Recently a question came up on a public FaceBook page, RETRO AUTOMOTIVE PROTOTYPES & Concept Designs, about the origins of a 3/8ths scale styling model believed to have come from one of the major automobile manufacturers. Photographs accompanied the query of the model as it sat in master builder Marty Martino's garage. Martino is well-known in automobile concept circles as the man who recreated the 1956 GM Club de Mer show car, restored the 1955 Chevrolet Biscayne Motorama concept car, recreated the 1955 Ford Futura, and is currently recreating the 1956 Ghia/Chrysler Norseman, the one that's still in the hold of the sunken Andrea Doria ocean liner.

BACKGROUND
In the 1990's, the model was discovered by noted automobilia collector Sam Sandifer in a yard sale in Wixom, Michigan, with absolutely no other concrete information about its history. It was thought it may possibly have come from Ford and the Wixom location may have indicated a possible Lincoln connection.

With little to go on except the photos of the model itself, Steve Tremulis sought to find an answer as to whether or not it really was a Ford-originated model, but found so much more in his quest that this story deserves to be told.

Clues as to the model's origins came from several unique design elements in the model itself, with two design structures of particular interest: The Chevron-shaped taillights were integrated with the rear bumper, and the canopy was a pillarless design. Hopefully, those two features would provide all the necessary identifying marks to pinpoint who the original designer may have been. Below is a more recent photo that better represents the mystery model.

ALEX TREMULIS ARCHIVES
Alex Tremulis was one of the most influential automotive stylists and was head of Ford's Advanced Styling Studio for several years in the mid-1950's. He kept a large archive of his work throughout his life, including many of the design concepts that were developed at Ford. Part of his responsibilities was to train new employees and art students in the many aspects of automobile design. It was thought that a new designer learning the trade could exercise his imagination unhindered and if he was to mess up, it would be better to do it in the Advanced Styling Studio rather than in production where mistakes could be very costly.  In all, Tremulis mentored over 140 future designers and he maintained a significant file of many of their incredible design studies. If the mystery car came from Ford during Tremulis' tenure, there was a good chance it would be found in his files.

THE SEARCH FOR A SKETCH
In 1955, Alex Tremulis prepared a speech to be given to Henry Ford (II) during his tour of the Advanced Styling Studio. Along with the script of the speech, he had maintained the photographs of dozens of concept renderings that accompanied his tour. Also included were numerous photos of the students who came through the studio. The complete tour and photos can be found HERE.  One particular photo contained a drawing that incorporated both the Chevron taillights and the pillarless greenhouse. The top center drawing had all the hallmarks of the mystery car! To add even more possibility that it was the original sketch for the mystery car is that it is directly above a drawing done by a young Jim Powers of his 1955 Palomar concept. The Palomar also had a pillarless canopy and was also chosen to be modeled in 3/8ths scale, so the sketch was displayed in the right place and in very good company.

A closer examination of the mystery car model compared to the sketch shows that the greenhouse had changed from a rather complex contour for the C pillar to a simple support member. This would be a typical change that most concepts go through as they develop: The sketch would have been critiqued by Alex Tremulis and other stylists and their suggestions for improvements to the design would be incorporated into the next iteration under Tremulis' direction. So where did the model's new greenhouse come from? Well, they didn't have to look very far. It looks like it came directly from another one of Alex Tremulis' 3/8ths scale design studies called the Madame X! 

Examining the side trim of the sketch as compared to the model, it was clear that it too underwent improvements in its features. Gone was the trim-within-trim arrow and spear. Instead, a simple cove was incorporated down the side of the car. A quick photoshop of adding the Madame X's pillarless roof to the sketch and cleaning up the side trim results in a near perfect match for the mystery car in question!

THE MODEL IN VINTAGE PHOTOS
But how could the model in Tremulis' studio escape the camera with all the photos taken at the time? Well, it didn't. It's been there the entire time waiting to be discovered, just not as a featured model. Several other 3/8ths scale model concepts took top billing in the Advanced Styling Studio, namely the futuristic "La Tosca" and its companion, the proposed 200 mile per hour 1956 Thunderbird "Mexico". Both concepts wore the Thunderbird badge, Ford's most sporty vehicle in direct competition with GM's Corvette. La Tosca even made it to the cover of Car Life in 1955 and was also featured in LIFE magazine. Shown below are two photos of the La Tosca and the Mexico models in what looks like candid shots taken during the formal photoshoot by LIFE magazine.

Sometimes it's not the main feature that's important, but it's what's happening on the sidelines that makes the headlines. And that's exactly what these photos show. In the background is the model and its mystery that would eventually be solved 62 years later. Magnified and contrast-enhanced, they clearly show the model in question, and even more detail with the two-tone paint used for the cove and body!

THE LINCOLN CONNECTION
Further research suggests there may well have been a connection of the model to John Najjar's Lincoln studio. The sketch at left bears a striking resemblance to the model and is badged "LINCOLN" across its front trim. This sketch was also displayed in Tremulis' Advanced Styling Studio. It is well known that La Tosca was ordered over to Lincoln shortly after Tremulis' antics with the radio controlled model. As told, Tremulis would sometimes drive La Tosca across Oakwood Blvd to the training grounds. On one such occasion, its batteries were running low and held up traffic, including an unamused Ford executive, Earle MacPherson. It was just a short while later that Tremulis would be relieved of the model. So it wouldn't be too much of a stretch if the mystery model joined La Tosca in its departure from Advanced Styling and travelled over to the Lincoln studio (but probably not under its own power). In any case, the Lincoln sketch incorporating the mystery model's front end treatment indicates that the model was at some point associated with Lincoln.

As further support for the Lincoln association, both the sketch and the model appear to have incorporated side trim styling cues from the production 1953 Lincoln 2-door hardtop. As styling exercises for his students in the Advanced Styling Studio, oftentimes Tremulis would supply a main theme for inspiration. It's very possible this assignment could have originated with the question "What could the Lincoln of the future look like?"

DESIGNER REVEALED
So who was the original designer of the drawing in Tremulis' studio? Thankfully, the original photos are 8x10 glossies from which the signature or the artist can be identified. The original 3/8ths scale rendering was signed by Wm. Crabtree and photographed in December, 1955. But Crabtree is not a marquee name when it comes to notable Ford concept cars of the 1950's... Yet.

So who was William Crabtree? It turns out that he had a lifelong love of automobiles and dreamed of becoming a car designer. So in 1953, just out of high school, he entered a Motor Trend contest to design the car of the future where the winners would receive a scholarship to the highly esteemed Art Center in Pasadena, California. Crabtree's entry was chosen as one of the winners and he was awarded a four year scholarship. His accomplishment was noted in Long Beach's Independent-Telegram as well as the September 1953 Motor Trend as shown below. 

The Independent Press-Telegram in Long Beach covered his winning in their August 30, 1953 edition. As they described: "The car of the future will be maneuverable so that it can be parked easily, and functional so that it can travel fast in heavy traffic. It will be highly specialized, and it is likely to be somewhat smaller than present day cars. So believes an enthusiastic 18-year-old, William King Crabtree - "Bill" to his friends - who has been interested in cars all of his life, and has sketched cars much of his life. Bill, 933 Terraine Ave., was one of the five winners of a national contest sponsored by Motor Trends magazine for new car designs. His award is a four-year $2000 scholarship to the Los Angeles Art Center, starting with the term beginning Sept. 28. Guess what he will do at the Art Center? "Design cars, mostly." says Bill. When Bill read about the contest in the spring, he already had most of the work done because he had been accumulating drawings for a couple of years. "I bundled off a portfolio of 25 or 30 sketches and 10 finished drawings, and got In just under the wire," says the lanky 6-foot 1-inch youth who works at a service station at 3565 Pacific Coast Hwy. His prize-winning drawing of a coupe done in two-tone gold and black, appears under the heading "From Dream to Drawing Board to . . . " in the current issue of Motor Trend.

As Motor Trend described: William King Crabtree, Long Beach, designed and engineered for the future with these principles in mind: the safety, needs and comfort of the public. Born in Oklahoma 18 years ago, William Crabtree is approaching automotive design with ideas well ahead of his years. He believes in simplicity of style, maximum safety and design that is practical, attractive, comfortable -- yet low in cost. His coupe looks nearly 'sonic' in concept, but it utilizes all the desires of the designer, who feels that this car could be developed in the next 10 years. "The rear-engined car would be the size of present cars in the low price class. Controls are centrally located. As the door retracts into the rear fender, the window panel is raised. Air scoops are more than decoration; scoops on the sides cool the engine and the brakes; an air- scoop-on the car's roof provides fresh air for the air-conditioning system. The fact that this car, and variations of it, are designed to seat either two or four people at the most is an indication of the trend to specialization in our cars of the future." In Bill's model, the seats would lie separate and adjustable, similar to bus seats. Each seat also would have a safety belt. He planned the car for commercial use, and thinks it would make an excellent police car. How fast would it go? "I don't know," admits Bill. "I'm a designer, not an engineer."

Motor Trend gave out several scholarships in their contest and one other winner is of particular interest with ties to Bill Crabtree. It turns out that  the other future designer was also hired by Alex Tremulis into Ford's Advanced Styling Studio as none other than McKinley Thompson, the auto industry's first African-American car designer. Thompson's story is also fascinating and was previously featured HERE.

So Crabtree and Thompson must have been classmates at Art Center as they learned the tools of their new trade. A search of photos from the Art Center archives brings up this gem, where indeed Bill Crabtree is at the far right of the photo beside his classmate McKinley Thompson, along with the great Art Center instructor and master at clay modeling, Joe Thompson (center).

Bill Crabtree and McKinley Thompson were to make such a positive impression on Tremulis that they both were offered styling jobs within Ford before their full scholarships at Art Center would conclude. Tremulis' main criteria for hiring potential designers and mentoring his students was not only talent, but if they showed a passion for design, a trait both Crabtree and Thompson clearly possessed.  But life inside Ford would prove somewhat difficult for Crabtree as his other passion in life was to possibly become a minister. The fast lifestyle of the stylists often included smoking and drinking, sometimes too much, and that did not sit well with the budding automobile designer. After nearly two years at Ford, Crabtree decided it would be best for him to return to California where he would build his career and family.

After he left Ford, he tried going back to Art Center. When that didn't work out, Bill went to UCLA for 3 1/2 years hoping to be a doctor. About this time he got married the first time at age 25.  Bill then worked at North American on the Apollo command module program.  After his first marriage ended, he remarried in 1973 and eventually went to work at Douglas Aircraft (which later became McDonnell Douglas and later Boeing).  He worked for them for over 35 years, after which Bill worked for Flight Safety, Inc (FS took over the Flight Training Center for Boeing) from which he retired at 67. Bill Crabtree passed away in 2004 at the age of 69.

So now the new search begins for how Bill Crabtree's career within Ford progressed and which other designs and projects he may have contributed to. And once again, just as it was 62 years ago, Bill Crabtree's automotive styling talent and contributions to design are just beginning to get recognized!



A special thanks to Sam Sandifer, Marty Martino and especially to Sue Crabtree for sharing her husband's life story.  And, of course, to Bill Crabtree for creating such beautiful artwork reflecting his passion for automobiles and the fascinating mystery that surrounds all great design.

Thanks to the archives of Art Center College of Design, Ford Motor Company, and the Alex Tremulis Archives.

Preston Tucker's dream of entering into the automotive manufacturing world didn't end with his acquittal of fraud charges in January 1950.  Far from it.  As early as 1952 he had enough of an idea for a new roadster that he got in touch with one of the foremost designers of the day, the Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky.  Tucker's vision was to produce a car that would be fun to drive and could be made inexpensively.  His concepts were worked out until a vision for what the car would look like was made clear.  The final design from Sakhnoffsky would be a rear-engined roadster that was to be built in Brazil and he called it the Carioca.  Those plans never came together as Preston Tucker became ill in Brazil and was diagnosed shortly after with lung cancer.  He died in December 1956 and so ended his dream.

But whatever happened to the sketches that would have preceeded the Carioca design that was made public on the cover of CAR LIFE in 1955?  Just recently, those sketches may have surfaced in an on-line auction.  Oddly enough, these drawings may still be misidentified as a Studebaker concept drawn up by noted designer Raymond Loewy. 

Tremulis' start was somewhat less auspicious than the remainder of his career:  The fancy drafting pencil sharpener was like none that he had been familiar with and he had to ask for assistance to use it.  It turns out that a simple cap covered the hole for the business end of the pencil.  Not the best way to make a first impression, but his tenure within Harley Earl’s organization would be short-lived anyway.  He spent three months in GM's school and then returned to Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg where he would soon become the Chief Stylist at the age of 22, after Gordon Buehrig (Hall of Fame Inductee, 1989) left the company.  Following the close of A-C-D, Alex would again return to General Motors, this time as a designer for the Oldsmobile Division in the Argonaut Building, but again, that relationship would end rather abruptly.

By 1955, Harley Earl’s design team had left the Argonaut Building, but the buliding's future lease on life would yet again have a deep connection to Tremulis.  In 2007, General Motors donated the building to the College for Creative Studies, a design school that had its roots in the early 1900's.  They restored and upgraded the Argonaut Building in 2008.  Back in the 1950’s,  CCS was known as the Detroit Society for Arts and Crafts.  As it turns out, while Tremulis was a studio head for Advanced Design at Ford, he recruited students from the top automotive design schools to bring into Ford’s automotive styling groups.  Ford’s freshmen designers would begin their careers in his studio and learn the tricks of the trade prior to being assigned to other areas where they showed the most potential. 

By the mid-1960’s, Tremulis had left Ford, yet maintained his teaching at the school under the direction of a much-loved Homer LaGassey.  There he would often bring in guest speakers such as Art Arfons, as shown below, who talked of Tremulis’ advanced streamlining ideas as they applied to his record-setting Green Monster.  Other future Hall of Famers would be in several of Tremulis’ classes.  As he would often say, he was most proud of the successes that his many students enjoyed throughout their own storied careers. 

So it was with great reverence that Jack Telnack, one of Tremulis’ former students and Automotive Hall of Fame member (2008), would introduce many of Tremulis’ irreverent antics to the induction ceremony’s audience.  Upon graduation from Art Center College of Design, Telnack would rise quickly through the ranks at Ford to become the Vice President for Global Design and is supremely qualified to talk of Tremulis' impact on automotive styling and design history.

Finally, Alex's induction into the Hall of Fame concluded with a passage from one of his many literary works:

“From the days when I got my first inspiration for drawing the lines of an automobile from my father, I was fascinated with that form of vehicular travel and the speed and excitement that went with it.  Even though as a boy I did not translate the thought into words, I knew that the very instant I picked up my pencil from a car sketch, that particular idea was already obsolete and I must go on to another and another, each new one discovering some combination of curves, lines and angles to achieve a result.

A lifetime of working within the exciting environs of the auto industry has brought me into contact with so many fine and great people I feel greatly rewarded, rich though I am not. 

There have been achievements aplenty to give me pleasure, but failures and set-backs in sufficient quantity to prevent me from being complacent.

I look back at my many auto models, prototypes, drawings and production cars with great fondness and pride and feel that each of them, in their particular way, was great. But my wildest feeling of excitement and raw pleasure comes from anticipating what that car, the car of tomorrow, will be..."

 

All the members of the Tremulis family, both in attendance and in absentia, give our sincere thanks to Bill Chapin and the nomination committee at the Automotive Hall of Fame, the entire crew of the College for Creative Studies for their magnificent and historic facilities, Jack Telnack for his wild recollections and insight into Alex Tremulis, and to all those who have shared and supported Alex's vision for a better tomorrow.

So although there is room for various opinions on the demise of the corporation, the facts surrounding the design for the car are a bit less controversial, yet no less fascinating.  So here's a look at the evolution of the Tucker Tin Goose prototype and how each of its design elements evolved into the car that is instantly recognizable as the Tucker '48. 

The rear grille of the Tucker '48 perhaps best exemplifies how each of the designers involved with the Tucker were able to contribute to the final design for the rear end of the car.  And it clearly happened in a 'round about way over many months of design variations. 

The evolution of the front bumper and grilles resulted in the now-legendary steerhorn front bumper that identifies the car as a Tucker '48.  The creativity that Read Viemeister displayed in his initial proposal that included the bumper was key to finishing off the front end design that never was quite complete despite the efforts by Lawson and Tremulis before.  It wouldn't be until just before the Lippincott team left that the front bumper and grille design would all come together. 

January 1947:  Alex Tremulis' first series with the moveable front fenders. 









February 1947: The fixed-fender design as used for advertising.







April 1947: Tremulis' Clay #1 in the foreground and the right side of Lippincott's Clay #2 both carry Tremulis' sweeping pontoons.






June 1947: The Tin Goose, now with all the side chrome eliminated.







March 1948: The Tucker '48 again with the pontoons closely mimicking Tremulis' contours of February 1947, just slightly more pointed than those on the Tin Goose.

copyright 2014 Steve Tremulis

Preston Tucker's car of the future evolved from several earlier concepts that had promised the world "The First Completely New Car in 50 Years".  Only 51 examples of the Tucker '48 were built: The first prototype "Tin Goose" plus 50 additional pre-production units.  The design was revolutionary for its streamlined styling and many technical firsts, but the initial concept for the car was even far more exotic than the car the public was introduced to on June 19, 1947.  That initial Tucker concept, the one that only made it to the drawing boards and one known plaster model, is now being built full-sized in a New Jersey workshop where automotive dreams become reality. 

Jump ahead 67 years and now it's Joe Ida's son and grandson, Bob and Rob, along with Preston Tucker's great-grandsons, Sean and Mike, who are building the Tucker from scratch.  The car that's currently being built is called the Tucker "Torpedo", designed well before the car that today embodies the automotive images we think of when we hear the name Tucker.  Indeed, this was an entirely different car than the Tucker '48, and one that only appeared in magazines and newsprint.  The Ida's Tucker Torpedo will finally bring Preston Tucker's original concept car to the public for the first time in almost 70 years. 

He may have started with his 1942 Buick concept, but he was also able to blend in Preston Tucker's revolutionary concepts into an exciting new package.  The rear engine layout, aircraft-inspired streamlining, and headlights mounted on the moveable front fenders all contributed to the public's excitement over this all-new car.  Preston Tucker was mounting a public relations campaign in order to acquire a manufacturing plant in which to build his new car, so these images were invaluable in providing his vision of what would be produced in the facilities.  This was big news in the automotive world, especially as the "Big Three" had to rely on dated pre-war tooling for their post-war cars.   Tucker, on the other hand, started with a clean slate and had no pre-war body stampings to limit his creativity for an all-new car design.

By the end of 1946, Preston Tucker had been making statements that his new car would be seen soon, yet he still only had drawings and a single 1:4 scale plaster model of the car.  So in order to provide photos of the new car, the plaster model was placed in realistic settings and the photos retouched to look like a full-sized automobile. 

DECEMBER 1946, A PERFECT STORM

By December 1946, after almost two years, George Lawson and Preston Tucker had a falling out over unkept promises.  George Lawson sued Preston Tucker for $50,000 and presumably Tucker countered that he still had no car to show after almost two years' effort.  The matter was eventually settled out of court with Tucker reportedly paying Lawson a $10,000 settlement.

Tremulis could immediately see numerous potential issues with the Lawson design and in his initial discussions with Preston Tucker he sought to re-design the car for mass market appeal and manufacturability.  

On January 5, he met again with Preston Tucker, but this time he was joined by Harold Karsten (a/k/a Abe Karatz), Fred Rockelman and Preston Tucker Jr.  This was to be a defining moment in automotive history.

TRANSITIONAL DESIGN

Tremulis had created a series of impressive renderings that fed off of Lawson's design, yet provided more practical design changes for post-war Americans.  Specifically, he designed a four-door sedan where the doors opened into the roofline to allow ingress without bumping your head.  On the bottom of the doors was a raised rocker panel so that the doors wouldn't hit the curb upon opening.  The desire to seat three Chicago Bears linemen in the front and rear mandated a more conventional roofline, lower in the middle and higher on the sides, so that three could sit abreast in either the front or the back seat without the end passengers bumping their heads on the side windows.  Each of the fenders sported streamlined sheet metal flowing back from the wheelwell that conveyed a unique blend of the pre-war pontoon fenders with the latest in flat-fendered side treatments. 

Preston Tucker was impressed, to say the least.  From that point on, Tremulis would be the new Tucker's chief stylist in function if not in title, regardless whether or not he was still with Tammen and Denison or working directly for the Tucker Corporation.  If there was a three-month contract between Tucker and Tammen and Denison (as he reportedly described in courtroom testimony), or if Tremulis was directly hired on the spot (as he had previously described in magazine articles), he was functionally the chief stylist for Preston Tucker, regardless of who signed his pay stubs.

In any case, Tremulis had managed to retain the styling cues and relative dimensions of the Lawson design, yet provided a clear and realistic direction in which to proceed.  The moveable front fenders of the Lawson design were retained for the time being, but they would be entirely eliminated within the next few days.   Charles Pearson had described the side silhouette of Tremulis' design being very close to the dimensions Tucker's men had laid out and it appears very close to the Torpedo's silhouette as well. 

THE END OF THE CYCLE FENDERS

As Alex Tremulis stated, his first task was to eliminate the moveable front fenders in favor of a more conventional design.  Time was of the essence and the engineering difficulties in sorting out the cycle fenders did not support Preston Tucker's desire to have a prototype built within 60 days.  So Tremulis re-designed the car with conventional fixed fenders, and made the center headlight turn with the wheels.  He also eliminated the flowing pontoons from his first design series as he felt they were already dated.  And Tremulis wasn't alone in his desire to remove his earlier pontoons.  As Charles Pearson described them:

"I liked all except the front fenders which I thought stunk, and said so.  My popularity couldn't have dropped faster with a sudden attack of smallpox.  Tucker scowled at me for a week, though much later he admitted that at least he agreed with my logic." - Charles Pearson, The Indomitable Tin Goose, 1960.

Preston Tucker liked the first fenders and felt first impressions were usually correct, so the unique pontoons stayed.  A great decision, as these characteristic fenders would forever be identified with the Tucker '48. 

Tremulis' elegantly simple solution retained the safety factor of being able to see where you're turning, yet significantly shortened the timeline to completion of the first prototype. 

At this point in the development of the Tucker '48's styling, all of the design changes away from the earlier Torpedo were made by Alex Tremulis and Preston Tucker.  The Torpedo's original design was gone, the name was changed to the Tucker '48, the dimensions for the car were locked, and the Tin Goose build was well underway having its recognizable shape hammered out by Preston Tucker's master craftsmen.  Even with the design at this advanced stage, Preston Tucker sought out further input, leaving no stone unturned in his quest for the ultimate post-war design.

On March 4, 1947, the design firm of Lippincott and Margulies was hired on as consultants to provide some fresh ideas.  

On March 11 the Lippincott team arrived at the Tucker plant, led by Hal Bergstrom and accompanied by additional designers Budd Steinhilber, Tucker Madawick, Read Viemeister and Phil Egan.  Here's how Phil Egan described Alex Tremulis' plant tour and his reaction to seeing the "Tin Goose" for the first time: 

“Here we saw embryonic shapes in raw sheet metal coalescing into the frame and part of the body of an automobile. A nearby drop hammer pounded sheet metal from flat to contoured with ear-splitting vibrations, and the junctions of formed sheet and frame were fused under the bright sparks of welding torches.  Elsewhere, men at work stations devoted themselves to the mechanical details of torching, cutting, bending, and drilling the parts of a prototype automobile.  Alex [Tremulis} gave us a cursory introduction to all of this and then led us to the design area.

Since he had accepted the position of chief stylist in January, Alex had brought the design of the Tucker automobile from the nebulous to the three-dimensional.  He had developed a firm layout of the car which he showed us in a 1/8 size drawing, with every outside and inside dimension carefully indicated.” - Phil Egan, Design and Destiny: The Making of the Tucker Automobile, 1989

It was at this time as well that there would finally be enough clay available to build two full-size models, one for the current design and one for the soon-to-arrive Lippincott team.  Tremulis had begun work on what would become known as Clay #1 shortly before the Lippincott team's arrival.  As Phil Egan would attest: "A two-man crew worked on the beginnings of a full-size clay model of a car.  We could discern a shape in that brownish clay which was clearly the essence of the Tucker '48 I had seen in the newspaper advertisement.  I noticed that the details at front and rear were vague, without resolution".

Further refinement of the Tucker ’48 details were carried out with design input from both the Lippincott Team and Tremulis, the significant details of which will be discussed later, but for now, the Tucker ’48 was complete enough to identify it as a distinctly different car than the one described as the Tucker Torpedo.

LAWSON AND TUCKER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

If there was any lingering doubt that these weren't two distinctly separate designs, one needs only to look at the intellectual property generated for the Tucker Torpedo and the Tucker '48.  What transpired with the patent filings brings to light how the two designs were viewed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). 

On January 16, 1947, shortly after George Lawson left the Tucker Corporation, he filed a patent application for what he considered his design of the Tucker Torpedo.  The illustrations used for the patent application were the same photographs of the plaster model used in the early Tucker Torpedo advertising. 

As part of the patent process, the inventor is required by law to disclose any and all prior art that they know of that may have relevance to their invention.  In this case, Lawson disclosed that US Patent Number 88,083 may relate to this design.  As it turns out, this patent was for the 1933 Pierce-Arrow Silver Arrow, a magnificent show car that was then considered to be a most daring design with radical streamlining. 

In any case, on March 15, 1947, Preston Tucker filed his own patent application for Tremulis' design that appeared in the Tucker '48 advertisements. 

Copyright 2014, Steve Tremulis

Special thanks to Hemmings Motor News/Special Interest Autos for their historical archives and images, and to Larry Clark, Tucker historian, for his tireless research and dedication to the Tucker automobile and all those that helped create it. 

Some Tucker must-reads: 

The Indomitable Tin Goose, Charles Pearson, 1960

Epitaph for The Tin Goose, Alex Tremulis, Automobile Quarterly, 1965

Design and Destiny: The Making of the Tucker Automobile, Phil Egan, 1989

c. 1940's:  Ab Jenkins' design for the twin Curtiss Conquerer Meteor is shown in this sketch by Rex A. Prunty, a drafting engineer for an aircraft manufacturer (according to a 1940 census).     
                                                                                                                                   Photo from SonicWind.com. 

Craig Breedlove is currently attempting to bring the absolute speed record back to the United States with his concept for the next generation of the Spirit of America.  While still just a concept, the project will need more support in the form of sponsors who are willing to step up to the plate to help this project succeed. 

In early 1948, Preston Tucker introduced the world to his potential new sports car designed by Tucker's chief stylist, Alex Tremulis.  Later that year, Jaguar introduced their iconic XK120 sports car.  Could Tucker have been competitive in the European-style sports car market as well as the US sedan market with the Tucker '48?  Another "what if..." cut short.

October, 1970:  The remains of the Gyronaut's canopy, tail and bodywork get inventoried to assess the extent of the crash damage.  Still with an eye on reclaiming the world record now held by Denis Manning and his Harley-Davidson streamliner, they decided to mildly repair the body in order to create a new Gyronaut by taking molds off the body pieces with the hopes of lengthening the chassis to fit two Triumph Trident engines.  The plans fell through, however, when Leppan needed to focus on running his dealership rather than running for the record.

Fast forward 43 years to the night before its departure to be restored.  At this point, Bob Leppan had the chassis restored by Jim Lamb and Tony Kulka at Jefferson Motor Service, but the engines and body remained untouched since the early 1970's.  Both the canopy and the engine cover were gone and needed to be completely fabricated.

All loaded up and secured in the Horseless Carriage trailer, the Gyronaut is about to embark on a cross-country trek from California to New Jersey to Detroit and finally to the Bonneville Salt Flats where it is planning to be run again for an historic exhibition to celebrate its return home.

The Gyronaut never had it so good during its competition days.  Now it gets to relax in the comfort of an enclosed trailer for its journey back in time.  Typically towed on an open trailer exposed to wind, rain and road grit, the Gyronaut has earned its retirement from competition and deserves its travel protected from the elements.

Upon arrival at Rob Ida's, the Gyronaut is immediately greeted by its proposed Bonneville tow vehicle, a 1948 Tucker recreation built by Rob Ida Concepts for the upcoming movie, Sin City II.  With little time before Speed Week 2013, there's no time to waste admiring the view.  The old fiberglass and missing pieces need the full attention of the crew tasked with turning the clock back almost half a century.

If you're not familiar with some of the cars to come out of the shop at Rob Ida Concepts, then you've been missing some of the coolest rides ever created.  Here's just a few samples of the top quality work that goes on every day at the shop.  It's not work, it's passion...

The distinctive profile of the Gyronaut starts to take shape with Sean Tucker shaping the foam into the contours of the Gyronaut's missing pieces.  The entire process took place under the protective cover of the next twin-turbo'd Tucker being created.  It was absolutely appropriate to have these two beautiful creations over and under during both of their simultaneous builds.

Sean, his brother Mike and Dad John Tucker, Jr. are also keeping the legend of Preston Tucker and his car alive over at Preston Tucker, LLC.  Check them out when you get the chance...

The lengthy process of accurately recreating the missing parts is begun by building the foam profile of the Gyronaut from original drawings, blueprints and vintage photographs.  Sean Tucker, one of Preston Tucker's great-grandsons, traveled long distances to help with the project.  The complex curves of the Gyronaut's profile really is now taking shape.

The Circle of Life:  67 years ago, Alex Tremulis helped Preston Tucker realize his dream car by styling the most radical car of the time.  Here, Preston Tucker's great-grandson, Sean Tucker, helps shape the missing canopy for Alex Tremulis' Gyronaut, now owned by Alex Tremulis' nephew, Steve Tremulis.  Add in another of Preston Tucker's great-grandsons (and Sean's twin), Mike, and you've got a story that will be told for generations to come.  And where else would all of this take place?  None other than under the guidance of Rob Ida at Rob Ida Concepts where his Granddad, Joe, and brothers Frank and Dominic signed up to be  a Tucker dealer in Yonkers.  That love for all-things-Tucker has carried on through the generations for all three families who now find themselves intertwined in the dreams their forefathers created and in the process making new stories for future generations, young and old, to enjoy time and again.  Goosebumps!!!

With the fresh fiberglass laid up and curing, at last the Gyronaut is starting to look more like it did in the middle of the last century.  But there's still plenty of work to be done to bring the body back to its former glory.  Endless sanding, shaping and fitting is required to obtain a perfect fit for both the old and new body panels.

The engine's air intakes are recreated on the sides of the engine cover.  These provide a cool 200MPH breeze over the air-cooled twin-Triumph Bonneville engines that lie beneath.

The canopy gets fitted with the plexiglass windshield that used extremely complex curves to fight wind resistance.  One can only imagine the difficulty of wrapping the windshield to fit the various contours of the original flowing design.  For the first time in 43 years, the Gyronaut has its canopy back over the driver's seat. 

After countless hours of prepping the vintage fiberglass to accept a new coat of Titian Red, Rob Ida suits up to spray the first coats onto the once-bare body parts. 

Rob Ida mixing up a quick batch of Sebring Silver to add finishing touches to preserve the rear access panel that still bears the Gyronaut's original pinstriper's signature, "Wild Bill" of Detroit. 

All the body pieces  now wear the colors of the record-breaking runs of 1966 when the Gyronaut captured the title as "World's Fastest Motorcycle".

While the Gyronaut chassis awaits its reconditioned body parts, what better company to hang out with than a Porsche 550?

Bob Ida, Rob's Dad, looks on as Rob prepares the bellypan for another coat of paint.  The teamwork of the father and son is evident in their attention to detail that most builders often miss. 

John meticulously works on the edges of the engine cover to ensure a precise fit with both old and new fiberglass.  Every piece of the Gyronaut's body received the same attention to detail in making the parts fit to both the chassis and the adjacent body panels.

Ryan fitting the nosecone to the bulkhead.  Both the nosecone and the canopy share just a two inch landing on the front bulkhead to conteract the force of a 250 MPH wind.  It's the Gyronaut's low coefficient of drag that keeps those forces to a minimum in order to achieve the highest speeds possible.

Arty buffing out the freshly laid paint.  Hour upon hour of sanding out the finish with finer and finer sandpaper and then to several buffings brings out the most beautiful colors within the metallic Titian Red and Sebring Silver.  By the end, Arty knew every square inch of the Gyronaut's paint and had each one shined to perfection.

Rob sanding the nosecone while ensuring that every bit of the Gyronaut's skin is consistently smooth and blemish free. 

In the early 1970's the Gyronaut was entirely stripped of its 1970 colors and stored for the next 40 years.  The only paint that was original was the signature that Bill Betz had hand-lettered on the rear access panel.  That signature by "Wild Bill" was preserved by Rob Ida using the Sebring Silver to frame Wild Bill's handiwork.  Wild Bill is still at it, and he will once again recreate his pinstriping and lettering exactly as he had done it just before the Gyronaut set the record 47 years ago!

Ryan, John and Arty assembling the Gyronaut for the umpteenth time while the Ida Tucker keeps an eye (or three) on their progress...

The Tucker and the Gyronaut side-by-side for some quick photos before more polishing and fitting.  Rob's 356A and Triumph Bonneville complete a scene overflowing with awesomeness...

As they will appear on the salt, except with a bit more distance between the two, both Alex Tremulis designs look as timeless today as when they were first created.  It's hard to believe that just 17 years separates these two advanced concepts...

The Idas taking a moment to admire the view of their Tucker accompanying the Gyronaut for a quick photo op.  No one could take their eyes off the pairing.  Perfect from every angle...

John, Rob, Arty, Bob and Ryan stand proud with their masterpiece.  Inside, Rob's Triumph Bonneville and two Tuckers wait their turn for a photo op with the streamliner.

Bonnevilles everywhere you look.  Rob's Triumph Bonneville alongside the twin-engine streamliner powered by none other than two of the early Triumph Bonneville powerplants.  The Gyronaut would be last and fastest in Triumph's reign as World's Fastest Motorcycle, starting in 1956 with the Devil's Arrow/Texas Ceegar, and ending in 1970 with the Gyronaut. 

On a side note:  Land speed racing history again being attempted by Triumph?  The latest attempt as a factory effort to set some speed records at Bonneville, this Castrol/Triumph streamliner may capture the glory as being the World's Fastest once again as the team from Triumph get ready for an assault in 2014.  Just imagine old and new together again with the Gyronaut's original sponsors, Castrol and Triumph, behind both efforts.  History repeats?  Best of luck to Triumph rider, Jason DiSalvo...

Ryan applying the finishing touches just moments before being loaded into the trailer for a road trip to its next destination: Bob Leppan's, where he hasn't seen the Gyronaut wear these colors or have a roof over the rider's head since 1970!  But that'll have to wait for the next entry!

So now we've got the Ida's, Tucker's and Tremulis' all striving to share these fantastic stories of family history and the cars and people that created their passions. They're making history as they're saving it.  And it will be these future generations who will be carrying the torches so that everyone can see, hear and feel exactly why these dream cars have such a huge impact on the soul.  To quote Bogart: I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship. 





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Here's a snippet from the upcoming documentary about the Triumph Gyronaut X-1, brought to you by Curt Wallin and John Greene, the producers/directors for the award-winning documentary "The Boys of Bonneville - Racing on a Ribbon of Salt".   They're at it again, this time bringing the Gyronaut back to life along with the great stories from the people who made it all happen.

Hang on for the ride of your life...