Tucker Torpedo: They should have made them

[TylerH860]

Can you imagine the effect these cars would of had if they made it to mass production.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1-of-1-Prototype-Tucker-Convertible-2-Original-Miles_W0QQitemZ250604228046QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Cars_Trucks?hash=item3a592d0dce

Hard to believe these are features in a car built in 1948:

The Tucker 48 sedan was unlike any other car in the world when it was introduced. Some of its most unique features were a "Safety Windshield", a centered swiveling third headlight, a quick swap power train setup, and a rear mounted "flat six" aircraft engine that had been modified. The Safety Windshield was anti-shard laminated and was designed to be easily removed in the case of an accident. The centered swiveling third headlight was synchronized to the movement of the steering wheel to help the driver see around bends in the road. Even today, synchronized headlights don't appear in any but the most expensive cars and their appearance is a relatively recent addition to what are supposed to be "state of the art" automobiles. The quick swap power train setup, that is the engine and transmission, was designed to be easily pulled out of a troubled vehicle within fifteen minutes of arriving at a Tucker service department. This system was developed so that customers could drop off the power train at the dealership and leave quickly with a "loaner power train." This would allow an owner to avoid waiting, sometimes for days, as their car was repaired, an inconvenience common among conventional cars. Imagine the advantage of such an option if you were on a long distance trip with a car full of kids. The Tucker 48's rear mounted Franklin aircraft engine could go from zero to sixty in just seven seconds! This kind of performance eclipses that of many of today's full size luxury sedans. Because of the "flat six" design, which means that the engine has six horizontally opposed cylinders, the car had a much lower center of gravity. This allowed it to navigate corners and winding roads as if it were a European sports car.