12:30 AM
Philip Egan, a designer and author who is credited with designing the driver control area of the 1948 Tucker Sedan, died on Dec. 26 in Fairfax, Calif. He was 88 years old.
Egan was working for the J. Gordon Lippincott design firm after World War II when it was hired to help design the Tucker Sedan. Egan moved to Chicago to work on the Tucker design team. Tucker chief designer Alex Tremulis later hired Egan to work at Tucker Corp. Only 51 Tuckers were built.
Egan chronicled the development of the Tucker in a book, "Design and Destiny, the Making of the Tucker Automobile." He was also hired as a consultant for a 1988 movie about Preston Tucker and his car, "Tucker: The Man and His Dream." The movie was produced by George Lucas and directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
After leaving Tucker, Egan worked as a senior designer for Sears in Chicago, with a focus on household appliances. He later ran his own design practice in Chicago, then joined the Walter Landor and Associates design firm in California.
In addition to his Tucker book, Egan wrote three books for young readers. He had recently finished a history of the 20th century, told in an anecdotal style, which has yet to be published.
Egan is survived by his wife, Virginia Egan, two daughters, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
At Egan's request, no funeral will be held. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Doctors Without Borders.
