Tucker Dealership

[boardbrown]

I'm an architect in Seattle, Washington. Last Friday I met a potential client at an old building he is considering to purchase in a historic neighborhood known as Ballard. We met the building's current owner, who has run a machine shop out of there for 40 odd years. His family has owned the building since 1957. While chatting with him, he mentioned to me that he was told years ago that the building used to be a Tucker dealership. Being a car nut who is familiar with the Tucker story, I did a double take and gave him my best "How is that possible" stare. County records show that the space was indeed a car dealership at one point, but no mention of the make of car.

Could anyone out there shed some light on this? I suspect this old timer is pulling my leg...but it would be an unbelievable coincidence if it were true.

[Tuckerfan1053]

Welcome to the boards!

Do you know who the owner was during that time? I don't know if there's a comprehensive listing of Tucker dealers, but mentioning the name might ring a few bells with someone here.

[Tucker HCL]

No complete Tucker Corporation list of dealership remains. However, since 1999, the Tucker Automobile Club of America, Inc., through its Tucker Historical Collection and Library has built a database of known dealers. Today we have confirmed over 700 dealers of the estimated 2,000 by searching corporate documents, dealer papers, newspapers, sales brochures and etc.

If you could provide a street address and city we will be able to tell you if we have a dealer listed. Currently we do not show any dealerships by neighborhoods but do show some in Seatle.

Thanks for your interest and help as we strive to preserve Tucker history.

Jay A. Follis - President, Tucker Automobile Club of America, Inc.
Director, Tucker Historical Collection and Library

[boardbrown]

Sorry for the oversight...I meant to list that info in my first post. The address is 5307 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle WA 98107. I don't know the name of the owner at the time of the car dealership, but the family who bought the building in '57 was named Obermaier, and the most recent tennant (for 40+ years) was Obermaier Machine Works, Inc.

Is it really true that there where some 2,000 Tucker dealerships throughout the US, or am I reading the numbers incorrectly? So it must stand to reason that even if this building was at one time a Tucker dealership, there is little chance an actual Tucker ever sat inside the showroom.

[Tuckeroo]

While this may prove only tagentially related, I remember that Mr. Fred Jaremko (who had been a Tucker Dealer and was actively involved with the club) had his dealership located in the Spokane-Seattle area. The video documentary sold through the club has some of his footage of their display car driving around the town, along with his interview. He was also interviewed for the History Channel's documentary on Tucker.

[TuckerHCL]

I am sorry to say that currently we do not have any information for a dealership on Ballard Ave. That isn't to say that there wasn't one there , just that we have yet to locate any information to confirm it. Of the estimated 1,800 - 2,000 Tucker dealerships we have been able to locate and confirm 783. This list has been created, with the help of numerous people, by searching Corporate documents, letters, newspaper advertisments, court papers and etc. as no complete list of dealers has ever been discovered.

The Seattle area distributor was STRATTON TUCKER SALES, INC at 907 E. Pike Street and records show they purchase Tucker #1019 on 7-16-48. They would have help set up and serviced dealerships within their area.

You may have luck going to the local library and finding a major newspaper for June 20, 1948 as Tucker Corporation sponsored ads nationally that featured listings of local dealers. You may also find a Business directory covering 1947 - 49 listing car sales companies or businesses by address.

Should you find anything further let me know by email by simply cutting <remove> from the email address below.

I look forward to hearing from you soon,


Best Regards
Jay Follis - TACA President
President@<remove>TuckerClub.org

Director
Tucker Historical Collection and Library
at the Gilmore Car Museum

[boardbrown]

Thanks for the advise Jay. I checked with my local Seattle library branch and confirmed that I'll have to get downtown to the Central branch and surf through their microfiche. Finding the free time will be tough, but curiosity is killing me. I'll keep you posted...sometime.

Steve

[Randy Earle]

In a recent discussion with a former Kaiser Frazer Dealer, he mentioned that he was once approached by a man offering to sell him a Tucker Dealership. He said the man was to return for further discussion on the offer but never returned. This man was not only a Kaiser Frazer Dealer, he was later a Willys Dealer and then in the 60s went on to be a Lincoln Mercury Dealer. He is now almost 90 years old and says his brother was also approached but turned the offer down. Mr. Pryately owned Mid Town Motors and his brother owned Tee Pee Motors, both Kaiser Dealers here in Ohio. Were there quite a few representatives of Tucker Motors that were out to develop new dealerships?

[Larry Clark]

Randy: There were representatives from Tucker Corporation that sought out distributors and dealers. Distributors purchased a franchise right to a wide territory and then worked to sign up dealers within their territory. For example, in a prior response in this thread, Jay Follis mentioned that the Seattle area distributor was STRATTON TUCKER SALES, INC. The distributorship approach was particularly important to an independent carmaker as it resulted in more people out selling dealerships. The downside is that many of these dealerships were much weaker financed than those of the Big 3 (on eBAy right now there is a copy of lawsuit paperwork for former Kaiser-Frazer dealers, after Kaiser went out of business, that brought suit against the Big 3 automakers because most were unable to thereafer secure Big 3 dealerships- the case went no-where because most of these former K-F dealers did not have the resources expected of a Big 3 dealer). How strong were the Tucker dealers? Some were very well financed. However, since none ever had cars to sell it is hard to know how they might have compared to other independent dealers. Sadly, all Tucker dealers lost $$$$ (some owing $$$$ to the Bankruptcy Court for payments still owed Tucker Corporation when the company went in to bankruptcy).

Larry

[Natalie]

No complete Tucker Corporation list of dealership remains. However, since 1999, the Tucker Automobile Club of America, Inc., through its Tucker Historical Collection and Library has built a database of known dealers. Today we have confirmed over 700 dealers of the estimated 2,000 by searching corporate documents, dealer papers, newspapers, sales brochures and etc.

If you could provide a street address and city we will be able to tell you if we have a dealer listed. Currently we do not show any dealerships by neighborhoods but do show some in Seatle.

Thanks for your interest and help as we strive to preserve Tucker history.

Jay A. Follis - President, Tucker Automobile Club of America, Inc.
Director, Tucker Historical Collection and Library

Hi All --

A friend of mine used to work in a place located in a former building of Hedlund Motors (330 Quincy Ave, Quincy, MA). He said that prior to the Hedlund days, the building was supposedly also the site (or proposed site) of a Tucker Dealership. He said he read about it in the Patriot Ledger (which he described as the "local fish wrap" ) a few years ago.

Of course, my PL archive search could not produce any electronic versions of the story. Does anyone know if there was indeed a confirmed (according to your database) Tucker Dealership location there? And, if so, a few details?

I would be very grateful for any info.

Thanks,

Nat

[Randy Earle]

Randy: There were representatives from Tucker Corporation that sought out distributors and dealers. Distributors purchased a franchise right to a wide territory and then worked to sign up dealers within their territory. For example, in a prior response in this thread, Jay Follis mentioned that the Seattle area distributor was STRATTON TUCKER SALES, INC. The distributorship approach was particularly important to an independent carmaker as it resulted in more people out selling dealerships. The downside is that many of these dealerships were much weaker financed than those of the Big 3 (on eBAy right now there is a copy of lawsuit paperwork for former Kaiser-Frazer dealers, after Kaiser went out of business, that brought suit against the Big 3 automakers because most were unable to thereafer secure Big 3 dealerships- the case went no-where because most of these former K-F dealers did not have the resources expected of a Big 3 dealer). How strong were the Tucker dealers? Some were very well financed. However, since none ever had cars to sell it is hard to know how they might have compared to other independent dealers. Sadly, all Tucker dealers lost $$$$ (some owing $$$$ to the Bankruptcy Court for payments still owed Tucker Corporation when the company went in to bankruptcy).

Larry

After seeing this old thread pop back up, I thought I'd add that both of the men I know met the requirements. Like I said, one became a Lincoln-Mercury Dealer, and the other brother was a Pontiac Dealer. Last time I talked to one of them, they mentioned the approach seemed like it was by a fly by night company, and the Tucker Rep might have sensed their misgivings after his approach.

[Tucker Fan 48]

since 1999, the Tucker Automobile Club of America, Inc., through its Tucker Historical Collection and Library has built a database of known dealers.

Of the estimated 1,800 - 2,000 Tucker dealerships we have been able to locate and confirm 783. This list has been created, with the help of numerous people,

It sure would be great if TACA members could get access to this list and other library information. Hopefully the TACA members who are lucky enough to be in Atlanta this weekend will address this. Hope everyone has a great convention.

[TuckerHCL]

Nat,

Hedlund Motor Company, Inc., 330 Quincy Ave, Quincy, MA was in fact a Tucker Dealer.

Carl H. Hedlund had franchise #61602 and held a Tucker showing at his dealership on November 25 - 29, 1948. I found this interesting as this showing was very late in the life of Tucker Corporation.

On 11/24/2008 I did a live radio interview with State Senator Robert Hedlund (grandson), on WATD AM - Quincy MA and discussed the Tucker dealership and the showing. The guest that followed my segment was Mitt Romey.

We do have photocopies in the HCL speaking about the dealership and showing but have not discovered what car may have been displayed.

Jay

[CDB]

Jay, do you have any information on the Tucker dealership that was operating out of Little Rock, Arkansas, on Louisiana Street under a Mr. Rick Short? This would probably have been the closest dealer to my home area of Texarkana. Thanks. Charles

[TuckerHCL]

Charles -

We do show;

Tucker Arkansas Sales Corp.
1509 Louisiana St.
Little Rock, AK

We do not show any names with this dealer but bankruptcy records do show a Little Rock dealership attached to a H.S. Russ.

Corporate documents show car #1002 was sold to this dealer on 7-15-1948

If you have any more information on this dealer we would be thrilled to add it to the database. How is the name Rick Short tied to this dealer?

Hope this helps
Jay