Emergency!

Here are some photos of wagons used by police, fire and EMS over the years. Some are modifications of existing wagons, and others are highly modified commercial chassis'. I have included some Suburban/Carryall based vehicles as well, since I consider them a form of station wagon.
Feel free to add your own photos, too. I have literally thousands of photos and this is what I found in just a couple of minutes.
I'll start with ambulances. Enjoy!


1953(?) Packard-Henny


2004 Renault Scenic 4x4 - unkown Birtish ambulance service


1977 Cadillac series 75 commercial chassis - Superior Ambulance


1953(?) Buick Roadmaster conversion by Miller, I think


1965 Pontiac Bonneville conversion by Superior.

Hope that you like these. Many more to come!

Robert

 

More


1969 Cadillac Series 75 low roof conversion by Superior


1965 Chevrolet Suburban 10 conversion - I believe that this is a Lexington (KY) FD rig.


1969 Chevrolet Suburban Custom 10 conversion - Lexington (KY) FD


1955-56 Pontiac Safari - Wheaton (IL) Rescue


Double header here.
1956 Chevrolet One-Fifty conversion & 1956 Ford Crestline Country Squire.

 

Are You Smiling Yet?


1981 Chevrolet Impala of the Metropolitan Toronto Ambulance Service


1976 Chevrolet Suburban Custom Deluxe K/10 - Metro Toronto Ambulance Service


1980 Plymouth Volare - Metro Toronto Ambulance Service


1955 Dodge Seneca - operated by unknown PD. In my 20+ years as a medic, I never had to carry a gun. That just seems so strange to me.


1960 Cadillac Series 75 - conversion by Miller-Meteor, I believe.
Purty, ain't it?

Okay, what do you think so far? Want More? Let me know.

Robert

 

Super nice pic's. Thanks for sharing.

That Packard, Buick Roadmaster and 65 Bonne are to die for. Literally.

Real nice........

 

all I have to add is some pic's of a early 50's Packard

Taken at the orphan car show many years ago.

 

Here we go again!


1971 Chevrolet Custom 10 Suburban - Main - Transit Fire Dept.
Where in the hell is Main-Transit?


1958 Cadillac Series 75 Chassis - conversion by Superior
Universal Ambulance Service, Michigan


1960 Buick LeSabre hearse-ambulance combo by Flxible.


1960 Buick Electra 225 hearse-ambulance combo by Flxible. Garner Funeral Home, location unknown


1957 Chevrolet One-Fifty -n unknown conversion -restored

 

Sweet!

1950 Packard Eight Deluxe, conversion by Henney, I believe.
Look at that hood ornament! If it ever hit a pedestrian, they would need an ambulance!
"I call it the Eviscerator!"

 

Lights! Sirens! Action!


1955 Studebaker Champion Ambulet - factory modification Not many of these were built even though Studebaker offered them up until 1965.


1938 Packard Super Eight - conversion probably by Henney.
Unknown location and police dept operator


1962 Cadillac Series 75 - conversion by Miller-Meteor(?)
Abbot Ambulance - location unknown


1959 Cadillac Series 75 - Conversion by Superior
Restored.

 

Those are some nice looking proffessional car pic's.... :2_thumbs_up_-_anima

 

I admire the craftsmanship of the 50's - mid 60's ambulance conversions. In the late 60's they started using Fiberglas components for some of the extended top sections.

By the mid 70's you didn't see the conversions around as much anymore - at least for the ambulances. Paramedics had to haul around so much gear that they now had use use a van cutaway chassis with a box on it.....

 

Gimme this Buick!!

 

I used to see this one a fair bit over the years, pre 2000 before I moved. Came to town alot and was allways parked between shows at the BC Ambulance Service on Shelbourne st Victoria BC.

 

The coachbuilder's did a hell of a job creating these old ambulances, but as you said, they were very limited in storage and working space. In 1978, the new federal standards, (KKK-1882-A) pretty much spelled the death knell for these rigs and the Suburban based ones as well.
But at the same time, national standards for EMT's came into being, meaning that EMS changed from a "scoop-and-scoot" operation to one that actually saved life and limb in the field. It was a vast improvement over what had come before, which is to say, not much at all.
The ambulances after 1978 might not have looked as nice, but you stood a much better chance of making it to a hospital alive.
I guess that ya gotta take the bad with the good. The question is; which is which?

Robert

 

That must have been a treat, Tedy
I'd love to see it and spend some time photographing it. I think that there is another 57 Chevy conversion by National somewhere on my computer. I suppose that I'll have to find it and compare the two.
I really gotta organize my files!

Robert

 

That thing is Kool! I do not beleive I have ever seen a 57 Chevy Ambulance before!!!!