1948 Tucker #1057 on ebay

[1950panhead]

51 were built at the factory,  enthusiasts built six more.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1948-Tucker-Convertible-Tucker-Convertible-1-of-1-Only-10-ORIGINAL-MILES/223220819017?hash=item33f8ff6449:g:u0IAAOSwlJBbz9b6:rk:3:pf:1&vxp=mtr&frcectupt=true

 

Edited November 7, 2018 by 1950panhead
x (see edit history)

[Steve Moskowitz]

Here we go again!  I think there already is a long thread from a couple of years ago about this car!!!

[jackofalltrades70]

Quite optomistic on their price!!!???  IMHO, car is worth less than any other Tucker, just because it is something that never was.  

 

Matt

[trimacar]

How does "10 original miles" have any meaning for a car that was built 10 years ago?

 

I love that there's a 3.5 million dollar asking price, but you have to put down a $500 non-refundable deposit.....

[Hupp36]

I  hope  he likes the  car, at  that  price he is  going  to  have it  for  his  lifetime. The  big  thing, its  not  a  real  Tucker.

[Guest]

I am not generally a fan of "kit" cars or recreations, tributes or any other number of names applied to one off productions. So, while I am familiar with this make, I am not that well versed on Tucker history, post-closing. I understand this car was not built under the supervision of Preston Tucker but if it was built with all original Tucker panels and drive train and retains a correct Tucker chassis number wouldn't the only thing not really desirable be the car's completion date?

Apologies in advance if I've missed something glaring here. Just looking for some enlightenment.

Greg

[D Yaros]

The listing says this very car was displayed at "the largest car show in the world, the Antique Automobile Cluib of America's Hershey, PA meet."

 

Would that be the real AACA or the pretenders?  

Edited November 7, 2018 by D Yaros
format quoted text (see edit history)

[MCHinson]

In case anyone would like to read the previous posts about this car, check out this old link: 

 

[1912Staver]

"Really" the only thing holding me back is the fact I can't have a matching "his and hers" pair.  Just takes all the attraction out it for me.

 

 ...actually I like it a lot , price does seem a bit out of this world.

 

Greg

[edinmass]

Talk about a rare car, it’s one of none! Provenance is an actual word, and you can look it up in the dictionary. Having dealt with a bunch of high end cars, I can tell you for a fact before anyone puts seven figures down on the table, you better have LOTS MORE than some affidavits written 70 years post fact. Photos, bills of sale, paperwork trails...........not a story about a rusty  frame with some extra globs of rust hanging off of it. I personally don’t see very low six figures for any Tucker, craftsmanship and engineering make it look much more like a kit purchased from Tractor Supply. Ask the boys who were at Pebble Beach this year with the Tucker automatic transmission. They had lots to say about it..............I won’t repeat what was said.......this is a family site!

Edited November 8, 2018 by edinmass (see edit history)

[jeff_a]

Waiting for a Tucker station wagon, or the Tucker Carioca, that never went into production:   Why doesn't someone fab one of those together? From Car Life Magazine. The Plymouth Prowler resembles this a little.

Edited November 8, 2018 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[Taylormade]

The Carioca, Now that’s a car I’d like to see someone build.  I wonder if there are any other drawings of this proposed design.

[trimacar]

Wonder if the Carioca would come standard with a sing-along radio?  Oh, wait, I may be confused.....

[1950panhead]

I am not generally a fan of "kit" cars or recreations, tributes or any other number of names applied to one off productions. So, while I am familiar with

this make, I am not that well versed on Tucker history, post-closing. I understand this car was not built under the supervision of Preston Tucker but if it
was built with all original Tucker panels and drive train and retains a correct Tucker chassis number wouldn't the only thing not really desirable be the
car's completion date?  Apologies in advance if I've missed something glaring here. Just looking for some enlightenment.

I like old cars and motorcycles.  I have owned several.
When I drive or look at old cars it is a portal to the past, years gone by.
Here is an example,  Ford, John Wyer, Kar Kraft, Shelby built 105 gt40's in the 60's.
These cars now sell for 5 to 12 million at auction in recent years.
Superperformance builds these cars now.  Most parts interchange with originals, they look the same, they have authentic vin numbers, they sell for $180k,
I want one !
The lions share of the value, 99%, comes from being authentic and original.
Same situation with this Tucker, it was not built in 1948, all the parts are the same but it is not authentic and original.
The current owner is trying to present it as authentic, most everyone knows it is not a 1948 Tucker, this has a huge effect on value.

[1912Staver]

I think this case is quite a bit different than modern production " continuation" cars.  The sellers are claiming that this car is indeed a genuine 1948 Tucker , just not a car that was completed before Tuckers bankruptcy and closure. They seem to be claiming that many if not most of the parts are genuine 1948 Tucker parts and that construction of the car was well under way while Tucker was still in business.  In a situation like this , if true, the "completion" date becomes somewhat irrelevant.

 This sort of situation is not unheard of in old cars. Manufactures build many prototypes and styling exercises . Most are eventually scrapped, however a few survive and become hobby cars.

 The forum posts, particularly the old thread about this car cast quite a bit of doubt on the sellers version of this cars creation.

 Edinmass above hits the nail on the head. The proof of what the seller is claiming is critical. Especially when prices approach the sort of range this car is in.

 

Greg in Canada

Edited November 8, 2018 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[Xander Wildeisen]

The Batmobile brought big numbers, and we all know Batman is not real.

[JACK M]

Bat Man isn't real ????

I think we have trouble in Gotham.

[jackofalltrades70]

Next your gonna tell us Santa doesn’t come down the chimney and leave our presents. Who eats the cookies and drinks the milk then?

 

Sorry, Tucker never built a convertible.  All in all, it could be deemed a kit car.  They look nice, usually from afar, (20 footers) and never approach the value of an Original.

Matt

Edited November 8, 2018 by jackofalltrades70 (see edit history)

[Xander Wildeisen]

I do not know who is eating the cookies, but keep an eye out for free umbrellas.   

 

[60FlatTop]

I saw it in the car coral at Hershey. I am sure I spent more time looking at a couple of black or red Roadmaster convertibles. I think I watched the people around the car more than I paid attention to the details of the car. "They" appeared more special than the car.

I like a lot of cars that are outside of my personal experience for many reasons, but, standing there, I couldn't get a single dendrite to hook up with the car to save my life. It was just an oddity.

 

Take a look in the Riviera section of the Forum. A topic I was reading there makes me think you would park it with the hearses and ambulances at a Buick meet.

Bernie

[Guest]

1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said:

. "They" appeared more special than the car.

I like a lot of cars that are outside of my personal experience for many reasons, but, standing there, I couldn't get a single dendrite to hook up with the car to save my life. It was just an oddity.

 

 

You crack me up.

Perhaps their synapses were simply misfiring? 

[chistech]

I was really enjoying this whole thread and then you guys ruined my 57yr old life. There’s no Batman or Santa Claus????? man, that hurts to find out. Well, at least I can still hold out hope for Superman, the Green Lantern, and Spider-Man. So I suppose the crush I had when I was a kid on Cat Woman is ruined too. Now that’s the one that really hurts!?

Edited November 9, 2018 by chistech (see edit history)

[Bleach]

I hate to break this but I've got bad news about the Easter bunny too.

[edinmass]

I think it’s interesting the Convertible owner keeps harping on a bunch of “real” cars were assembled after the plant closed from parts, so his machine is of the same provenance............and I thought good fiction was no longer being written!

Edited November 12, 2018 by edinmass (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

On 11/9/2018 at 10:00 AM, chistech said:

There’s no Batman or Santa Claus?????

Don't feel too bad. Would you be interested in Mr. McGregor's tractor? I'm thinking of selling it and it is not completely petered out.

 

1939 Allis Chalmers with a loader!

[Joe in Canada]

I just can not sit back and say nothing. How about the 34 Ford or 1932 Chevy  roadsters with the all metal  repop body's at the car shows. Are the just as good as an original body?

[trimacar]

24 minutes ago, Joe in Canada said:

I just can not sit back and say nothing. How about the 34 Ford or 1932 Chevy  roadsters with the all metal  repop body's at the car shows. Are the just as good as an original body?

Absolutely not, and the values demonstrate that.  A repro body for a 32 Ford, for example, is what, 10k in steel?  An original body will bring two or three times that, and the value translates to finished cars too.

 

I think the interesting thing is that hot rods bring more than original cars.  This was not true 40 years ago, and it was interesting to see the table turn in favor of rods.  A ratty Model A worth X, put a V8 next to it and call it a hot rod project, it's worth 2X....

[edinmass]

New or replica coachwork in NOT accepted on the 1930’s cars.........Pebble, Amelia, ect do not allow replica bodies on the field.

 

 

FYI- a replica bodied car is worth 15 to 20 cents on the dollar  of the real one, the Tucker Conv guy wants 200 percent more than a correct car. The THC available over the counter for recreational users must be better than I realized!

Edited November 11, 2018 by edinmass (see edit history)

[edinmass]

Jake, I don’t have any horse in this race.........but buying a spot in the  car corral at Hershey is hardly an endorsement of anything but payment for the space. Fact is, there is no significant provenance on the car.......conjecture........some payroll recorded of an accountant .....at seven figure numbers you better have a lot more. Usually anything such as the car in question is part of automotive lore, legend, and numerous articles over decades, starting from the beginning of time the manufacture begun. The car is an interesting exercise in metal fabrication, parts location, tenacity, and skill.......yes, it is interesting to some. The object of desire to others. Honestly, I have never been a fan of any Tucker, due to poor workmanship and lousy styling. That being said, it is the dream car and shining diamond of many collections. Fact of the matter is, if the car was as good as some represent it to be it would have changed hands a long time ago.......appearently some people think it’s value is 900 to 1.3 if the auction bids were real...........anyway, I’m sure the skilled people who built it are justifiablely proud of their accomplishment. The valadation of what the car truly is will be the selling price.

Edited November 11, 2018 by edinmass (see edit history)

[Matt Harwood]

The problem with this Tucker, and any other car that is "conjured" from a cloudy past, is that it will always have an asterisk next to it. Nobody will spend the big money to own a car with an asterisk. If you want to own it for what it is, great, but I think the number of guys with the knowledge to know what a Tucker is, the finances to buy such a thing, and the desire to own one would be turned off by the history on this car, which is more than a little hazy. It's beautifully built, it has correct parts, and it certainly COULD have existed. There's an immense investment in the construction of the thing. It is what it is, but it isn't quite what they want it to be or what they're claiming it to be. And therein lies the rub.

 

I keep coming back to a certain Duesenberg J dual cowl phaeton that sold a few years ago--reproduction frame, engine from one car, transmission from another, reproduction body built in the '70s. For all intents and purposes, a Duesenberg J dual cowl phaeton. It looked like one, it drove like one, it smelled like one, and without checking numbers, it could pass muster at 99.5% of the shows in the universe. I would have gladly put that car in my own garage and kept it forever. A "real" one might bring $2 million, but this one sold for $275,000. Why? A rose by any other name, right? What's the difference?

 

Asterisk.

[MCHinson]

Jake,

 

You should read all of the previous topic and closely examine the "evidence" that they are presenting. I won't ever be able to afford a Tucker. I think Tuckers are neat primarily because of the underdog story of the company. The problem with this car is that they have done an absolutelly wonderful job of creating a car that never existed. Well done, but anybody who closely reads all of the available materials out there knows that Tucker never built a convertible. Tucker was designing a car to be safer than anything on the market at the time. A convertible was certainly not in Tucker's immediate plans. IF the company had survived, I suspect eventually they would have built a convertible, but this one is not it.

[1912Staver]

The older thread is to me the most informative. It has information that seems very unbiased about the uncompleted Tuckers. 

 

Greg

[60FlatTop]

The Ebay seller of the car has about 100 recent completed sales of cars. I am sure the Tucker influenced the search algorithm and biased some traffic in their direction. Things are not always what they seem.

 

I used to sell a lot on Ebay, almost like a part time job. One time I had a whole bunch of Camaro literature I bought from a Chevy sales manager. I knew that cars always got more hits than single collector items. So I grouped all my Camaro stuff and before listing it, I went out and bought a cheap Camaro. Traffic to the car boosted my hit rating, and, slippery old devil that I am, I included a big referral to the Camaro literature in the car description. Sold it all and even made a little money on the bait.

 

Before regulations tightened up I used to host my own Ebay pictures through HTML. I had a little $50 per year website that was racking up over a quarter of a million hits.

 

If I had a car ready to sell today I would put one of my keepers on Ebay with a whacky reserve and list the lizard too. "Look what he is trying to get for that 4 door!" "Hang on. I will be out from behind the curtain in a minute."

 

It ain't always what you think.

Bernie

[MCHinson]

I don't think you were looking at the right seller. When you click on the ended auction, you have to specifically click to return to the original listing as ebay now switches you to a "similar" active listing. The feedback for the "similar" listing that I saw was similar to what you discussed.  The feedback for the seller who listed the Tucker Convertible shows a few recent car sales, but none of them were over $20,000 cars. It looks like the seller has sold a few more cars over a year ago, as well as quite a few automotive parts. The seller currently has no other active listings on ebay. Here is the seller's feedback link:

 

https://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=accelerate_auto_group&&_trksid=p2047675.l2560&rt=nc&iid=223220819017&sspagename=VIP%3Afeedback&ftab=FeedbackAsSeller

[60FlatTop]

I was looking at these: https://www.ebay.com/sch/accelerate_auto_group/m.html?LH_Complete=1&rt=nc&_trksid=p2046732.m1684

 

and figured some off Ebay sales. The link in their add ended up here: https://www.accelerateautogroup.com/inventory/

 

So the value of the listing on Ebay could potentially be more valuable for exposure rather than the selling the car and losing the boondoggle . I have done stuff like that bit not in the half million bracket.

 

 

[CarlLaFong]

I suspect the Pierce Arrow LSR car or the Model T Opera Car will resurface soon

[edinmass]

1 hour ago, CarlLaFong said:

I suspect the Pierce Arrow LSR car or the Model T Opera Car will resurface soon

 

 

There are two Pierce Arrow land speed record cars..........just one wasn't enough! 

[MCHinson]

Of course, the auction ended with no sale. And now it has been relisted at the same price. The market has spoken but they don't seem to be listening.

[edinmass]

As Shakespeare said.........” The silence is deafening!” ?

[JV Puleo]

About 90% of what I look at on ebay is ludicrously overpriced rubbish...  The general consensus (at least among ebay sellers) seems to be that old car collectors all have more money than brains. Does anyone need a "rare" set of Gray & Davis Cadillac side lamps? There must be 10 sets of lights for every surviving 1912-1914 Cadillac and most of those don't need them.