'53 Economy Pontiac Photo

[Kurt Arends]

Very unusual '53? Economy Pontiac.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Vi...E-/131451581355?&_trksid=p2056016.m2516.l5255

 

[John ED Renstrom]

a 2 door stretch. most likely a hearse. but with the etched glass note the 4 stripes (mine has 5) it could be a combo. the CD sticker was most likely added later in life. but with bars on it who can say but I have no idea how the attendant would crawl all that way up there.

the rear wing windows were big back in the no AC days. but the picture shows just why they are not around anymore.

 

[Steve Lichtman]

It is hard to tell, but I think that has tunnel lights - there are two light marks in the photo that are where the chrome ring around a bulb might be located. So I do believe this was originally an ambulance.

...but I have no idea how the attendant would crawl all that way up there...

Ed, you might be too young to remember , but the attendant didn't crawl up to the attendant seat, he came in from the front passenger door and tilted the seat forward, like getting in the back seat of a 2-door car.

 

[Steve Loftin]

It is hard to tell, but I think that has tunnel lights - there are two light marks in the photo that are where the chrome ring around a bulb might be located. So I do believe this was originally an ambulance.

Ed, you might be too young to remember , but the attendant didn't crawl up to the attendant seat, he came in from the front passenger door and tilted the seat forward, like getting in the back seat of a 2-door car.

It is a straight ambulance.

Sometimes the driver's seat tilted to allow rear access for the attendant:

http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/showpost.php?p=76501&postcount=228

 

[Paul Steinberg]

After looking at the picture, and trying my best to bring out what Steve sees as tunnel lights, I have come to the conclusion that this is a straight hearse. There is no indication of tunnel lights, and the landau bars look original to the vehicle.

 

[Kurt Arends]

It definitely does have tunnel lights. Pass. side is clearer than the driver's side, but they are both there. I see it has the rear vent windows as well, but a service coach could have had those as well.

 

[Paul Steinberg]

If the passenger side has a tunnel light, it looks like it is in mid air. I only wish that I was better with the program that I am using to "enhance" the picture. If those white spots are the tunnel lights, they are not symmetrical on the roof. This is one of those times, that I will agree to disagree. We all see things differently, and this is one of those times.

 

[Attila Bethlenfalvy]

It definitely does have tunnel lights. Pass. side is clearer than the driver's side, but they are both there.

No idea what you're talking about.

 

[Paul Steinberg]

Thanks... adding the red makes it stand out, whereas my old eyes couldn't visualize it before. thanks again.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

I didn't do much better enhancing it my self. but I can see the rings on the lights. in the original. so on the short wheel base units the attendant's seat would be behind the driver's seat. the passengers seat would flip around to allowing the gurney to come up over it. I would love to be able to see how this back is arranged. from the picture there is no divider. so entrance from the right door would be easy enough. had they keep the floor flat on the attendants side then you would not have to crawl in. I have two other pictures with this body style. one reported to be a Economy but I see it lacks the script this one has and the other Armbruster.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

will I needed to see this pictures up close and personal so we bought it. to bad sellers on e-bay have to misrepresent they stuff so. what we got was a computer reproduction of what was most likely a 35mm color slide that had gone into the color shift they do. so they converted to to gray shades and reprinted it on photo paper. sold it as a "original" picture. I could have cleaned up the slide and had a more usable pictures.
but this is the only photo of a 53 economy ambulance I had ever seen and it has tunnel lights. from what I see it doesn't appear that the CD logo is on the outside
the shot was taken in front of a business. the panel behind hints of maybe being a ambulance also.
I was able to clean up enough to get a good look at the roof lights and they are filled in the same as mine. just put into the roof in a different manner. they are level with the roof were mine are coming up out of the roof. then we can compare the glass etching with mine and the 55 economy we located . definitely different lights and glass. so that rules out economy as the builder of the one I have here.

now if we could just find a pictures of a armbruster same year and type we came rule it in or out. so far I have found a armbruster 54 chevy flier that shows pretty sure,maybe

 

[Keith Snyder]

I have two other pictures with this body style. one reported to be a Economy but I see it lacks the script this one has and the other Armbruster.

The "black" Pontiac in the center was indeed built by Economy but, for the Meteor Motor Car Company. That's why there are no Economy nameplates on the car. Meteor was working with Economy in 1953 to see what could be arranged for having Economy build the Pontiac-based funeral cars, ambulances and service cars for Meteor. There were a number of these built in 1953 (of which this particular car was an example) and many were photographed by Meteor in front of or near their Clark Street plant. In 1954, under contract, Economy built all of the "Meteor" Pontiac professional cars which freed-up space in Meteor's Piqua plant for increased production of Cadillac-based coaches.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

if I recall they did that back as far as 1950. and they are different then the economy version. Tom was kind enough to send me a picture of a 53 meteor 4 door built by economy. but this picture I had labeled both ways in different locations. got it right now . but it should have had the meteor emblem on the fender where the economy is.