VIDEO: Archival footage reveals Preston Tucker's novel military Combat Car
Tucker Combat Car - Click above to watch video after the jump
Preston Tucker was nothing if not an innovator. While best known for the failed automaker that bore his name and the 51 iconoclastic Tucker Torpedo sedans his venture managed to push out before shutting its doors for good in 1948, that company was not the entrepreneur's first foray into the transportation sector. Way back in the mid 1930s, Tucker and famed engine builder Harry Miller began designing race cars for the Indianapolis 500 before Miller's death in 1943.
Upon returning back home to Michigan, Preston Tucker commenced designing an armored Combat Car for the U.S. military. Though the design was ultimately rejected, the vehicle featured a number of innovations and eventually led to the successful manufacturing contract to produce Tucker Turrets for the U.S. Navy. Hit the jump for some awesome archival footage of Tucker's Combat Car in action along with such innovations as same-size swappable bulletproof windows, separately adjustable headlights (not unlike those slated for the Torpedo), a bulletproof and multi-chambered radiator, individually-braked wheels and the ability to traverse rough terrain with a top speed of 115 mph.
[Source: YouTube | Photo: US Army via Warwheels.net]
Video:
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Craig 8:02PM (6/17/2009)
Wow - looks surprisingly modern.
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James 9:22PM (6/17/2009)
Preston Tucker is inarguably a man ahead of his time...
If he'd been alive today, I'd rather see him run any of the Big(or Less) 3 than any of these poseur pro-car bailout CEO's...
Javanese 7:07AM (6/18/2009)
Yup, tucker was way ahead of his time. The reason this vehicle was rejected by the military was it was too fast. No tanks or troops (hell even the willy jeep) can keep up with it. Their comment was they dont need a hot rod in the war. The only thing that they end up using is the turret which made it way to bomber planes and battle ships.
zamafir 8:03PM (6/17/2009)
What an awesome man, and awesome car.
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james 8:20PM (6/17/2009)
Preston Tucker was an amazing guy. From the looks of this, his individual wheel breaking to gain traction reminds me a lot of today's traction control systems. He really did influence so much in today's vehicles.
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mcampasini 8:30PM (6/17/2009)
ok article says 115 on rough terrain video says 65, top speed on pavement 110? did they not watch the video?
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mcampasini 8:34PM (6/17/2009)
sorry it says in excess of 100 on pavement.
tbirdman 8:50PM (6/17/2009)
and they went with a jeep why? this is amazing. and the six wheeled verson looks totally bad-ass.
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Grizzly 1:14AM (6/18/2009)
The Jeep is used for an entirely different purpose, it's a light truck. The real question should be why did we buy the White scout car or the M8 Greyhound over this?
pixelnate 2:49AM (6/18/2009)
They went with the Jeep because the Combat Car was too fast for the tanks and infantry to keep up with. Basically, it was just too badass for its own good.
The guy was a genius.
Poppy 9:11PM (6/17/2009)
I wonder where automobiles would be today if Tucker had survived. There are things that Tucker pioneered that are just being realized today in production vehicles!
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James 9:28PM (6/17/2009)
"His specifications called for a rear engine, disc brakes, fuel injection, the location of all instruments within the diameter of the steering wheel, and a padded dashboard...."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preston_Tucker
Wiki, you forgot to mention...seat belts!
Dave 9:38PM (6/17/2009)
What did Tucker pioneer?
I suspect that every feature on this vehicle as well as the Tucker Torpedo had appeared on other vehicles.
In both cases, Tucker put a lot of features together and ended up with a great vehicle with a price tag that buyers werent willing to pay.
Protzenegger 12:54AM (6/18/2009)
I think Tucker's failure stems equally so from the whistleblowing d-bags that worked for him and tarnished the company name.
Kitko 7:41AM (6/18/2009)
It seems to me that Tucker Preston took lots of his ideas from Tatra, world's third oldest car manufacturer...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatra_T77
John P. 9:22PM (6/17/2009)
Something similar to that looks like it would work well even today. What a work of genius! My guess is that it would have been too costly to build. There's a heck of a lot of nice ideas in there.
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len simpson 9:36PM (6/17/2009)
Can,t prove it , of course, but I,ve always believed IT was a shutout by the big 3
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Clavius 9:47PM (6/17/2009)
Take away the black and white aspects of the photo's and the white walls on the tires, then color in the vehicle in camo and I'd say to you this is a modern army machine. I hope whomeva is looking through the commisioning of the replacement of the Humvee is watching this video. Simply awsome for being well over 50 years old.
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karmakid 9:58PM (6/17/2009)
the original warthog
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Matt Heerema 9:56PM (6/17/2009)
This is like an early batmobile... totally awesome.
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