Obsessed with cars since childhood, inventor Preston Tucker (Jeff Bridges) has his first successful auto design partnership in the 1930s and designs a successful gun turret for World War II use. With those achievements under his belt, Tucker is determined to create a futuristic car for the masses: the Tucker Torpedo. However, his dreams are challenged by Detroit's auto manufacturers, production problems and accusations of stock fraud, and he is forced to defend his dream and honesty in court.