This is one amazing looking truck! This 1949 Nash Model 3148 tow truck was one of about 5000 service vehicles that were made for Nash dealerships between 1947 and 1954. It’s believed that over 90% of these trucks were exported, making them extremely rare. This particular truck can be found here on eBay with a buy it now price of $25,000! Thanks to Barn Finds reader Paul Connor for alerting us to this special truck.
According to auto.howstuffworks.com, these trucks were “based on the 1946-1948 Nash car, but not identical: the grille, for example, was simpler and the lower portion did not wrap around the front fenders. Parking lights were round, not rectangular as on the car, and were mounted lower.” The seller does say that a previous owner attempted to remove the bed and took the controls and the stiff leg off, but they are included with the sale.
The interior of this truck is fairly bare as you would expect in a work vehicle. The ad states that the seat has been professionally reupholstered to make it look original. The engine runs but has been sitting since 2014. The current owner says the truck has been stored in a heated barn since 2004 and was trailered to shows. It has also reportedly spent most of its life in Colorado and has “zero rust holes” but does have some surface rust. If it was me, I wouldn’t change a thing. Get it to reliable driving condition and enjoy it. How about you?
I love it
Great looking truck I love the lines (or Shape)
25k ? lol!
25 Kroner.
Nice and different but ten over in price 😎
I like seeing these listed to explore the over little looked models.
If one has a big storage unit then buy it
and drive it to enjoy shows as it’s a nice it has a wrecker
To tow those trophies from the future winning machine !
Great looking truck; rare and a true time-capsule. Unless you’re going to hook cars, I don’t see that as-is it will be of use except for show. Take the boom off and at least you’d have a sort of pick up. Or put a different set-up behind the cab. $25 grand is a lot of money and probably you’ll have to put more money in it to make it road worthy.
I’d paint it, red with black fenders, clean up the cab and letter it for my business. I’m sure the “Patina” camp would leave it as-is but some color would make this wonderful truck really pop.
Love it! A bit pricey for my taste, but I’m sure someone will buy it. I’d fix it up, clean it up and paint it and use it as a show vehicle.
While some may not like the word iconic, one can’t deny this is the Holy Grail of trucks. Very, VERY few Nash trucks were sold, but most that I have seen, were tow trucks, and usually only for a Nash dealer. It was probably powered by the Nash 235 OHV in line six. In the 80’s, I used to deliver to a grocery warehouse in Menominee, Michigan, and a car lot had one of these up agin a wall. I always wondered what happened to it. As with most old tow trucks, I’d ditch the hoist, and just use it as a pickup. Nash was high class for a truck, not many others had that engine turned dash. The price, while crazy, could be justified. There’s got to be only a handful of these left. I love the styling.
I have one for sell in Texas.. solid all original tow truck
Sammy… 281-932-4969.
Cool old truck but one too many zeros in the price.
It does look like they are open to offers. Great looking truck for sure.
This is a rare gem for sure. I’d tend to take Rube’s idea and use it as a classy (albeit heavy) pickup. No way I could fit that price into my budget but it could be tempting if I was flush enough. I don’t think I’ve even seen one of these up close and personal.
Cool.
Very Cool.
WAY Cool!
Those front wheels remind me of the dealership’s 1951 Job Rated twin boom tow truck. I don’t know where it fit in the Dodge Truck family, but it was bigger than the normal pick up and had air brakes. I put a floor in it which gave it a few more years of service.
Cool Tow Rig.
Wow, from the southwest corner of Colorado all the way to Illinois. I remember this truck well, it sat for years in the front corner of the “complete car” sales lot section of the wrecking yard that had literally thousands neat old cars (and this was back in the day) over acres of rolling hills. Closing IIRC in the early 90s and slated for development (which ironically never happened) what cars couldn’t be sold ended up being crushed.
Good to see this truck has faired well, it is (or at least was) an extremely solid and straight, never bent up, old truck. While the audience for an old wrecker is small, anyone wanting one would be hard pressed to find a more unique or an original in better shape.
Aside from this,Nash actually had a number of pickup prototypes in the late 1940’s all looking very nice. Funny though, they never put them into production. The Nash tow truck for sale here would be a nice addition for someone but as has been said it’s a bit optimistic on the price.
Let’s talk about the panel truck to its right!!
Yeah I’m with you I’d love to see some more photos of that panel truck on the side.
Who heats a barn? The cab and hood look suspiciously like an F1 Ford, and the front fenders like a Chevy. Borrowed and tweaked parts?
Not seeing Ford or Chevy there at all. But it does appear to have a speedometer from an L or R series International truck.
I love, never knew they existed. Get that baby roadworthy, give it coat of wax and show it off.
very cool looking truck. not quite sure what I would do with it whether I would leave it as a tow truck or make it some kind of a dually pickup. either way I would have to paint it sorry guys I was never into the patina thing spent my entire career making them shiny and new looking. Sure would be kind of cool as a tow truck taking it to a show or two with something on the hook. Maybe put some seats in the back in place of the Boom and use it in parades. No matter what somebody decides to deal with it I’m sure it’ll be a cool truck to drive around. Not quite sure it’s worth the money they’re asking definitely more than I would spend on it.
Never saw but one in the flesh, and did not know there as many made as they indicate, thought they were only made one or 2 years, not until 54 as indicated. Story I had heard years ago was only for every Nash Dealer in the initial year. Very interesting andinteresting that some got exported.The Orphan guys surprisingly sent a lot of vehicles over the sea successfully in the day. Just proves they made some good dependable stuff
A local retired Nash / Rambler / Amc dealer still has his sitting around (outsiiide))
Everything about this truck is awesome. I wouldn’t change a thing just drive it
This is an amazing, very rare vehicle.
If I had this truck, the first thing i would do would be to re-install the towing components that were removed, then get everything running perfectly, per original specifications.
I don’t get why everyone is wanting to take the towing body off of it… That is how it was manufactured originally, and I believe that it should stay this way. Such an incredibly rare, well – preserved truck should be preserved as such.
Besides, wouldn’t it be fun to (carefully) use this vehicle as it was originally intended?
As for the patina in this case, it really tells the story of this truck and I would leave it as it is. The original door – logos are awesome, too!
A Tonka come to life.
Beautiful.
Great to have along on an old car tour, someone always breaks down.
Takes up the sweep position, driver and mechanic, fix some things, tow the rest. And with cell phones easy to get someone to come back and pick up the passengers.
It will be coming to me here in CT very soon!! Cant wait to get it back on the road and looking just as it is. The plan is to get the tow rig working again and just have fun with it!!
Excellent!!! You need to post an update when you get it together and running.
I looked through my old photos hoping to find a picture of the truck at the yard in Cortez, but alas, I could not find one.
I might have some pix of it…..if I can find ’em. I was just a kid when it left the yard, but I think I have some childhood pix. I was into cars from day one. I live within ten miles of Novatonie’s old yard. All gone now, what a shame. I got a few, but the $$$ ran out before the cars did.
Did you buy this truck? :) :) :)
I used to see one in the Denver area back in the late 60’s when I went there to go to college. Wonder if it was the same one? If I remember, the “patina” was similar.
Awesome truck. Obviously worth the money to someone as I see it has sold for the buy now price. Lucky bugger….!!
Sometimes it’s hard to describe cool. That is COOL in every sense of the word! Nice truck congrats to the new owner I wouldn’t change a thing and would love to own it and use it for what it was built to do. Tow cool cars. Jealous!
Is this the same one that Tom Cotter featured on The Barn Find Hunter some time back?