"Tucker: The Man and His Dream" is a bitter sweet docudrama that makes you appreciate the wonderful look at an enthusiastic and innovative man, his supportive family & friends, and his embodiment of the dream of American free enterprise. Unfortunately the dream is crushed by a huge machine designed to destroy competition. In some ways the story is something like "Rocky I" building up hopes and even demonstrating worthiness & success, but ultimately overcome by the entrenched establishment.<br /><br />Innovators like the Jeep designers, Tucker, Jim Hall and his Chaparral Racing cars, Carol Shelby and his Shelby & Ford Cobras inspired me toward mechanical engineering and automotive technology. Along the way you find that the path toward true innovation not as encouraged as one would expect, or we would probably be driving cars on some form of extremely plentiful natural gas today.<br /><br />The hard lesson demonstrated by this movie is that many of the American dreams are "fairy tales", that there is no true free enterprise, or not for long. Tucker tried valiantly to compete with huge companies who hate competition, who spend billions fighting it with legislation, government agencies and the media.<br /><br />The Jeep designers had to share production of their design with other manufacturers to get the government contract. Fortunately, Jim Hall's innovations were in race cars where innovation was not as restricted, but he did not really reap the financial rewards he deserved for his innovations that were eventually copied. Mr. Shelby redesigned existing cars, but is less well known for his own cars.<br /><br />It is bitter reality to find that people with great enthusiasm. innovation, and the ability to complete and test their superior designs are often stopped by a multitude of obstacles instead of encouraged. For Tucker to get his fifty cars built is a tremendous accomplishment under the circumstances, but the fight by him and his family was sure leave them discouraged from any similar effort.<br /><br />I would like to know more about his death six years after the trial. It seems suspicious to me with all the great ideas his sharp mind came up with.