Antique car repaired by Penn College students garners honor

A 1948 Tucker repaired by students at Pennsylvania College of Technology earned honors at the recent Antique Automobile Club of America’s Eastern Division National Fall Meet in Hershey.

The vehicle won the First Junior Award, meaning it was ranked the best among all cars judged for the first time in its class: limited production and prototype vehicles through 1998.

“The award is a testament to the quality work and dedication of our students,” said instructor Roy H. Klinger, co-department head of collision repair and adviser to the Penn College Classic Cruisers club. “I’m very proud of what they accomplished in a short amount of time.”

Students in Klinger’s Vintage Automotive Mechanical & Applications I class – with assistance from club members – worked on the car for about six weeks. The course is one of several required for those seeking a certificate in automotive restoration.

The students focused their efforts on cosmetic and engine repairs.

“We had to do body work on both of the quarter panels, and lots of hoses and hose clamps were put onto the engine,” Klinger explained. “There were some parts that were the incorrect color. We had a color match made, and we repainted those parts to be correct.”

The vehicle, Tucker No. 1013, was one of 51 (including the prototype) designed by Preston Tucker and manufactured by the Tucker Automobile Corp. in 1948. As described by the Automotive Hall of Fame, the Tucker was marketed as the “Car of Tomorrow” and featured “an unusual rear-mounted engine and numerous safety and performance features, including a padded dash, pop-out windshield, disc brakes and a ‘cyclops eye’ center headlight that turned with the wheels.”

Legal issues forced the company into bankruptcy in 1949. The 1988 motion picture “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” chronicles the story behind the car. Tucker No. 1013 was one of several used in the movie.

Ty M. Tucker, of Columbia, one of the Penn College automotive restoration students who worked on the car, is Preston Tucker’s great-great-grandson.

Others who contributed their talents were automotive restoration students Madelon E. Andersen, Media; Nicholas W. Bova (also majoring in applied management), Williamsport; Adin S. Bogner, Ellisville, Missouri; Joel P. Brassart, Jonestown; Sarah E. Crabtree, Elizabethtown; David J. Fisher, Huntingdon; Ethan J. Knapp, Franklin; John E. Shaffer Jr., Williamsport; and Henry W. Zimmerli, Hellertown; collision repair technology students Brenda A. Bravo, Reading; Anthony S. LaCerra, Williamsport; Will A. Raynor, Montauk, New York; and Luke M. Stitt, New Cumberland; and applied management student Jason M. Wollermann, Egg Harbor, New Jersey. Both Wollermann and Bogner previously earned associate degrees in collision repair technology.

Stitt, who is president of the Classic Cruisers club, called working on the Tucker a “priceless experience.” He continued, “Words truly can’t describe how grateful and proud we all are to have been able to accept such a prestigious award. We have all gotten to know this vehicle inside and out with the number of hours we put into it preparing for the event. We got to see how certain aspects of Preston Tucker’s design, along with his safety features, are incorporated into modern-day vehicles. This was an experience we all will never forget.”

Patricia B. Swigart, president of the William E. Swigart Jr. Antique Automobile Museum in Huntingdon, owns the car. She has been a longtime supporter of the college’s automotive restoration program, providing students with the opportunity to develop their skills on the museum’s large collection of vintage and antique cars.

“I’m honored that the students are willing to work on our cars,” Swigart said. “We have the oldest automobile museum in America, and the students have done so much to promote it. I’m over the moon with the work that they do. You can see their enthusiasm.”

“I’m incredibly proud of our students and faculty for their outstanding work in earning the First Junior Award,” added Ali L. Lorson, assistant dean of transportation technologies. “This success not only recognizes their hard work and dedication but also highlights the invaluable experiences provided by the Swigart Museum. The museum’s commitment to preserving historic American automobiles gives our students an amazing opportunity to engage with our automotive heritage while developing their talents in a hands-on environment.”

The AACA Eastern Divisional National Fall Meet is annually one of the largest antique automobile shows in the country. The four-day event included an auction run by RM Sotheby’s. For the second year in a row, students from Penn College’s Classic Cruisers club assisted with the auction.

To learn more about the automotive restoration certificate, collision repair technology associate degree and other programs offered by Penn College’s School of Engineering Technologies, call 570-327-4520.

Penn College is a national leader in applied technology education. Email the Admissions Office or call toll-free 800-367-9222 for more information.