An interesting concept car.

[Jerry Jacobson]

While surfing the web, I happened on this concept drawing. Thought some would find it interesting so I got permission to share.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

the one they never got built

 

[Jim Tighe - Deceased 1942 - 2012]

This reminds me somewhat of the big Civil Defense ambulance bodies mounted in WWII on the Henney Packard commercial chassis.

 

[Steve Lichtman]

I suspect this was Superior's thought as a possible competitor to the M-M Criterion. Yes, it sort-of harkens back to the Henney CD ambulance bodies - and to the Franklin box-body Cadillacs of '56-'58.

To me, it almost looks more like the Wayne (M-M's parent) Care-O-Van modular body than anything else.

I like it because it shows they were thinking ahead and planning. I wonder if they truly knew at that time that the handwriting was on the wall for the pro-car chassis ambulance. Seems like they were trying to keep it going as best as they could.

It also foreshadows something not-yet available in 1973 - the mini-lightbar!

I'm sorry this never was built. I'd love to have seen one.

 

[Keith Snyder]

I knew that this image looked familiar. It appears in McPherson's Superior book on page 70 along with the story of the concepts. The picture must have been scanned from that book. According to the picture caption and text, there were apparently more than one of these made up but,(paraphrasing) Superior required substatial changes made to the Cadillac commercial chassis to accommodate the extra loads. Cadillac wouldn't, or couldn't, make the changes and so the project was dropped. The original idea was to introduce vehicles of this type with the 1976 models. These could have been a neat solution to the problems facing the industry at the time.

 

[Jim Tighe - Deceased 1942 - 2012]

Could the smaller comm. chassis from '77 on have handled something such as this??

 

[John ED Renstrom]

now lets be honest. if a 1/2 ton van body would handle what they put in it. so would a car. they they jumped to the 3/4 ton van for the bigger brakes but it was really made up of only 1/2 ton pickup stuff. one ton is 3/4 ton truck stuff. the frame on the 77 caddy is stouter then a unite body van. the bearings and rear end also. the th400 tyranny a lot heaver and the engine a lot bigger. what holds back any rig is tire size and weight carrying capacity "springs". now once again go look at all the caddies converted to campers. think of this rig as a small camper. so think again could they have yes they could have would it have sold who knows. was it cheaper and more cost effect to scrap cars and go to cargo boxes at a 1/10 the price of a base caddy? hell yes lets go for it.