Fabulous American cars always create a stir.

Cars like the Duesenberg Model J or the Mercer 'Raceabout' draw big crowds and command big dollars.

Few American cars were more fabulous than the Tucker, which appeared like something from the space age in the years following World War II.

Before its launch the Tucker ‘48 captivated the imagination of the American public who flocked to see the prototype and signed up in droves to purchase the cars.

Shortly thereafter Preston Tucker’s dreams dissolved amid charges of conspiracy and bankruptcy.

In the late '40s there was nothing like the Tucker, and Tucker’s greatest achievement was the 'Tucker Torpedo', as it was then known.

The horizontally-opposed, six-cylinder engine was mounted in the rear and produced a healthy 166 horsepower and transmitted power to the rear axle through a four-speed transmission with a Bendix vacuum-electric preselector mechanism.

A novelty in its own right, the power unit for the Tucker was converted from a hel...