Some cars have a more colourful history than most. A seriously colourful one. Like having served as a vehicle for Finnish liquor smugglers during the 1930s.
A 1925 Ajax is something very unusual in itself. Most people, even die-hard car enthusiasts, probably think of either the football club or the cleaning product when they hear the name. Nothing to be ashamed of.
After all, the Ajax was only produced for a single year, from 1925 to 1926, in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It was the much better-known Nash Motor Co. that decided to try its hand at building a more affordable alternative.
How our auction car made its way from Kenosha to Finland remains a mystery – at least for now. What we do know is that it fell into bad company and ended up being used for liquor smuggling. Between 1919 and 1932, Finland enforced a complete ban on alcoholic beverages containing more than 2% alcohol. Naturally, this gave rise to a thriving illegal trade, with liquor being smuggled in by boat, primarily from Estonia and Germany.
This particular Ajax was seized by Finnish customs authorities and subsequently sold at auction in Kokkola (Gamlakarleby), in the Ostrobothnia region of Finland. It has remained in the same family ever since and underwent an extensive restoration in the early 2000s. The work was carefully documented, and photographs of the restoration are included with the car.
However, the car has not been driven for over 10 years.
The car retains its Finnish registration, but all the necessary documentation for a Swedish origin inspection and registration inspection is in place.
The Ajax is an exceptionally rare car. And when it comes to an Ajax with a history of liquor smuggling in Finland, this may well be the only one of its kind.
Read more about the car here: https://bilwebauctions.se/en/oktoberauktion-2-2026/nash-ajax-4d-6-cyl-55407
The auction ends on 14 October, and the car has an estimated value of SEK 90,000–120,000.
