Tucker "Convertible" at Auction

[Prototype]

Correct me if I'm wrong but if it sold for 1.4Mil wouldnt that be a new record high sale price for a Tucker?

yes, it would have been a new record IF it had sold. But, it did NOT. Apparently, Cole refused to lift the reserve, whatever it was set (The reserve itself was not revealed, perhaps it was something absurd like, say, $5,000,000). Like I said before, I'd venture to bet his reserve was set so high, it would have NEVER sold. It just goes to show that if you tell a lie long enough, even YOU begin to believe it's true. In the end, I think false promises (Cole's own to himself) and misrepresentation as well a greed were the true factors in this failed attempt to set any new records or re-write automotive history, that seems only a handfull of people believed anyway, just might be the impending unwinding of Cole's ball of yarn.

[Prototype]

Justin Cole, President of Benchmark Classic Restoration, is providing the new owner with a guarantee that Benchmark Classic Restorations, a world-class restoration company, will restore 100 percent of the minor damages caused by the storm.

World class???? Their 28 year old owner has been in business a year and a half? Hardly a record unless you are Conan O'Brian.

The new owner gets a "guarantee" from Justin Cole.... That certainly is worth a lot ! From the same guy that "guarantees" that the car is real.

Does it not strike anyone as odd that Cole would offer such a "guarantee" to fix the car to "100%", when the car is anything but? Perhaps he doesn't want anyone else to disassemble the car and see how it was "created"? Maybe Hagerty won't cover that particular car, for some reason(?) or another? I wonder how many cans of filler were used on the car and the lack of photos posted from bare steel to primer and then paint? Yes they did show the guy paddling lead on the trunk lid, but they almost had to use lead considering how many pieces of sheet metal were used to fabricate it.

[TuckerCar]

No no. He said he would restore the damage, not repair it.

[Prototype]

No no. He said he would restore the damage, not repair it.

I was just wondering if that's the same thing as polishing a t()rd?

[Randy Earle]

I may be wrong, but the developments so far have gone as we thought they would. In my opinion, Justin Cole is a scallywag, and this whole Tucker convertible saga is a means for him to draw attention to himself and his company. I do not believe he ever had intentions on selling this piece of junk from the beginning. If he owes more than 1.4 million on this thing he is a poor business man. Who does he think is going to pay 2 to 5 million dollars of this one off freak of the automotive world? He must be insane.

[TUCKER]

He never bought it. It still belong to Al like the test car #2 with panels from 1018 that he never sold and say to be 1027 here on the club. That was another car with the same story that it was another Tucker convertible never finished. I wonder why he took the test car apart?? Maybe he needed more parts to complete the convertible?? I believe it may be what was on the second trailer that arived with the convertible.

[Prototype]

A little off topic, but From my experience registering a vehicle more than 35 years old, with out a title or any other paperwork and only a bill of sale, the DMV will issue a salvage or reconstructed vehicle title. The exception to this rule is you purchase a title for the same year make and model of the vehicle from a swap meet or collector of such documents (The Portland swap meet had several vendors selling these documents for various model years). Doing this allows you to also buy vintage license plates for the same year as well to display on the car. In Oregon, you can do this for a one time fee of $80.00 plus the title transfer fees. You do not have to pay an annual registration fee from then on. I don't think there are too many "old" 1948 Tucker titles floating around, so this car will have to be issued a "Salvage Title" no matter where its new home will be. I don't think anyone who buying a car with a supposed "Historical Signifigance" will be pleased with the kind stigmata of having a salvage title attached to it! Insurance companies don't like to write policies for these vehicles, if they do there is always conditions applied and usually cost more than having correct paperwork or documentation actually backing up claims about "Historical Signifigance". I have bought vehicles (vintage and otherwise), back from insurance companies for pennies on the dollar to repair and every one has been "tagged", depending on the issue,(i.e, wrecked, stolen, fire damage..etc..). Either they have a scrap, salvage or reconstructed title and have been problematic or even difficult to sell to a collector or aficiando, especially a full value price, no matter how much the restoration cost or what it would be worth, had it not have the "disgraced" documentation. Maybe the next time I need to register or authenticate a vehicle, I'll call Al Prueitt!

[Tuckeroo]

Note in the video at the bottom:

http://www.examiner.com/x-11422-Classic-Sports-Car-Examiner~y2010m1d25-THE-Tucker-convertable-to-be-sold-at-Russo--Steelemaybe-not

There is no ID plate (at least not where you would expect to find it on a Tucker), be it recreation or otherwise.

[Prototype]

Note in the video at the bottom:

http://www.examiner.com/x-11422-Classic-Sports-Car-Examiner~y2010m1d25-THE-Tucker-convertable-to-be-sold-at-Russo--Steelemaybe-not

There is no ID plate (at least not where you would expect to find it on a Tucker), be it recreation or otherwise.

Justin Cole has stated they do have a Data Plate, but (suspiciously) has not yet been filled in. They can be made, there is another person here on the board who has picture of a blank one. Happy hunting! I think they are made the same person who makes the reproduction Data Plate from Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, that are for sale somewhere out there on the Web!

[Tuckerfan1053]

Note in the video at the bottom:

http://www.examiner.com/x-11422-Classic-Sports-Car-Examiner~y2010m1d25-THE-Tucker-convertable-to-be-sold-at-Russo--Steelemaybe-not

There is no ID plate (at least not where you would expect to find it on a Tucker), be it recreation or otherwise.

Justin Cole has stated they do have a Data Plate, but (suspiciously) has not yet been filled in. They can be made, there is another person here on the board who has picture of a blank one. Happy hunting! I think they are made the same person who makes the reproduction Data Plate from Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, that are for sale somewhere out there on the Web!

Chick DeLorenzo has offered them for sale. That's where I got mine!

[Prototype]

Note in the video at the bottom:

http://www.examiner.com/x-11422-Classic-Sports-Car-Examiner~y2010m1d25-THE-Tucker-convertable-to-be-sold-at-Russo--Steelemaybe-not

There is no ID plate (at least not where you would expect to find it on a Tucker), be it recreation or otherwise.

Justin Cole has stated they do have a Data Plate, but (suspiciously) has not yet been filled in. They can be made, there is another person here on the board who has picture of a blank one. Happy hunting! I think they are made the same person who makes the reproduction Data Plate from Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, that are for sale somewhere out there on the Web!

Chick DeLorenzo has offered them for sale. That's where I got mine!

I think TUCKER (1051 1/2) said that's where he got his. There is nothing wrong making and selling them. But I don't think it is right to stamp whatever they (Benchmark)want (or think) on it. TUCKER (1051 1/2), on the other hand can put whatever HE wants on his plate, because he is not trying to pass it off as anything but something he has wholey created on his own! Which, by the way, is nothing short of a masterpiece, if you ask me! We need an update from Ricardo. On another note; I have REAL easter eggs for sale, they are tye dyed and certified by The Easter Bunny himself and Jerry Garcia's Dog (I have a notarized paw prints from both)

[TUCKER]

I think TUCKER (1051 1/2) said that's where he got his. There is nothing wrong making and selling them. But I don't think it is right to stamp whatever they (Benchmark)want (or think) on it. TUCKER (1051 1/2), on the other hand can put whatever HE wants on his plate, because he is not trying to pass it off as anything but something he has wholey created on his own! Which, by the way, is nothing short of a masterpiece, if you ask me! We need an update from Ricardo. On another note; I have REAL easter eggs for sale, they are tye dyed and certified by The Easter Bunny himself and Jerry Garcia's Dog (I have a notarized paw prints from both)

Hi, yes that is where I got my data plate and they look very nice. Also thank you "Prototype" for calling my work a masterpiece. Also it is true I need to give updares on the work. Now on the Real easter eggs I do not know what you mean. How can we know they were really certified by The Easter Bunny himself and Jerry Garcia's Dog?

[Prototype]

You are very welcome Tucker! I would help out in person, but commuting to L.A. would not make my Wife very happy! On the easter eggs; I got the eggs from Al Pruiett's yard!

[Tucker Fan 48]

I find it amazing how the convertible story keeps shifting. At first, they said the car needed to be completed. Now, they say in
most of their press releases that they restored the car. Also, I believe there was mention that the car had a clear Wisconsin title.
Now it seems to have been never titled and only offered with a bill of sale. It seems odd that now there is a dataplate. If the car
had one all along, why didn't Cole post a picture of it? A REAL Tucker dataplate stamped with #57 or #1057 would certainly be more
proof to the car being "authentic" than a letter from Al Prueitt.

[TUCKER]

a data plate do not mean a thing since anyone could buy one and stamp it any number.