A controversial Tucker convertible is up for sale on eBay

The original Tucker 48 sedan easily sells for seven figures today, but what about the one and only Tucker convertible? It's unlikely to fetch that price.

For readers unfamiliar with Tucker, it is an American brand that didn't last long - a few years after World War II. Founded by Preston Tucker, the company introduced the 48 sedan, which was surprisingly progressive for its time. Unfortunately, only 51 Tucker automobiles were produced before the company was discontinued due to federal crackdowns on certain activities.

Tucker never officially produced a convertible. Moreover, there is no official document that mentions a convertible. According to Hemmings, Jay Follis of the Tucker Automobile Club of America issued a statement saying that there is no evidence that the club assembled such a car at the factory. The statement came after Benchmark Classics of Madison, Wisconsin, announced in 2009 that it had an unfinished prototype Tucker convertible and planned to restore it and put it up for sale for $5 million.

The convertible has now been fully restored and is being auctioned on eBay for $2,175,000. The car is being offered for sale by Accelerate Auto Group, whose representative Justin Cole is also associated with Benchmark Classics.

According to Accelerate Auto, the convertible is one of the unfinished Tucker with chassis number 57 that Tucker has been working on since its closure. The car is believed to be an improved version of the 48 sedan chassis and was developed in conjunction with Lenki Engineering, which helped Tucker build the first prototype Model 48.

After Tucker's bankruptcy, the convertible sat at Renchi Engineering for "several years" before being sold to an engineering company employee who wanted to refine it. The car was then resold several times, eventually ending up at Benchmark Classics.

Accelerate Auto's website has a number of documents that prove the car's authenticity. Among them is an affidavit from an alleged former Tucker employee confirming the existence of the convertible.

It should be noted that the convertible contains a number of original Tucker parts. These include a flat-six engine mounted in the rear and connected to a corded transmission. Power output of the original engine was about 166 hp.

Regardless of whether or not this convertible is an original Tucker design, there is no denying that it is beautiful. For the right buyer, it will be truly priceless.