The Strange One-Off Tasco Car That Took Design Cues from Airplanes

Aviation Oddity - Sometimes in the world of cars, the most fascinating stories don’t come from vehicles that became commercial hits, but from the ones that were so unusual they left a mark simply by existing. Automotive history is filled with experiments, bold visions, and one-off creations that challenged what a car could look like. Among those rare pieces of rolling art, there is one machine from the 1940s that continues to draw curious eyes to this day—the strange, airplane-inspired creation known as the Tasco.

The 1948 TASCO prototype designed by Gordon Buehrig on display at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum. (Picture from: MacsMotorCityGarage)

The car came to life under the short-lived American Sports Car Company and was designed by Gordon Buehrig, a German-born designer whose resume already included legendary names such as Auburn, Cord, and Duesenberg. He was the man behind the iconic coffin-nosed Cord 810 and the elegant Auburn 851 Speedster, so it was no surprise that when he set out to design something new, it would not look like anything else on the road. For the Tasco, Buehrig borrowed heavily from aviation, especially the sleek fighter planes of World War II.

The 1948 TASCO prototype in one of its original outings back in the 1950s. (Picture from: MacsMotorCityGarage)

At first glance, the vehicle already shows how far it strays from convention. The hood is long and dramatic, the rear compact and almost chopped, giving it proportions closer to a grand tourer but with a futuristic twist. Its body was built with lightweight aluminum, paired with fiberglass wheel covers, which was quite advanced for the time. But the most striking feature was its roof—two removable plexiglass panels that could be lifted off, creating what we now recognize as the first T-top design. Buehrig later patented this roof in 1951, though he earned little recognition when General Motors made it famous years later on the 1968 Corvette.

The 1948 TASCO prototype has a dashboard design and instrument control panel that is very similar to an airplane. (Picture from: MacsMotorCityGarage)

Inside, the cabin felt more like an aircraft cockpit than a car interior. The dashboard and control layout looked like they had been lifted directly from a fighter jet, and the two-seat arrangement added to that airplane atmosphere. Sliding behind the wheel was less about driving a car and more about preparing for takeoff.

Right front view of the 1948 TASCO prototype designed by Gordon Buehrig on display at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum. (Picture from: MacsMotorCityGarage)

The Tasco itself was built on the chassis and drivetrain of a salvaged 1939 Mercury, which Buehrig and his small team—among them Virgil Exner and Bob Bourke while at Studebaker—hauled in from a junkyard. The bodywork was then hand-crafted at the Derham Body Company in Pennsylvania, known for its custom coachwork. In many ways, the project was ambitious, experimental, and even ahead of its time, but it never went beyond that single prototype.

Rear three-quarter view of the 1948 TASCO prototype. (Picture from: CustomRodder)

While its appearance was undeniably radical, even Buehrig admitted that the car looked awkward, humorously referring to it as “my Edsel.” And yet, that same awkwardness is what makes it so captivating today. The Tasco wasn’t a failure so much as it was a glimpse into a designer’s imagination without commercial restraints.

Fully detailed 1948 Tasco quarter-scale model at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum. (Picture from: MacsMotorCityGarage)

After decades of obscurity, the one-off prototype eventually ended up in the hands of Nevada car collector Richie Clyne, who later donated it to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum. There, it sits not as a forgotten misstep, but as a reminder of just how daring automotive design could be in the hands of dreamers like Buehrig.

The Tasco may never have made it to production, but its influence—especially the pioneering T-top roof—echoed far beyond its time. Today, it stands as a curious, almost whimsical artifact of 1940s creativity, proof that even the strangest ideas can leave a lasting impression in automotive history. *** [EKA [21092020]| FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | THE RICHEST | AUTOBLOG | MACS MOTOR CITY GARAGE | BARBER CAR KECH IN FACEBOOK | CUSTOMRODDER ]

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