zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
Tucker’s Torpedo Turned out to Be a Lemon, and RCR Explains Why
Tucker’s Torpedo Turned out to Be a Lemon, and RCR Explains Why-October 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:57

Image for article titled Tucker’s Torpedo Turned out to Be a Lemon, and RCR Explains Why

The name has become a cautionary tale in the for the kind of blue sky thinking, convention-ignoring iconoclast that decides that they can build a car that’s faster, safer and all around better than the brands that have been doing it for decades. It’s also become synonymous with that pie-in-the-sky car turning out to be something of a lemon.

Hell, even of someone who did this and beat the odds only invested money in an already-founded company and didn’t even become CEO until five years after that company was incorporated. Plus, there’s no way the company would have survived and brought a viable product to market .

Other than being said cautionary tale (and a pretty decent Jeff Bridges movie), Tucker was different from many of the other also-rans in that the Tucker 48 (aka the Torpedo) featured a lot of things that would go on to become standard in the automotive industry. It was a car built well ahead of its time, and perhaps, without the Big Three playing their dirty pool, .

The story of the man and his car company is too long and nuanced to discuss in this short format, but thankfully, the fellas at have us covered. The latest in their series of well-researched and carefully considered long form documentary videos, RCR Stories, does precisely that.

So, make sure your boss is ignoring you, throw on your headphones, and listen to The Roman tell you the short but exciting history of the Tucker car company and then segue that right into “” because you can be productive later.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
Salvador Dalí Once Painted A Portrait Of A Datsun 610 Wagon
Salvador Dalí Once Painted A Portrait Of A Datsun 610 Wagon
The famed Spanish Surrealist and provider of 85 percent of college freshman dorm room art, Salvador Dalí, was known for painting a vast panoply of subjects, from his early realistic still lifes (lives?) to his best-known Surrealist period, full of soft, melting clocks and . Less well known is...
Oct 24, 2026
Jalopnik Is Hosting Another Virtual Car Trivia Night FRIDAY So Get Ready For Some Fun
Jalopnik Is Hosting Another Virtual Car Trivia Night FRIDAY So Get Ready For Some Fun
There’s a lot of general malaise and melancholy going around in this world right now, but we can’t let it obnubilate our love for automobiles. That’s why my colleague Jason Torchinsky and I will be hosting on Friday to remind you all of two things: 1) Why you love...
Oct 24, 2026
The Brazilian Volkswagen Fastback Was Even Weirder Than You Realize And Brings Up Some Big Questions
The Brazilian Volkswagen Fastback Was Even Weirder Than You Realize And Brings Up Some Big Questions
I’m well aware that if you even realize the Brazilian Volkswagen Fastback was weird at all, you’re already in kind of a minority, human-being-wise. But that’s okay—I’m here to walk you through this, and through it we will get, together. We’re going to start with this premise: though the...
Oct 24, 2026
Volkswagen Doesn't Know How Bad This Will Get
Volkswagen Doesn't Know How Bad This Will Get
Volkswagen’s profits are tumbling, Bentley extends its production shutdown, and Ford hopes to possibly restart production with the help of wristbands. All that and more in for April 16, 2020. Companies typically provide guidance to investors on how they think they will perform in the coming months. Amid the...
Oct 24, 2026
Big Star — 'September Gurls'
Big Star — 'September Gurls'
Traffic sucks, so why not start your morning off with some music? You provide the toast and we’ll provide the jams. Big Star was such a revelation, like putting on an old coat you haven’t worn for a while and reaching into its pockets and finding a $20 bill. ...
Oct 24, 2026
Seal--'Kissed By A Rose'
Seal--'Kissed By A Rose'
Traffic sucks, so why not start your morning off with some music? You provide the toast and we’ll provide the jams. In honor of saying goodbye to Michael Ballaban, I give you his favorite song. He demanded we all sing this over Zoom last night to send him off. Mike...
Oct 24, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved