74 GMC | Holmes 440 sold at Barrett-Jackson for $50,000

[Tow411]

Topic Originally Created by DrHook541 on Tow411 in January of 2008:

 

This truck is said to have come from the "American Towing and Recovery Museum". It only has 190 miles on the odometer.

 

 

 

 

 

Barrett-Jackson's description ...

	1974
	GMC
	HOLMES
	1-TON WRECKER TRUCK
	BLACK
	GRAY
	V8
	454
	3-SPEED AUTOMATIC
	Never put in service and driven less than 200 actual miles its entire life. From the American Towing and Recovery Museum. Perfect as-new truck.
	Surely the only one in existence, this 34-year-old tow truck is brand new with just 190 actual miles on the odometer and having never towed the first car. A true time capsule of a commercial vehicle. Ordered from the GMC truck division as a highly optioned cab and chassis, this 1974 GMC 1-ton truck was delivered to the Ernest Holmes Co. of Chattanooga, TN, for the installation of their top-of-the-line wrecker body and slated to be used as their show and promotional display truck through the model year. The Holmes Co. is regarded as the founder of the towing and recovery vehicle business dating back to 1916 and traditionally a truck would be built and used to market their newest product and then sold to a consumer at the end of the model year. This particular truck, through a series of events, was not sold to a customer but ended up being displayed in the American Towing and Recovery Museum where it remained for over 25 years before passing into private ownership. This is the first time this vehicle has been offered for open market sale. This GMC is equipped with the biggest motor available, a 454cid V8 backed up by a Turbo Hydra-matic 400 transmission and all of the heavy-duty components for commercial use. Always stored correctly and maintained well, this truck performs flawlessly and is sure to be an irreplaceable attraction in any collection.

The truck sold just after the auction went off the air on Sunday (the final day), so I didn't get to see it auctioned off, but the website shows $50,000 as the final bid. The auction is a no-reserve auction. I do not remember seeing this truck at the Museum in Chattanooga.

 

Anybody have any info they would like to share?? Does Anyone know where this Wrecker is Now??

 

[Tow411]

OldHolmesUser460 said:

As I recall the museum was established in about 1995, which was 13 years ago. So how could the wrecker have been in the museum 25 years?

 

In Memory of Da Wash Boss who said:

Thats a beautiful truck but for a truck with 190 miles on it,,, lot of dirt inside cab floor, looks like drivers mirror brackets are bent maybe not but looks like they are to me. For a factory built holmes unit I do not see a Holmes Light Panel in the cab, I notice its an automatic with a 440 I wonder how the pto works on that truck? I would also have thought this body would have the famous Holmes Chevrons on it. It appears someone really liked that truck to drop 50K on it. Whoever bought it best of luck to them.

 

I gotta wonder about this truck, looking closer at it there is no control lever on the deck for the winch.
 

Danny Cassello

 

Micheal212 said:

Weeks before the auction a friend called me a told me this was on the auction list. He gave me the lot# and said see what you think I see? So I did. We noticed the same thing. The Holmes 440 plate, the ramsey electric winch, and no winch control for a Holmes 440. My thought is how many of the other vehicles are mis-represented at this "Big Show"????

And whoever paid $50K for that should have some buyer remorse................

 

FMS Mike said:

I am thinking this is a Holmes 220 if it has an electric winch, giving it no need for a pto and would have the handheld control. And the mirror brackets definitely look bent.

 

In Memory of Da Wash Boss who said:

Thanks Mike, now I know my eyes are not bad,,,,,, I notice on the back tailgate there is a plug in the center not sure if its for tow lights or for the remote. No doubt it is a nice truck but I would love to sell whoever purchased that some of my trucks.
 

Danny Cassello

 

Jerrys Garage said:

This truck WAS in the Museum. It was down in the old building on 3rd and Broad. Story is the man took delivery of it drove it home, parked in his garage and had a heart attack that night. The family removed it from the Museum about a year before the move into the new building. At the time it was in the Museum it showed around 110 miles, as far as the dirt in the floor that is typical of having a show or auction on a sand lot, but you think they would use paper floor mats before driving the vehicles.

Jerry

 

Greenwich Towing said:

I saw that truck at barrett Jackson in Scottsdale AZ 2008

 

tator envy said:

looks like someone had a jc whitney catalog and a little bit of free time.

 

ZENKS TOW said:

440 holmes was top of the line in 74????? single winch?? what about a 480?

 

bob graham said:

I did not see this Chev at the opening of the Museum in 95 ,Bob.

 

hpgtowing said:

I also have to question the authenticity of this truck. No winch control levers? No clutch pump visible on top of engine? Don't forget? In 1974 it had a polution pump on it? onthe driversside is the A/C and P/S pump.. On the passengers side would be the Alt. and the Polution pump? Mirrors do look bent? The cab roof lights are wrong? No Holmes switch panel? If factory installed? Why no upper stop & tails? Why the dual upright stacks from factory? Holmes would normally have 2 lolly pop light flashers on either side of crane mast... Holmes factory units had upper work lights on the mast... The upper ICC lights are not correct? The truck is just not correct to the era? I think it's a fake.... A put together/ Someone paid to much for it? Thanks.. Steve