Vintage ambulances

Cool thread: http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2012/08/awesome-vintage-ambulance-cars.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheThrillingWonderStory+%28Dark+Roasted+Blend%29

Shame so few service vehicles survive. They must have handled poorly, but some have a certain elegance to their lines.

I'm having impure thoughts .....

The Citroen DS ambulance on that link totally rocks.

Also, can anybody tell me anything about the stretched '64 Olds sedan? I didn't know they did those.

Stealthtercel wrote: Also, can anybody tell me anything about the stretched '64 Olds sedan? I didn't know they did those.

Oldsmobiles were pretty uncommon but I've seen other makes (Pontiac in particular) that were turned into limos by Superior or one of the other ambulance/hearse manufacturers. If a funeral home had an Olds hearse I suppose they would have wanted to have a limo to match it.

A 1962 Pontiac flower car just sold recently on eBay, a 1 of 1 car: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1962-Pontiac-Flower-Car-Stageway-Armbruster-PROTOTYPE-Only-one-ever-built-1-0f-1-/251128195584?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3a78682a00 It's a rust bucket but will be very cool if the new owner can restore it.

I used to have a 1966 Pontiac Superior hearse/ambulance combo. It was on the standard wheelbase but the high roof and commercial glass. It was top heavy but still handled about as well as any 60's Pontiac - big, heavy, but still had coil springs and tons of power. It was comfy and fast.

That was my car. I was young when I bought it and didn't know storing cars outside was horrible for them. I drove it as my only car for years and it rusted really badly around some poor body filler work. I finally realized it was beyond my talents to restore and sold it to a collector in MO. I believe there were around 150 of them made that year in the SWB high roof style.

I had the car for over 10 years and it was great.

The Ghostbusters thing came on the car along with a bunch of crap strapped to the roof. It was great for getting attention but I was going to repaint it without it.

Vintage ambulances are interesting. Right now, prices seem fairly low. However, they can also be considered coachbuilt vehicles. Plus they're kind of cool.

Stuart, thanks for the info & link.

I have a friend that has a restored '66 Caddy ambulance that he shows. It's cool, but it's huge. Detailing it inside and out is a never ending chore.

1957 Caddy Miller-Meteor Hearse

It's local, it's relatively cheap, and I want it real bad. SWMBO even approved.

In reply to ValuePack:

Maybe it's because it'sproportioned more like a traditional station wagon than are most hearses, I really like that one. Wowzers.

Coolest vehicle I've ever seen in my entire life was an early-'60s TravelAll ambulance in 4WD.

Saw a really nice Caddie Ambulance at the SAM.( Saratoga Auto Museum) on Sat. It had all of the ambulance trappings including made up stretcher. I didn't get a chance to check the vintage. It was a lawn gathering of Cadilacs.