Atomic power. The Jet Age. Television, radio, and the electronic revolution. The Tucker 48 arrived in the flurry of world-shaping technological change and the economic explosion of post-war America — and proved that too much innovation isn’t necessarily a good thing. Francis Ford Coppola’s Tucker: The Man and His Dream portrayed the rise and fall of Preston Tucker’s automobile company which produced just 51 examples of the 48 before shutting down. The 48 was ahead of its time, with safety features like a padded dash, integrated roll bar, seat belts, and a pop-out safety windshield. Fully independent suspension and a rear-mounted liquid-cooled flat-six were a far cry from the solid-axle front-engine inline-sixes, eights, and V8s from the Big Three. This 1948 Tucker 48 is the 21st of 51 made, has had just three owners since new, and was featured on screen in Coppola’s film. In black over a beige interior, the car is complete and functional, down the swiveling third headlight. The car will go to auction at Mecum’s Kissimmee event in January, where it’s projected to sell for $1.5 million.