1938 Mack Model E Type 505 Fire Truck
Sold on Hagerty Marketplace · 1938 Mack Model E · 171,900 miles · Hershey, PA

The AACA Museum at Hershey is truly America’s transportation experience. The 71,000-square-foot museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania, opened on 26 June 2003 and since then has displayed vintage automobiles in a truly unique way. Visitors walk through eight decades in time while traveling from New York to San Francisco with iconic settings revealing vehicles from generations of American motoring. The AACA Museum at Hershey ranks among the top automotive museums in the world and has been recognized by the Smithsonian as an Affiliate Museum. Hagerty Marketplace is again honored to offer this collection of exceptional and unusual vehicles from the AACA Museum at Hershey. * * * OFFERED WITHOUT RESERVE This 1938 Mack Model E is a Type 505 City Service Ladder Truck built on Mack’s Model E chassis, measuring roughly 38 feet in length and equipped to carry 2,000 feet of hose—specifications that place it firmly in the “service ladder” class, a configuration built for long-reach ground ladders and auxiliary water supply rather than an aerial platform. Mechanically, the truck represents Mack mid-transition: the Model E series, produced from 1936 into the 1950s. Type 505 models were powered by a Mack L-head inline six producing around 123hp, backed by a 5-speed manual transmission. This 1938 Mack Model E was purchased new by the South Plainfield Fire Department, serving that New Jersey community until 1970. Hook & Ladder No. 14 was sold to a private individual who parked it in the woods and let it deteriorate for 16 years. Joe Bertino purchased it and discovered it was not only a hook and ladder, but also a pump and tanker, an uncommon dual-purpose firefighter. It also featured both CO2 and foam fire extinguishers since it served a nearby military airfield. An extensive six-year restoration ensued, with the help of Mack historic documentation, and it is now equipped as it was when purchased by the South Plainfield Fire Department. Joe Bertino donated it to the AACA Museum at Hershey in 2017. This 1938 Mack Model E City Service Hook & Ladder No. 14 is now represented at no reserve by a Broad Arrow Specialist with a clean Pennsylvania title in the current owner’s name. Highlights Offered from the AACA Museum at Hershey Purchased new by the South Plainfield Fire Department, New Jersey Hook and ladder/pump and tanker configuration Mack L-head inline-six engine 5-speed manual transmission Factory Equipment Open-cab driver compartment Rear-mounted hose bed CO2 and foam fire extinguishers Period-correct red livery Known Imperfections Images detailing the condition of the 1938 Mack Model E City Service Hook & Ladder are presented in the gallery Ownership History This 1938 Mack Model E City Service Hook & Ladder has been on display at The AACA Museum at Hershey since 2017. Included Items All firefighting apparatus as originally equipped Additional Information A Broad Arrow Specialist is working as an agent on behalf of the seller of this listing. As such, the purchase transaction will be facilitated by Broad Arrow, including vehicle payment, applicable taxes required to be collected by the seller or Broad Arrow, and title/ownership reassignment. Broad Arrow is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hagerty. Contact : Donnie Gould Phone : 954.647.0779 email : dgould@hagerty.com
Specification
| Platform | Hagerty Marketplace |
|---|---|
| Year | 1938 |
| Make / model | Mack Model E |
| Miles | 171,900 |
| Color | Red |
| VIN | ••5S1005 Full VIN is on the platform listing |
| Engine | Inline-Six |
| Transmission | Manual |
| Drivetrain | RWD |
| Body style | Pickup/truck |
| Exterior | Red |
| Interior | Black |
| Title status | Clean |
| Listing started | Sep 23, 2026 |
| Last checked | 9/27/2026, 10:50:17 PM |
From the listing
Type 505 City Service Ladder Truck built on Mack’s Model E chassis, Approximately 38 feet in length, Equipped to carry 2,000 feet of hose, Mack L-head inline-six engine (around 123hp), 5-speed manual transmission, Purchased new by the South Plainfield Fire Department (New Jersey) and served until 1970, Hook and ladder / pump and tanker dual-purpose configuration, CO2 and foam fire extinguishers, Factory open-cab driver compartment, Rear-mounted hose bed, All firefighting apparatus included as originally equipped, Offered without reserve, Clean Pennsylvania title in the current owner’s name, On display at the AACA Museum at Hershey since 2017
Extensive six-year restoration (completed prior to 2017)
Listing details are provided by the platform; UrCar is not the seller. Bid and buy on the platform.

