Tucker Torpedo
The most significant “what if” story of automotive history is the saga of Preston Tucker and his brainchild, the Torpedo. The Tucker car company started in the late ’40s and soon presented a fully functioning prototype that made the rest of the cars from Detroit look terribly outdated (via Tucker Club).
The Tucker Torpedo featured numerous innovations. From safety glass and a central headlight that followed the movement of the steering wheel to a roomy interior and engine in the back with lots of power and torque. The Torpedo was so advanced that the Big Three (Chrysler, Ford, and GM) were afraid it would cripple their market share. So while Tucker prepared for full-scale production, the Big Three prepared to set him up with a lawsuit that would stop the production and sink the company.