the steering wheel, and a quick-swap powertrain that was designed to be easily be swapped within just 15 minutes. Tucker originally wanted the car to use a massive 589 cubic-inch flat-six but eventually settled for a modified 334 cubic-inch Franklin aircraft engine.

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Tucker intended on building 60,000 cars a year and even secured a lease for what was the largest factory building in the world. At one stage, the Tucker Corporation had as many as 1,900 employees. Unfortunately, the company was dissolved after a high-profile trial with the Securities and Exchange Commission where allegations were proved baseless and resulted in an acquittal – but the damage, due to all the negative press, was done.

The ebay listing notes that the car in question is a Tucker 48 Convertible. It started out life as a Tucker 48 sedan, chassis number 57, before it had its roof cut off as Tucker began developing it as a convertible. To offset the lack of a fixed roof, engineers added ovular steel beams inside the frame. The car also rocks a modified 1940s convertible top frame from General Motors. It is the only convertible vehicle from Tucker in existence.

Interestingly, this same car was listed up for sale on eBay last year for $2,175,000 but doesn’t appear to have sold. However, as a Tucker sedan sold at an RM Sotheby’s auction earlier this year for just under $2 million, it’s entirely possible someone will be willing to spend almost $2.5 million for this convertible.