Vintage Tow Trucks

Unique tow and service trucks owned by garages and dealerships have long served as rolling billboards for the establishments that own them, although this particular rig rates near the all time top of the list of eye-catching tow trucks.

It served in this capacity for the Bynum-Stevens Motor Co., a Pontiac Dealer located in Murfreesboro, TN, in the 1930s and possibly later. While the bodywork on this truck could have been constructed by a professional body-building firm, the general lack of compound curves leaves one to believe that it could have been built by a clever craftsman, in the Company’s body shop.


Courtesy of The Old Motor

The wrecker was custom built at Bynum-Stephens Motor Company that was located at 407 West College Street. They used a 1935 Ford truck chassis and a 1926 Lincoln V-8 engine. It had a three drum hoisting machine with power take off.

 

I wonder who's getting towed?

 

D'oh

 

Let's talk CITROEN car-haulers, shall we?

A guy by the name of Jerry Hathaway in So Cal had become an expert on Citroen SM's - the luxury coupe with the Maserati V6. He owns a shop and mail order parts business called SM World.

I guess a few years back, he got the racing bug, and decided to go to the Bonneville salt flats, with a Citroen SM, of course. And of course, he needed a hauler to take the fast Citroen to the salt flats. So, he built one..... from another Citroen SM.



And speaking of Citroens, all kinds of interesting rigs under that category, like this one:

 

That altered-wheelbase pickup (no, it doesn't race) was also used with the Camper Special, as it made the truck more stable in turns when a camper was installed. I cannot remember if our '69 Crew Cab Camper Special also had an altered WB or not, and of course, my dad has been gone for 3 1/2 years. All I remember is that, to fit the deluxe Kit camper, the framerails were extended out to place the bumper at the end of the camper.