In 1967, the former Nash/Packard Dealer in Oxnard CA that was being operated as a general auto repair shop was forced to close, because the 101 Freeway was being expanded...right thru the dealership.

An auction was held to sell off all the shop tools, remaining inventory of Packard and Nash parts, signage, Nash Wrecker and etc.

I bought the 9' Packard sign, a coupla other things, was outbid for the parts and the Nash Wrecker.

When I asked the owner of this dealership about Nash Wreckers (I had only seen one other), I was informed that these were only sold to Nash Dealers.

The fellow never mentioned Nash Cab & Chassis, Flatbeds and etc (prolly because I didn't ask)...so I assumed the Wrecker was the only Nash truck version.

 

Interesting Nash history guys, thanks

I'm sure its like most things back then, if a well paying customer wanted to buy a cab a chassis I'm sure a dealer would find a way to sell it to him.

Bobby

 

But wait...there's more! Pickup Trucks by Mike Mueller / Motorbooks Int'l / ISBN: 0-7603-1842-5.

I searched thru this menagerie for this book in hopes it might have info on Nash Wreckers, but...there's not a word mentioned about them. However, I did find the following...

Page 90 shows a picture of a red Nash Pickup. The caption reads:

Nash briefly flirted with pickup production, beginning prototype development immediately before World War II. This truck was completed in 1947 and still exists today.
Reportedly as many as six more Ambassador-based Nash prototype pickups were built in 1948, including this model which was used at Nash-Kelvinator's body plant in Milwaukee.

The 3/4 view of this Nash pickup shows the spare tire mounted in front of the left rear fender to its Flareside type bed. Uses the same 16" wheels, hubcaps and beauty rings as the Ambassadors.

 

You'd think they would have specialized in refrigerated trucks.

 

Was it this one?



Right! Maybe even just refrigerated BEER trucks... it's Milwaukee after all!

 

That's the one (#31), but in Mike Mueller's Pickup Trucks book photo, it doesn't have the wooden bedsides.

 

Dang, that Nash PU is beautiful.......if you zoom in on the pic, it looks like another green one behind it.....

 

There's a couple of Nash pickups like that red one in my area. One is tan, passed him on the freeway last year and there's a red one I see at local car and farm shows. I think the red one has the same Nash lettering on the side.

 

Very cool - maybe it is the same one? I got the picture from the link posted in the earlier Nash truck thread, which says the truck was owned by Jim & Linda Dworschack:

http://www.nashcarclub.org/nccaphot/.../48pickup.html

Doesn't list a location though. Presumably since the prototypes were built/used in Milwaukee area, it would make some sense that they stayed close to home after they were sold off.

 

I did a simple Google search and found the Dworschacks live about 3 miles from my house so it's the same truck. The guy, along with my earlier Nash source, are big Nash fanatics. The Dworschacks live on an old farm and have a from clip from a Nash bolted to the front of their barn. I've never personally met the couple but I've driven past their house a million times but haven't seen the Nash pickup outside, they probably store in the barn.

 

You should stop by their house and tell them that they're an internet sensation over on a Ford Truck Enthusiast website.

 

That's wild! Why NOT stop by and say 'Hi'?

Hey now Ilya... this is an oddballs thread after all. And these rare old Nash trucks are interesting. Plus, we've been getting a little thin on oddball Ford trucks for a while... I'd love to see more though!

 

Here's the crew cab as it sits today. Met the owner and talked a while. He knows that the truck's auction record is on the web and has generated much discussion. Whether he'd take less for it I don't know. Stu

 

Sad to see it downgraded to a sign post. Hopefully some one will come along and get it at least back on the road. I bet it has some interesting history.

 

That patina will start to rot pretty quickly. I hope they intervene at some point.