Rare 1948 Tucker Convertible Prototype for Sale on eBay

Preston Tucker was kind of like the Elon Musk of his day, having started his own automotive company to battle Detroit’s big three after World War II. His first and only production vehicle was the Tucker 48 sedan, aka the Tucker Torpedo. Only 51 Tucker 48s were produced, making it an incredibly rare vehicle. But this Tucker Convertible prototype is even rarer since only one was made. Like 15 of the known Tuckers, this one wasn’t completed in the factory but finished later.

The Tucker Convertible started as an experimental prototype at the Tucker factory around 1948. The vehicle began life as a Tucker 48, chassis #57, which initially had its roof chopped off and later saw its chassis strengthened with extra steel beams to ensure it wouldn’t sag. The unique vehicle also saw its doors lengthened and a shortened window frame installed, along with a modified GM convertible top frame. But before the vehicle could be completed, the Tucker factory closed in early 1949.

The partially-completed vehicle changed hands a couple of times over the years, and was finally finished in 2010 by Benchmark Classics in Madison, WI, and landed with a private collector. Now, Accelerate Auto Group has it listed on eBay now with an asking price of $2.375 million. That’s a steep asking price, but Tucker 48s have sold for close to $2 million at auction.

This specimen has only ten miles on its odometer and a one-owner title. It has the proper rear-mounted Franklin-Tucker flat-6 engine and Cord transmission and is a unique piece of automotive history. Interested buyers can find many more details on the Tucker Convertible’s history and provenance on this website.