The 1948 Tucker Torpedo or Tucker '48 Sedan was an advanced automobile conceived by Preston Tucker and briefly produced in Chicago in 1948. Only 51 cars were made before the company folded on March 3, 1949, due to negative publicity initiated by the news media, a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation and a heavily publicized stock fraud trial. Speculation exists that the circumstances which brought the Tucker Corporation down were contributed to by the Big Three automakers and Michigan senator Homer Ferguson.
Studebaker was first to introduce an all-new postwar model, but Tucker took a different tack, designing a safety car with innovative features and modern styling. His specifications called for a water-cooled aluminum block[2] flat-6 rear engine, disc brakes, four-wheel independent suspension,[2] fuel injection, the location of all instruments on the steering wheel, and a padded dashboard.
The first sketch for Tucker's car, by designer George Lawson
Tucker's second design sketch by Alex Tremulis (Before front end was finalized with Lippincott designers.)
To finalize the design, Tucker hired the New York design firm J. Gordon Lippincott to create an alternate body. Only the front end and horizontal tail-light bar designs were refined for the final car. Tremulis gave the first prototype car the nickname of "Tin Goose".
Many components and features of the car were innovative and far ahead of its time. The most recognizable feature of the Tucker '48, a directional third headlight, known as the "Cyclops Eye", would turn on at steering angles of greater than 10 degrees to light the car's path around corners. At the time 17 states had laws against cars having more than two headlights. Tucker fabricated a cover for the cyclops center light for use in these states.
The car was rear-engined and rear wheel drive. A perimeter frame surrounded the vehicle for crash protection, as well as a roll bar integrated into the roof. The steering box was behind the front axle to protect the driver in a front-end accident. The instrument panel and all controls were in easy reach of the steering wheel, and the dash was padded for safety. The windshield was designed to pop-out in a collision to protect occupants. The car also featured seat belts, a first in its day. The car's parking brake had a separate key so it could be locked in place to prevent theft. The doors extended into the roof, to ease entry and exit. The engine and transmission were mounted on a separate sub frame which could be lowered and removed in minutes with just six bolts removed—Tucker envisioned loaner engines being quickly swapped in for service in just 15–20 minutes.
Tucker envisioned several other innovations which were later abandoned. Magnesium wheels, disc brakes, fuel injection, self-sealing tubeless tires, and a direct-drive torque converter transmission were all evaluated and/or tested but were dropped on the final prototype due to cost, engineering complexity, and lack of time to develop.
Tucker initially tried to develop an innovative engine. It was a 589 inł flat-6 cylinder with hemispherical combustion chambers, fuel injection, and overhead valves operated by oil pressure rather than a camshaft. An oil pressure distributor was mounted inline with the ignition distributor and delivered appropriately timed direct oil pressure to open each valve at the proper interval. This unique engine was designed to idle at 100 RPM and cruise at 250-1200RPM through the use of direct drive torque converters on each driving wheel instead of a transmission. These features would have been auto industry firsts in 1948, but as engine development proceeded, problems appeared. The 589 engine was installed only in the test chassis and the first prototype.
The final car was only 70 in (1524 mm) tall, but was rather large and comfortable inside. Tremulis' design was called the most aerodynamic in the world, and though it still sported pre-war type fenders, it was startlingly modern. The mathematically-computed drag coefficient was only 0.27, although for the public this figure was rounded up to 0.30.
Continuing development – funding and publicity
Having raised $17,000,000 in a stock issue, one of the first speculative IPOs, Tucker needed more money to continue development of the car. He sold dealerships and distributorships throughout the country. Another money maker was the Tucker Accessories Program. In order to secure a spot on the Tucker waiting list, future buyers could purchase accessories, like seat covers, the radio, and luggage, before their car was built. This brought an additional $2,000,000 into the company.
With the final design in place, Preston Tucker took the pre-production cars on the road to show them in towns across the country. The cars were an instant success, with crowds gathering wherever they stopped. One report says that Tucker was pulled over by a police officer intent on getting a better look at the car.
To prove

The City of Sandy Springs and Target teamed up for the 26th Annual National Night Out (NNO) in an effort to create a safer and healthier community. A children’s (ages 14 and younger) celebration was held on Tuesday, August 4, 2009, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Target at The Prado at 5610 Roswell Road. The event included car safety seat checks; information on how to sign up for or start a Neighborhood Watch program; the Fire Safety House, which provides a hands-on learning environment; fire trucks and police cars; meeting police officers and firefighters; and information on how to be safe in an emergency.

“The goal of National Night Out is to create safe, healthier communities while also being a unique crime and drug prevention event that takes place right in our neighborhood,” said Police Chief Terry Sult. “The partnership between Target and the Sandy Springs Police Department further strengthens and supports local anticrime programs. We want to send a message to criminals to let them know that neighborhoods are organized and are fighting back.”

Nationwide, last year’s event involved citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials from more than 13,000 communities in all 50 states. In all, more than 35 million people participated in NNO. Target gives away 5 percent of its income to communities every week, which is more than $3 million per week.