Here's a little story about how we bought our old Nash truck.

The car was bought new from the New Zealand Nash dealer in Oxford Terrace (Christchurch NZ)
by Mr. Sparrow, who was a Ministry of Transport Officer (Traffic cop).
1924, he took it to Sampson's Garage in Tennyson Street (Christchurch NZ) because the starter had
failed (It runs a Wagner Reduction Drive starter that had jammed) and in his attempt to free it, had
destroyed the teeth of the Reduction Drive.
Parts were not available out here for the starter, so Sampson welded and re-cut the missing teeth
back onto the gears, only to find the other teeth on the gears had bent, causing the starter to do
a half-turn… andd lock up!
At that time, Mr Sampson had an Ansaldo Six Touring car in near-new condition and traded it with
Mr Sparrow for the Nash.
He could see that the large motor gearbox chassis, and general over-engineering of the Nash Tourer
would suit him fine as a tow truck.
He ordered in a crane from the Marquette Manufacturing Co. of St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
While waiting for it to arrive he removed the body off the car, cut the chassis in half and added 15 inches
to the chassis, driveshaft and the brake rods. He built a deck and a fantastic cab – he had been
a cabiinet maker so the woodwork is stunning – using the best of what he had lying around including
wind-up windows and other niceties of life.

When the truck was completed, it made its debut as the first Tow Truck of Christchurch NZ!
It served in continuous use throughout Canterbury and Banks Peninsula area until 1954, when it was
deemed all tow trucks should have four-wheel brakes.
During our trucks working life it had been used with dealer plates, so it was unregistered from
1924 'till '54, when it was retired.

My father used to push bike past Sampson's Garage as a kid and always admired the old tow truck
sitting outside (in the 1940s). It certainly surprised him when we drove it up his driveway in 2005!
It had been in dry storage at John Sampson Jr.'s home since they closed the business in the late 80's.
When I was looking at purchasing the truck, Mr. Sampson Jr. (now in his 80s) asked if I would like to
hear it run. On saying "yes!" He handed me the crank handle.
I asked, "wasn't it fitted with an electric starter?" only to be informed: "my father never used the
electric, neither have I!"
After six pulls on full choke to prime, I called out to Mr. Sampson "ready?"
He yelled back "Contact!" (Must be something to do with the air force).
One final pull and the old girl was running.

I purchased the vehicle, repaired the starter, and returned armed with the appropriate fluids,
battery etc. With the starter fitted and an understanding of what levers did what, Mr. John Sampson Jr.
said: if that starts on the starter, it will be the first time since 1924! It started beautifully.
And as Mr. Sampson was dancing on the spot, he said: "That just proves it's gone to the right home."
After giving Mr. Sampson Jr. and his son a last ride around the block, my wife and I ran the gauntlet
and drove the old girl home.
We went on several rallies, with big stories of their own (one was over fourteen-hundred miles long!),
some including being the official (back-up wagon) for the Canterbury branch of the vintage car
club NZ for veteran rallies.
It's also still used as a tow truck through my workshop when appropriate cars need to be brought in,
which makes this one of the oldest tow trucks in service (we're ignoring the four-wheel brake rule).
You should see people's faces when I turn up with the apprentice in the old girl to tow in their
"classics-in-need".

Kind regards, Joe, Kaye, and Natalie.