Tucking the Roof to Build a Tucker Convertible

Filed in archive American Independents on January 23, 2009

A Tucker Convertible? The Internet is alive with speculation according to Old Cars Weekly, which says "whether or not an unfinished, legitimate Tucker convertible-one that was designed and at least partially assembled at the company factory-actually exists has been a hot-button topic for years among Tucker club members and fans of the famous, star-crossed marque. Chat room debates have raged, tempers have flared and rocks have been thrown. Now, more than 60 years after the factory closed, only two things are really clear:

1. The Tucker Corp. never 'officially' built any topless Tucker automobiles. It built 50 four-door sedans and one prototype. That's it.
2. Today, a Tucker convertible does exist: its legitimacy, its history, and its significance depends on your interpretation and, ultimately, who you want to believe."

Weighing in on the side of the skeptics I doubt the factory even had time to play with such a concept. And why? Introducing a radical new sedan would have been enough without speculating on a drop-top version. As well, the Alex Tremulis design didn't adapt well to a convertible. Nevertheless such a car did exist and is being restored for public viewing by Benchmark Classics, a collector car dealership and restoration shop in Madison, Wis. The safest guess is that it was built from Tucker parts available when the factory shut down.

For a truly fascinating Tucker tale, don't miss clicking on this Old Cars Weekly link.