Car Number: 1003
Original Paint Code/Color: 600 Maroon
Current Paint Color: Raspberry metallic
Original Interior Color: 940 Beige
Current Interior Color: Beige
Body Number: 1003
Original Engine Number: 4
Current Engine Number: 4
Transmission Type: Cord
Ownership: Academy of Art University Automobile Collection
Location: San Francisco, California
On Display? Yes
Notes: Number 1003 was sold new by the factory to Arkansas Tucker Sales Corporation. Not long after, it was returned to the factory in exchange for car 1002, and it was sent by Farber Motor Sales of Columbus, Ohio, to Cincinnati, where it was displayed on the streets and at the Music Hall there. It was promoted in Cincinnati by local dealer Eddie Numerich, and apparently, it remained in the Queen City until June of 1950, when it was sold there by the Watson Auto Auction. Apparently, Art Watson was the buyer of the car, which he took to Florida in 1951 and displayed at his dealerships there. Research points to a 1962 transfer from Watson to William C. Pettit III of Louisa, Virginia, who drove it from Pennsylvania to its new home. The Tucker was a visitor favorite at the Pettits’ Museum of Motoring Memories, open for several years near the tourist mecca of Natural Bridge in the 1960s. Bill Pettit cared for his family’s cars for decades, and even after the museum closed, he sentimentally maintained the collection. In the late 1980s, his retirement resulted in selling many cars, including the Tucker, purchased by George Lucas. One of Lucas’ contributions was as executive producer of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1988 film “Tucker: The Man and His Dream,” a fictionalized version of Preston Tucker’s story starring Jeff Bridges. The film revived modern interest in the Tucker and has become a classic among automobile enthusiasts. Coppola and Lucas acquired genuine Tuckers, of which Lucas’s 1003 sat proudly in his private collection at his Skywalker Ranch. After several years, the filmmaker decided to sell 1003 in June 2005. It was eventually acquired by owners in California, who elected to have the Tucker restored.
Thanks to John Tucker Jr, Martyn Donaldson, and GT Spirit for the photos.
Website: www.academyautomuseum.org/
