I met David Cammack, after a chance meeting with Deena, his long time friend and helper, at the downtown Alexandria post office back in 2011. Next thing you know, I'm standing in a warehouse in Old Town with my camera in hand, looking at a lifetime's passion for an automobile. That car was the Tucker. Let's meet David Cammack, who passed away two years after I took these photos.
Mr. Cammack had a drive, a passion, and a wealth of information. Stepping into his warehouse was like stepping into a time capsule. The collection not only included three Tucker's but also a 1947 Cadillac Fleetwood chassis; just for comparison reasons. The collection included several engines that showed the progression of the Tucker power plant, a room full of blueprints, engineering drawings, legal papers, photos, rare 16mm films, and the original chassis buggy that Preston Tucker used to test concepts for suspension and drive train.
Mr. Cammack never married and he told me that he was going to donate the entire car collection to the Antique Automobile Club of America in Hershey, PA. He did not call his museum a museum, but a working warehouse of all things Tucker. He charged no admittance fee. I was lucky to have spent an afternoon with him talking shop.
David Cammack poses with his first Tucker, which he purchased in 1972. There were only 51 Tuckers ever built. Currently, 47 still exist; David owned 3.
David's favorite Tucker was this red beauty - serial number 1001, which is the very first pre-production automobile that Preston Tucker made. This Tucker came off the line on March 17, 1948. These cars were ahead of their time. Each came with fully independent suspension, safety glass, and a neat “Cyclops” light. Plus an aircraft inspired all aluminum rear engine.
The tucker could hit cruising speeds of over 100 mph with a recorded top speed of 131 mph!
For weight distribution, the engine was placed in the trunk area and lower in the chassis, giving the car a lower center of gravity. The rear wheel well, was designed to help keep the engine and disk breaks cool, as well as providing a nice hiding place for the gas cap. Each time a new Tucker came off the line, simple improvements were made, meaning no two are alike. Changes to the engine chassis length, gas tank location, transmission, and various other safety improvements were constantly experimented with. The center “Cyclops” light only came on when the steering wheel turned greater than 10 degrees, and would sync with the direction of the wheels to help the driver see around turns.
The suicide doors made for easy accessibility to the rear seats. A clutterfree driving area and lack of any glove box was another Tucker safety inspiration. During a crash, the passenger was to place himself into the designed ”crash area” by ducking low into the floorboard space.
Meeting David Cammack and Dana was a treat; such incredibly nice people. In the end, they were the true find that day; the Tuckers were just added bonus. His entire car collection is now at the Antique Automobile Club of America, in Hershey, PA.
