If you love having #funwithcars, chances are you’ve also been rescued by a tow truck at some point along the way. From weekend drives just for fun to SCCA events like RoadRallies and Road Racing, there’s a good chance at some point you’ve relied upon the help of a tow truck and its driver to get you out of a pickle. Truly, tow trucks are the unsung hero of the automotive world – the workhorse that lets us enjoy our hobby with the knowledge that there’s a piece of machinery that’s capable of getting us home no matter what. But would you believe me when I said the first tow truck was built from a Cadillac in 1916 by a person named Ernest?
Hagerty, SCCA’s official insurance partner since 2019, has a media arm at Hagerty.com/media where tons of informative articles are published, and recently, one article recounted the history of the tried-and-true tow truck.
“Everything came to a head in 1916, when Holmes’ friend, John Wiley, managed to get his Model T stuck in a creek bed,” Robert Crespo wrote in the article. “Wiley was reluctant to abandon the T, but he knew he couldn’t get it out on his own, so he called Holmes for some help. And help he did. The recovery of the T only took eight hours, 12 strong backs, and some creative and likely sketchy use of blocks of wood and rope. But the camel’s back was broken, and Holmes was determined to find a better way to deal with these precarious situations.”
Using the theory that luxury vehicles are larger and more powerful than a run-of-the-mill auto, Holmes built his first tow truck from a 1913 Cadillac Model 30, and by 1917, Holmes held patents on the split-boom mechanical wrecker.
“The body was made from heavy-duty metal tubes, cables, pulleys, and hand-operated winches,” the article states. “It consisted of two booms and an early form of outriggers, which lowered to help support and stabilize the truck. One boom could be used to anchor the tow truck while the other rescued a stuck vehicle. Of course, if a car simply needed a tow, the booms worked in conjunction to lift the car and take it wherever it needed to go.”
Before long, orders for wreckers overtook his auto repair business, and Holmes formed the Ernest Holmes Company selling the Model 485 (named for its $485 price tag) as well as the Model 45 (a 6x6 military application). From there, Holmes supplied wreckers to NASCAR and IndyCar, and by 1965, “Holmes wreckers made up two-thirds of in-service tow trucks.”
The 1970s and ’80s brought with them significant change in the wrecker industry with several companies competing for contracts. J-hooks, hydraulics, and more transformed the industry both in America and overseas with the placement of the mechanicals. Then came the flatbed truck and more.
The entire article can be viewed on Hagerty’s website. While you’re there, also check out Hagerty’s Drivers Club, which comes with roadside assistance.
Photo courtesy Miller Industries/Hagerty
