Mystery Foto #11 Solved: Tucker 1043 -The Most Expensive Tucker ‘48 Ever Purchased at Auction
In celebration of Tucker 1044 at the 2019 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, R A challenged you to identify this Tucker prior to its restoration.
Mystery Foto questions:
- Identify this Tucker '48 i.e. chassis # and original color.
Tucker 1043 which was originally Waltz Blue (Tucker code 200). According to Steve Lucas and Jim Ryan: The Tropical Rose and Snowshoe White colors were from the car being used as a promotion for a Bellwood, Illinois golf driving range.
- What year was this photo taken? Provide a rationale.
After being purchased by Arizona car collector Ron Pratte, Tucker 1043 was restored to its original Waltz Blue color. The Mystery Foto was taken before the restored Tucker 1043 came up for sale by Pratte in January 23, 2012 at Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona.
- What is significant about this Tucker in automobile history?
Despite its rough driving range history, Tucker 1043 was and remains the most expensive Tuckerever sold at auction. The hammer price was $2.65 million. Adding Barret-Jackson's commissions, the final price was $2.915 million. As seen in the below YouTubes of the auction sale, two bidders went head-to-head raising the price from $1.5 million to $2.60 million in less than 30 seconds.
Tucker 1043 was sold again in 2018 in a private sale.
Comments (7)
Congrats to Ken Northcraft, Ted Reina, Steve Lucas, Jim Ryan, Steve L and Chris Hansen for identifying Tucker 1043.
Kudos to our old pal Ted Reina! Great to hear from you!!
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Comments
Modeled #1043 as it was seen prior to restoration in 1/18 scale….Some think it is rather attractive. Used as an advertising sign to attract attention to Miniature Golf Course. It became the highest bid price ever on a Tucker Automobile ($2.915 Million with fees) and is now back to its factory Waltz Blue!
I’m taking a shot at this one. I was searching the web and found that a 48 pink& white Tucker was being asked about,what happened to it?,the reply was,it was restored to its original color Waltz Blue #1043. I found this on H.A.M.B.jalopyjournal.com
That’s Tucker # 1043 which was originally painted Waltz Blue at the factory. According to http://www.jalopyjournal.com, the photo is from 1957 but I doubt that judging by the car in the upper left corner. I’m going to guess around 2005 or so, a few years before Ron Pratte had it restored. The significance is that it is the most expensive Tucker sold (so far) with a hammer price of $2.65 million ($2.915 million with premium) at the January, 2012 Barret Jackson auction. The Tropical Rose & Snowshoe White colors were from the car being used a promo piece for a suburban Chicago golf driving range which utilized the same color scheme in the 1950’s.
This is a picture of Tucker # 1043. I think it was taken in 2011 a couple of years before it was sold at Auction.
Tucker Torpedo #1043 sat outside of a driving range in Bellwood IL for years, painted pink and white, until being purchased, restored and sold to a private collector in Arizona.
In 2013 this Tucker sold for $ 2.9 million dollars at the Barrert Jackson Auction. Making this the most expensive Tucker ever sold.
On reason this Tucker is so Valuable is that it has it’s original engine.
Original Color was Waltz Blue.
It’s current color is Waltz Blue.
Jim Ryan, Long Island Buick Club
#1043 Ohio barn find, originally blue metallic. Sold at BJ for $2.9M . Believed to be overseas.
I don’t have a clue. But…..a great find.
Tucker #1043 color Waltz Blue.
Picture as taken possibly the 1970s judging by cars in the background of the picture Location Bellwood Illinois
Tucker 1043 is the most expensive Tucker sold to date at 2.915 million with fees.
What a beautiful restoration and Waltz blue tone that brought back an early memory of a ‘67 Camaro. More amazing painstaking work done correctly. Tucker’s 1043 and 1044 in my opinion are now running neck to neck towards the perfection finish line. Congrats!
The Tucker stories continues to amaze. Great history and photos!
That pink and white color combination may have attracted women to the ladies tee in the fifties sixties and seventies but the car certainly looks better in Waltz Blue. Are you sure that 1043 was not used as a Mary Kaye Cosmetics car?
This photo was taken in the 300 block of north 45th street in Milwaukee. When I was in high school in the late 70’s I had a friend that lived a block south of this location and I used to walk by this car all of the time. I had no clue what it was but thought it was the coolest car I had ever seen. I didn’t find out what it was until years later. The gentleman who owned it had a collection of odd vehicles on his property and was described by neighbors as a bit of a recluse. I don’t remember exactly when the car disappeared but the house was torn down years ago.