If These Cars Could Talk: 1948 TASCO

Join us for an in-depth look at the many automobiles in our collection and discover their part in our history. If These Cars Could Talk is a monthly program offered by museum staff for free to the public on the first Saturday of each month.

A group of investors wanted to build a suitable American sports car for a European type-racing event to be held at Watkins Glen, New York. Gordon Buehrig was part of the group of investors, and also performed the design work.  He oversaw the production of this single prototype vehicle.  The aluminum body was built by the Derham Body Company of Derham, Pennsylvania.  It was the first car in the world with a T-top roof, an idea that Gordon Buehrig patented. He would later sue General Motors for compensation when the 1968 Corvette came out with a T-top roof.  The front fenders are made of fiberglass and the roof panels are made out of Plexiglas. The name Tasco stands for the The American Sports Car Company.  The Tasco is powered by a modified Mercury V-8 engine that produces 150 horsepower.  The chassis is a highly modified 1947 Mercury. The original development cost for this car was $57,000. It was hoped that the production version would sell in the $7,500 range. The car is finished in slate blue and is in excellent condition. 

This presentation will be held in the museum galleries next to the car from 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm on Saturday, October 1, 2022 and is offered to all patrons for free with museum admission. For more information, including the specific location of the presentation, please call ahead at 260-925-1444 or see an associate at the admission desk.