The Tucker Torpedo was a car ahead of its time. The car had features that cars of today are just beginning to use. The Tucker Torpedo was to be a cheap all American car that would out perform and outlast all others cars of its time. The Tucker torpedo began production in 1948 but would also end in 1948 due to sabotage by the big three car companies of its time.
     Preston Tucker had always been an innovative man, before the Tucker Torpedo he designed the turret that would be used on planes during the war. He had it patented and worked for the government building turrets for U.S. war planes. He would then move onto designing the Tucker Torpedo.
     The Tucker Torpedo was originally designed by Preston Tucker but later modified by Alex Tremulis due to engineering problems. The car is know for having the Cyclops eye, which was a headlight in the center of the car that turned with the steering wheel so that you could see while taking corners. It always was one of the first cars to have a rear mounted engine, and not only that, it was an aluminum block engine too. The engine was far more powerful than any of its time and would be responsible for the out-performance of every other car made during its time. The Tucker would also have 4 wheel independent suspension with 4 wheel drum brakes and unique safety features. The Tucker was the first car to be developed to have seat-belts be stock in the car, along with this, the car was designed to protect the driver during a crash. The windshield was designed to pop of instead of shard and cut open people in a crash, and reinforced steel wells in which the passengers would be protected from side impacts.
     The Tucker became known as the Tucker 48 for the year of production after the prototype was built and shown to the public. The prototype was known as the tin-goose because it was built from old junkyard cars. When the Tucker was unveiled, the public went crazy for it, and everyone expected to get a Tucker in the future. Stocks were sold to raise money to buy the largest building under one roof in Chicago to produce the Tucker 48. But before production could begin, the SEC charged Preston Tucker with fraudulence. This would put the Tucker Corporation out of business when found guilty allow though he was not. The big three car companies of the time are expected to be responsible for the Tucker's end, simply because they knew it would put them out of business.
     The Tucker Torpedo was the greatest car of its time, and possibly the one of the worst displays of an American dream that truly was great, but shot down due to greed. Preston Tucker was not given the American Dream, he was shot down and so was all the people who invested and could have benefited from the Tucker Torpedo. Even today, many people do not know of the Tucker because it is a counter-example of an American Dream, and it has essentially been covered up until recently.