EliteCare "ER" San Antonio Flxible-Buick

Texas is one of the states that has been most liberal with "Freestanding Emergency Centers." These are facilities that are akin to an urgent care clinic that most are familiar with, but generally have an Emergency Medicine trained doctor and some of the typical ER things like a CT scanner. Basically, by adding some equipment and supplies to the usual urgent care experience, they can charge at the full ER rate. They sell themselves as an alternative to the hospital ED's.

One here in San Antonio that is part of the EliteCare chain, parks a Flxible Buick in front of its main entrance. A few folks who knew of my hobby saw it and told me "a car like mine" was parked over there. The one in Houston has a 1955 Cadillac (unsure the coachbuilder). http://www.elitecareemergency.com/b...-2013-houston-lgbt-pride-festival-and-parade/

Photos below of the Flxible-Buick. To my limited knowledge - 1960 Flxible-Buick Premier? (Correct me if wrong). I thought it might be a combination dressed up as an ambulance, but there is rear-window graphics that might be original. Seems to have been semi-restored, fairly decent shape overall with bright trim and paint. Oddball generic "Fire-Rescue" vinyl graphics. the rear flooring been replaced with the typical new ER/industrial type vinyl. No partition cabinet. Model 28 "Ferno-Flex" cot, more than a little too new! I didn't know that disposable Chux pads were common either in 1960. Model C5L(A/B) on the roof with twin Model 17 Beacon Ray's.

I e-mailed them through their website a few months back when I first saw it to ask about it, no one replied. E-mailed last month to see if they'd consider coming to the International Meet with one or both - no reply again. Maybe I'll call...

The siren on the roof shown is not a C series, but rather a 70 series Duo-Tone. Still a nice car. I sure wouldn't turn it down if someone tried to gift it to me.

This girl is in fact a Premier combination cobbled up to look like an ambulance; the siren is a #78 double tone.

it would look pretty good with SD tags on it.

Mine car went to one of these centers in Houston! Maybe you will see it while at the meet and traveling around town! I do not know where it is but the man who bought t my 67 Superior Cadillac Ambulance said he was going to use the car in the same fashion to advertise his emergency center! I had sent him information to join the PCS but never have seen any posts etc. from him. Fun!

The unfortunate thing is that this is not any different that what the bail bond guys did with their cars. These cars will sit outside all day....., every day and deteriorate. These folks don't love these cars. They are simply going to leave them sit there until they look tough, and then dump them.

This rig was lovingly restored by my good friend Lee Andersen of Bloomington, MN in the late 1990s. He purchased the car from a fellow out in North Dakota. If my memory is correct, the car was purchased new by the funeral home in Maddock, ND and was later used by the Esmond (ND) Ambulance Service. The car was originally black and then repainted orange & white by Esmond Ambulance.

Lee was a retired firefighter, so he wanted something that resembled a fire department ambulance. We had many discussions about looking for a straight ambulance rather than turning a combination into an ambulance, but he was also a Buick guy, so when this car surfaced, it seemed like a good candidate for Lee's enjoyment of the "best of both worlds." In fact, I helped him author an article many years ago for the Buick Bugle, highlighting his interest in Buicks and professional cars.

Lee was able to enjoy the car for several years before his health began to decline. He sold the Flxible to a fellow in northern Minnesota and now it has made it's way south. Lee died in February of 2013. I missed the PCS Micro Meet that year because his funeral was held that same Saturday. I drove Lee to his place of rest...in a Buick hearse.

Perhaps Keith Snyder could inquire of Tom McPherson if there was a 1960 Flxible Premier combination delivered to a funeral home in North Dakota? Thanks!

The car is no longer at the San Antonio EliteCare. It's been moved to their location in "The Colony" near Dallas. Hilariously enough - there's this 15-year-old kid trolling Steve Loftin on Facebook claiming that he owns this car - plus everything at the Texas Transportation Museum! Doesn't know what a "stretcher" is - but apparently "restored" the vehicle as well. I remember when I was 15...

Their "League City" location apparently has a 1968 M-M/Cadillac "ambulance." I believe it is actually a limousine-style combination dressed up as one. I note the cross on the C-pillar, but the plexiglass inserts inside. There's also no partition or cabinet that I can see. They apparently allowed a local EMS agency to bring it to the SPAAMFAA meet in Houston earlier this year, where it won an award.

The one I am most curious (and sad!) about is a 1955 Superior-Cadillac high-top of theirs. I guess one of them had to be an actual ambulance! http://www.elitecareemergency.com/b...-2013-houston-lgbt-pride-festival-and-parade/ shows it. Spending some time searching Facebook seems that it was last photographed in January 2014 in Mansfield, TX (also near Dallas).

Photos courtesy of the Elite Care Facebook page - there are more there from them and others who have photographed them. I've tried to reach out to them several times but never heard anything back. It's too bad these things live outside as a gimmick.

Nicholas Studer said:

Their "League City" location apparently has a 1968 M-M/Cadillac "ambulance." I believe it is actually a limousine-style combination dressed up as one.

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An S&S Park Row, this car is in fact a combination.

Yes it's a combination I remember seeing this car in Kingston next to Francois gamache's same Park Row combo painted in black.

I also hate seeing these cars sitting outside serving as mobile billboards. They will, once again, deteriorate under the ownership of someone who really doesn't give a **** about the car.

I don't have time to research it right now, but I'm about 99.999 sure that somebody has produced a 1/43 scale model of the Buick. Tomorrow between Dr.'s appointments I'll check it out.

Kurt Arends said:

I also hate seeing these cars sitting outside serving as mobile billboards. They will, once again, deteriorate under the ownership of someone who really doesn't give a **** about the car.

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Car museum in the Tallahassee area has a mid 60's Cadillac Flower Car sitting out by the expressway under their sign advertising the place. Car has been there for years. Too bad since it certainly is looking worse for wear now.

Russell Street said:

I don't have time to research it right now, but I'm about 99.999 sure that somebody has produced a 1/43 scale model of the Buick. Tomorrow between Dr.'s appointments I'll check it out.

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I'll save you the trouble:

https://www.american-excellence.com/?p=details&i=185556

Would these have been the proper window markings for a Flexible, and if so should these not be placed on the opposite sides with the crosses forward? Just trying to add to the database. Thanks.

The 68 Cadillac is my old car, I sold it and it went to Muscle Cars of Texas for a buyer they had. I did a lot of restoration on it.

think I answered my own question

Tim Prieur said:

Would these have been the proper window markings for a Flexible, and if so should these not be placed on the opposite sides with the crosses forward? Just trying to add to the database. Thanks.

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I think I have my answer.

Tim Prieur said:

Would these have been the proper window markings for a Flexible, and if so should these not be placed on the opposite sides with the crosses forward? Just trying to add to the database. Thanks.

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They are not correct. Steve Lichtman's '60 Premier (an actual ambulance), seen many times on this site, are correct.

EliteCare has purchased another vehicle, a 1950 Chevrolet sedan-delivery conversion which is now located at its Houston location. I was walking down the street near Rice University and was surprised to find it. Unfortunately, my interior photos were poorly done. I am not sure the coachbuilder for this vehicle - National, maybe?

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/dealer/chevrolet/unspecified/1846081.html shows its most recent ad. https://www.facebook.com/pg/GraveLimos/photos/?tab=album&album_id=515623801941921 shows it before a $10K price jump.