Preston Tucker never let obstacles get in his way. He had a dream, and was willing to put in the work to make sure that his dream got realized. Some adjectives to describe him are: anxious, optimistic, and perhaps overly ambitious. Tucker was a visionary; a man who made some changes to the automobile that have become staples in manufacturing plants today. His idea for a seatbelt as well as a directional headlight and windshield that would pop out in the event of a collision changed the way engineers think about cars. No one can dispute Tucker’s will to succeed. He was the eternal optimist who knew that he could help improve the automobile industry. However, despite Mr. Tucker’s optimistic bravado, had he played his cards better, the Tucker Sedan could have been far more successful than it was. Tucker had been around vehicles for many years, whether it be with the Tucker Aviation Corporation or his venture with Harry Miller and occasional trips to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. When he got the idea for a new type of car, he was extremely excited about it’s possibilities. He thought that he could revolutionize the way an automobile worked, and was extremely confident that he could make it happen. Tucker was a confident man. He was confident that he had a great idea and confident that he could find qualified people to help him achieve his dream. To the dismay of Abe Karatz, he stood up before the Government and blasted the “Big 3” automobile makers in Detroit. He said that they were “guilty of negligence, and they don’t care about safety.” What Tucker did took cojones. He was a passionate man who was not afraid to speak his mind. Tucker showcased a bright, optimistic mantra that helped himself make a compelling case. He was a great salesman, and got his wish for a plant to make his cars. While I applaud Mr. Tucker for his positive outlook, he could have done some things to put himself in a better position to succeed. While Mr. Tucker had a good vision and was a great salesman (he sold Mr. Bennington) he was not the greatest manager. Tucker was such an upbeat guy that he was willing to give anyone a chance to work for him (hired an aspiring engineer two minutes after meeting him). Mr. Tucker also didn’t understand the politics that have to be done in the business world. While he had some bright ideas, he was very close-minded. He refused to consider any ideas other than the ones he put forward. No matter who someone is, there is always someone smarter than him or her that can offer advice. Tucker should have read the fine print of his agreement with Bennington, and should have been willing to work with Bennington on some issues. While some of Tucker’s ideas were revolutionary (multiple new safety features) had he worked with Bennington he perhaps wouldn’t have faced so much negative publicity. The negative publicity from his trial contributed to Tucker’s eventual downfall. Mr. Tucker was an extremely positive guy that had a vision. However, he should have made some different decisions to help his company achieve long-term success. Tucker believed that unveiling a car to the public would generate interest and that it would positively affect the future of Tucker. While he was right that the public unveiling garnered mass interest, he should have made sure that his car was one hundred percent ready to go. Tucker narrowly avoided a great disaster that saw his car catch fire. Tucker was more of a dreamer than an optimist. He was a vast knowledge of automobiles, but wanted to do too much too quickly. Mr. Tucker wanted to be an overnight sensation. While he had some great ideas, he should have attempted to work with Bennington. Although Bennington wanted to make great changes, Tucker could have avoided the negative publicity which accelerated his company’s downfall. If Tucker preferred to only make 50 cars and have them be exactly his way than become a new big car manufacturer, then he got his wish. However, if he wanted to become synonymous with Ford he should have hired people around him with better knowledge of automobiles and should have worked with Bennington. Tucker should have hired people that knew automobiles well and should have hired management people that could have helped him make sure the operation ran smoothly. No one can doubt Preston Tucker’s will to succeed. He had a great idea and always had a positive spirit. He taught everyone a valuable lesson. If one has an idea they believe is great, they should work as hard as they can in order to make it a reality. There will inevitably be obstacles along the way, but Tucker taught us all that anything is possible with an idea and a positive outlook. There are some things Tucker did that I learned I should do better. Firstly, I should have patience. Tucker wanted to be an overnight success; he wanted to do too many things too quickly. Had Tucker thought out some of his ideas for his company, he may have been able to achieve better long-term success. We also learned the power of negative publicity. While Tucker was correct that it was vital to gain as much national attention as possible, he should have considered other ways to try and limit negative media attention. Even if accusations are not entirely true, it is better to try and not do things that may be deemed controversial. People are easily persuaded by the news they receive and what they read. Perhaps Tucker should have been more sensitive to this fact and could have taken more precautions. However, the number one takeaway from the movie is that people should do all they can do to make their dreams a reality. It may take a lot of time and effort, but a great idea can always lead to success.