<VV> Corvair Firsts

[Alan and Clare Wesson]

Tim (and J R) wrote:

> But the Tucker wasn't air cooled.


Yes it was! At least I can be right about *one* thing this evening! Here's the
proof:

(Source: http://www.motorcities.com/contents/03A89404423757.html)

Cheers

Alan [Proof follows]



A Correction on Tucker history by the Director of the Tucker Historical
Collection and Library

Hello,

While searching the web I happened across your site and read an article on the
1948 Tucker '48.

I read the article with interest but found it contained so many flaws and
inconsistencies in regards to the Tucker that it became worthless as a
credible historical review.

Did the author maliciously manufacturer "truth" through the discarding of
evidence? Or was this a case of the careless use of opinion and hearsay, which
eagerly has been repeated as historical fact?

While their are several areas that need correcting I will focus on only two.

The biggest errors appear in the following paragraph:

"The heart of every great car is a great engine, but Tucker didn't want to
waste the time and money to develop his own, especially when there were a
bunch of Army surplus helicopter engines lying around that could be had for a
song. With a little warbling, Tucker lined up a supply of horizontally opposed
six cylinder engines from Air-Cooled Motors, a descendant of the old Franklin
marque."

Regardless of the author's personal opinion, the statements in this paragraph
couldn't be further from the truth. Tucker spend a considerable amount of time
and money developing the unsuccessful Tucker 589 engine. This was one of the
major points of the government's legal case againist Tucker. Why spend so much
on a failed idea.

The idea of "Army surplus helicopter engines lying around that could be had
for a song" is just plain ridiculous. In 1947 there were no Army surplus
helicopters - let alone engines as the US Military only experimented with
helicopters toward the end of WW2.

The Aircooled engine was used in the Bell 47 (1947 - first certified civil
helicopter; military use in the Korean) as was well as some Heller crafts.
After working on their own engine Tucker contracted with Aircooled to build
125 prototype engines. He purchased Aircooled Motors as a subsidiary of Tucker
Corporation in March of 1948 and it remained in business until 1960.

The second items is that the Tucker Torpedo was never made. This was the name
used in early 1946 factory promo but was dropped when the car was introduced
as the Tucker '48 in June of 1947.

Respectfully,

Jay A. Follis - Director
Tucker Historical Collection and Library
345 E. Minckler
Allegan, MI 49010-9726