▁to ▁develop ▁and ▁test ▁the ▁cars ▁was ▁ins u fficient , ▁however , ▁and ▁the ▁ste ering ▁boxes ▁on ▁all ▁entr ants ▁over he ated ▁and ▁locked ▁up , ▁causing ▁them ▁to ▁drop ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁race . ▁The ▁design ▁was ▁later ▁perfect ed ▁by ▁private ers , ▁with ▁examples ▁running ▁at ▁Ind y ▁through ▁ 1 9 4 8 . ▁Miller ▁and ▁T ucker , ▁Inc . ▁continued ▁race ▁car ▁development ▁and ▁various ▁other ▁vent ures ▁until ▁Miller ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁T ucker ▁was ▁close ▁friends ▁with ▁Miller ▁and ▁even ▁helped ▁Miller ' s ▁wid ow ▁pay ▁for ▁her ▁husband ' s ▁fun eral ▁costs . ▁While ▁working ▁with ▁Miller , ▁T ucker ▁met ▁the ▁Che v ro let ▁brothers ▁and ▁chief ▁mechan ic / engine er ▁John ▁Edd ie ▁Off utt , ▁who ▁would ▁later ▁help ▁T ucker ▁develop ▁and ▁build ▁the ▁first ▁prototype ▁of ▁the ▁T ucker ▁' 4 8 . ▁T ucker ' s ▁out going ▁person ality ▁and ▁his ▁invol vement ▁at ▁Indian apolis ▁made ▁him ▁well ▁known ▁in ▁the ▁autom ot ive ▁industry ▁by ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁ ▁T ucker ▁Com bat ▁Car ▁and ▁the ▁T ucker ▁Gun ▁Tur ret ▁( 1 9 3 9 – 1 9 4 1 ) ▁ ▁In ▁late ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁while ▁recover ing ▁in ▁an ▁Indian apolis ▁hospital ▁from ▁an ▁app ende ct omy , ▁T ucker ▁was ▁reading ▁the ▁news ▁about ▁war ▁lo oming ▁on ▁the