(July 10, 2013) Hershey, PA.   The enthusiasm and creativity that propelled Preston Tucker and his vision for the Tucker automobile is something that has captured the hearts of many.   An extensive - the world's largest- collection of three (3) Tucker vehicles and many other Tucker automobilia will be finding a new home at the AACA Museum in Hershey, PA from the David Cammack Collection.

 

Earlier this year Mr. David Cammack, a very good friend and supporter of the AACA Museum, passed on.  Mr. Cammack was an avid Tucker collector and has donated his extensive Tucker Collection to the AACA Museum.  His desire was to have this collection shared with the public, and the AACA Museum is honored to be chosen as the caretakers of this extensive collection and able to share this collection with the public.   The Cammack collection includes three (3) 1948 Tucker '48 vehicles, the factory Tucker test chassis, hundreds of engineering drawings, original Tucker parts, several engines as well as many other artifacts and displays.   The vehicles include Tucker #1001 - the first 'production' prototype, Tucker #1022, and Tucker #1026 - the only Tucker built with an automatic transmission.   A total of 51 Tuckers were built by hand in Chicago, of which 47 are known to still exist.   The three Tuckers which will reside at the AACA Museum will be the largest collection of these vehicles on permanent display anywhere.   Smithsonian Magazine published a video of Mr. Cammack on YouTube in the fall of 2009 that allows you to hear about this collection directly from Mr. Cammack.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeCgFeadUY4. Preston Tucker and his story was detailed in Francis Ford Coppola's 1988 film, "Tucker: The Man and His Dream" and certainly helped bolster the public's intense fascination with the "Car of Tomorrow".

This week begins the process of moving these items from a storage facility in Virginia and re-locating them to secure, locked storage at the AACA Museum.   This is a very exciting time and we were anxious to be able to share this news!  Photographs and video will be taken to document this progression.

The AACA Museum is in the process of designing a dedicated gallery space that will house this collection on a permanent basis and will allow tens of thousands of visitors each year to enjoy these vehicles and other collection pieces.   We are working diligently to make this display come to life in the last half of 2014.  Taking a lead from Preston Tucker's philosophy, the Tucker vehicles and other collection pieces will NOT be on display until the time of the Grand Opening.   Updates on progress will be ongoing through the Museum's website, e-newsletter, Facebook and Twitter communications and we hope that you will follow the progress and join us for a spectacular exhibit opening in 2014. 

To learn more about Mr. Cammack's collection, Hemmings Classic Car Magazine published and article in June of 2007 authored by David LaChance that can be found at http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/2007/06/01/hmn_feature20.html

To learn more facts on Tucker vehicles and history you can visit the Tucker club website at  http://www.tuckerclub.org/html/history.php 

About the AACA Museum:
The Antique Automobile Club of America Museum, a member of the Smithsonian Institution Affiliations Program, displays beautifully restored automobiles, buses and motorcycles in unique life-like scenes representing the 1900's - 1970's in a cross-country journey from New York to San Francisco.   The AACA Museum, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, is celebrating 10 years as one of the nation's largest automotive museums.  Special exhibits change several times a year and focus on a variety of eras and types of vehicles.  The AACA Museum is located just off Route 39, one mile west of Hersheypark Drive in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  Regular admission $10, seniors age 61 and older $9, juniors age 4-12 $7, children age 3 and under are FREE.  To celebrate our 10th Anniversary, Admission will be just $10 for two guests every Tuesday through 2013.  The Museum is open daily from 9AM -5PM.