After World War II, the American public was hungry for something new. But Detroit’s Big Three automakers struggled to restart civilian automobile production after years devoted to manufacturing military equipment.
Into this vacuum stepped smaller manufacturers such as Tucker, which were able to move more quickly in developing new and modern automobiles. The result was the Tucker 48, a car with a striking aerodynamic design unlike virtually anything seen on American roads before the war.
Its futuristic appearance was matched by a number of innovative features. These included a padded dashboard, a windshield designed to pop out in the event of a collision, a centrally mounted headlight that turned with the steering wheel, and even an optional seat-heating system.
The model earned the nickname “The Car of Tomorrow,” and among the colors offered, black was the rarest. Only 51 Tucker 48s were produced, with just four finished in black.
Price: $1.8 million.
