▁ ▁In ▁reply , ▁T ucker ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁asked ▁Toul min ▁to ▁res ign ▁" to ▁make ▁way ▁for ▁a ▁prominent ▁man ▁now ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁autom obile ▁industry ." ▁The ▁" prom inent ▁man " ▁turned ▁out ▁to ▁be ▁Pr eston ▁T ucker ▁himself . ▁ ▁In ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 7 , ▁a ▁radio ▁segment ▁on ▁T ucker ▁by ▁popular ▁journalist ▁D rew ▁Pear son ▁critic ized ▁the ▁T ucker ▁' 4 8 , ▁calling ▁it ▁the ▁" t in ▁go ose " ▁( refer ring ▁to ▁Howard ▁Hugh es ' ▁" S pr uce ▁Go ose ") ▁and ▁not ing ▁that ▁the ▁first ▁prototype ▁" could ▁not ▁even ▁back ▁up ". ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁prototype ▁lack ed ▁a ▁reverse ▁g ear ▁because ▁T ucker ▁had ▁not ▁had ▁time ▁to ▁finish ▁the ▁direct ▁tor que ▁drive ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁car ' s ▁un ve iling . ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁corrected ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁dri vel ine , ▁but ▁the ▁public ▁damage ▁was ▁done ▁and ▁a ▁negative ▁media ▁feed ing ▁f ren zy ▁resulted . ▁ ▁T ucker ▁respond ed ▁by ▁publishing ▁a ▁full - page ▁advert is ement ▁in ▁many ▁national ▁newsp apers ▁with ▁" an ▁open ▁letter ▁to ▁the ▁autom obile ▁industry " ▁where in ▁he ▁subt ly ▁hint ed ▁that ▁his ▁efforts ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁cars ▁were ▁being ▁st ym ied ▁by ▁politics ▁and ▁an ▁SE C ▁consp i racy . ▁ ▁Non eth eless , ▁deal ership ▁own ers ▁began ▁fil ing ▁law