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Tucker kit? YES!


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Tucker kit? YES!!!

OK, first, I’m certain there are other Tucker threads on here somewhere if you want to play archeologist, go for it.
There is a thread on Hudsons, and it was sidetracking to Tuckers, so I thought I would start a new line.
So a lot of us (ahem… a LOT of us) would very much like a kit of the Tucker. It has been requested ever since I took my second lap around the hobby block back in the late eighties.
But it’s not going to happen. And if you understand the biz, you know why.
Versions. They need to market several versions to make the tooling profitable.
Yet the Tucker was a short lived car, with a production run of 50 units, and no real race heritage. What to do?

Well, there are different versions:

First, and obvious, is the original production Tuckers.

TuckerformerlyownedbyGeorgeLucas.jpg

Second, the New ’48 by Rob Ida with a twin turbo’d Cadillac Northstar.

Tucker48TwinTurbobyRobIdaConcepts.jpg

Third, the pre production “Tin Goose”.

TUCKER%20TIN%20GOOSE.jpg?t=1431139255

Fourth, a TUCKER 48 pulling the Gyronaut X1

TUCKER48pullingtheGyronautX1.jpg

Fifth, the one of none Tucker Convertible, built from leftover factory parts.

TUCKER%20phantom%20convertible%2001.jpg?

Remember in the Hudson thread where Harry pointed out all of the kits like the Batmobile, Ala Kart, etc. that have no alternate versions? They sold. And I believe the Tucker could be marketed in more than one configuration.
Hello? Moebius? I’m looking at you!

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No. Can't be done. Because somebody said so, that's why. If you were "inside", you would understand.

jb

It's dark out. So yeah, I'm "inside". And it can be done. Otherwise, please explain why it cannot. We're a "can do" nation. Yeah, Moebius could do this.

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They could also do a "new" Tucker...

2014-tucker_zpsedb562bf.jpg

Sweet! Has some Chevy heritage in there. Although, just like Volkswagen and their New Beetle, it looks like it had to go with a front engine placement.

Edited by Jon Cole
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There's a reason there's only fifty Tucker's. They're so ugly that no one wanted one! A kit of one would probably have the same sales success. There's so many things wrong with the design of that car, that it's mind boggling. It hurts my eyes to look at it. The only reason the Tucker gets the hype it does is because there's only forty something of them left.

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There's a reason there's only fifty Tucker's. They're so ugly that no one wanted one! A kit of one would probably have the same sales success. There's so many things wrong with the design of that car, that it's mind boggling. It hurts my eyes to look at it. The only reason the Tucker gets the hype it does is because there's only forty something of them left.

Roger not true. My Grandfather was among the many that put down money for a car. He received his luggage that is all. Gramps was not a car guy but he liked his sail boats. The Tucker has many things that modern cars have on them now. The big three put the squeeze on him. Tucker was a smart guy with big ambition but not enough money. I agree that the car takes some getting used to in the looks department but they all can not be winners.

As far as a model kit it would be hard to sell the number of kits to pay for the molds I would think.

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There's a reason there's only fifty Tucker's. They're so ugly that no one wanted one!

Actually, the reason there were only 50 built is because in post-war America, the Big Three had nothing but leftover pre-war designs to sell, while the Tucker was brand new and different. The Big Three didn't like the upstart Tucker Corporation upstaging them, so they worked with Michigan senator Homer Ferguson and the SEC to put Preston Tucker on trial on bogus, trumped-up charges. Tucker was found not guilty by the jury, but it was too late. Tucker was broke and the company died.

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A little more food for thought as far as Tucker derivatives and kit spin-offs. Random pictures copied from free domain on the internet. If you drew them speak up to be recognized.

A slick looking two door sedan. Could also be done up as a 2 door hardtop would probably look slick as well.

attachment-253_zpsrp8bgvg5.jpeg

A sleeker 'vert with a Duval style windshield.

attachment-271_zps69ybtpzd.jpeg

attachment-93_zpsosyq08zs.jpeg

And last a couple of variations of a woody wagon. Or also could be done as a regular wagon. Not entirely sure how well this would work with a rear engine configuration but what the heck, it looks cool.

attachment-99_zpsttc69y8v.jpeg

attachment-230_zpshu9uto9f.jpeg

Lots of pretty cool ideas that could be run with. someone a lot more talented than me could probably draw up an El Camino styled Tucker as well.

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Pooh on the naysayers in this thread. 15 years ago, maybe even less, the SAME thing was being said about a Hudson kit. No way, its too ugly, it has limited appeal, blah blah blah.

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And last a couple of variations of a woody wagon. Or also could be done as a regular wagon. Not entirely sure how well this would work with a rear engine configuration but what the heck, it looks cool.

attachment-99_zpsttc69y8v.jpeg

Volkswagen did it with three different models, (Type 3, 411/412, and the Brasila) so I'm sure its possible.

I like it. I like weird, Studebaker and Tucker had some of the coolest designs, IMO.
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I won't name names, but I have it from a very reliable industry insider source that at one point the decision had been made to produce a styrene Tucker kit. But the kit never was put into production due to other, unrelated circumstances at the company. Has it not been for those other circumstances that had a big effect on the company, we would have a Tucker kit today.

So the idea of a Tucker kit isn't as crazy as some of you guys think.

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