Classy Cadillacs

[Steve Loftin]

Superior A.S. - Flint, MI

While on vacation in April of 1978, I moved some procars around (between
Oklahoma, Ohio, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan) for Bob Hedges. He and I spent the better part of one day at Superior, where I took the attached (poor) photos.

 

[Steve Loftin]

San Jose Ambulance Co. (San Jose, CA)

1959 Sentinel

1962 Rescuer

(SL collection)

 

[Steve Loftin]

Georgia on my mind - in 1985

Set #1:

1975 Sovereign Regal Landaulet endloader - Hanley's, Atlanta
1979 Sovereign Landaulet endloader - Sellers Bros., Atlanta
1976 Coupe de Fluer - "
1982 Coupe de Fluer - "

Set #2:

1971 Sovereign Limousine combination - Murray Bros., Atlanta
1972 Victoria endloader - Blake's, Atlanta
1968 Sovereign Limousine endloader - "
1970 Sovereign Limousine combination - "

Set #3:

1975 Superior 54" - Crain's Garage (long-time coach dealer), Marietta
(ex-Huntemann F.H., Washington, DC)
1974 Lifeliner - "
1976 Lifeliner - Winkenhofer-McCurdy F.H., Marietta
1953 S&S ambulance w/swag drapes (or a combination converted to an ambulance?) - seen in Marietta

(SL photos)

 

[Steve Loftin]

"Mac" McCown's lot - 1983

No procar fan's trip through St. Louis would be complete without stopping at McCown Automotive Coach Sales on Chippewa near Grand, just south of downtown. The late Mr. McCown was always friendly and accomodating when I visited his facility.

A used car dealership now occupies the property and has since shortly after Mac's death.

Set #1:

1972 Classic combination w/panels
1974 Sovereign Regency combination
1976 Sovereign Landaulet 3-way (note Crown landau bars)
1965 Victoria endloader

Set #2:

SWEET 1972 Crown Sovereign Limousine combination
1970 Classic combination
1969 Crown Royale Landaulet endloader (note C-pillar door hinging)
1970 Landau Traditional 3-way

(SL photos)

 

[Steve Loftin]

Ohio procar pairs

Independence FD:

1973 Superior/Cadillac 54" (Door- or fender-mounted Unity spotlights were seldom seen on the 1971-76 Cadillac and Olds procars. Only roof-mounted spotlights were available on the Pontiacs.)
1965 Rescuer w/factory fender-mounted speakers

North Royalton FD:

1972 Superior/Cadillac 54" (Roof-mounted Unity spotlights were fairly common on the 1971-76 Superiors, Cadillac as well as Pontiac.)
1962 Park Row combination

(SL collection)

 

[Steve Loftin]

Time travel - procar style

Here are some cars that were for sale on a Warren Center, PA lot in 1974:

1960 Park Row endloader w/38,000 miles; $800
1961 M-M endloader w/22,000 miles; $1,100
S-w-e-e-t 1961 Sentinel w/47,000 miles (no price)
1961 Futura combination w/42,000 miles; $850

My, how good that Sentinel would look in my garage!

 

[Steve Loftin]

The Summers and Superior Southwest dealerships in the Dallas area were always a gold mine for procar photos. I started visiting them in about 1976. Here are some pictures taken on one visit to Summers' trade-in lot:

1940 Meteor/Cadillac combination
1960 M-M/Cadillac combination
1951 Miller/Cadillac combination
1964 M-M/Cadillac combination; ex-O'Neal F.H. (JFK) car, repainted black over gold by second owner

Believe it or not, these photos were taken in 1984! There were also many, many other cars there from the 1960s-1980s (yes, I photographed them, too). My favorite of these is the 1940 Meteor.

(SL photos)

 

[Steve Loftin]

More Chicago area rigs

Romeoville FD
1970 Volunteer

Franklin Park FD
1970 Volunteer

Hinsdale FD
1970 Rescuer

Niles FD
1958 Rescuer

(SL collection)

 

[John ED Renstrom]

just think had you gotten the 40 then and stored it today you would have 3,600 in storage fees paid. add that to the price of the car and it's a wash.
wounder if the younger crowd is paying any attention here.

 

[Steve Loftin]

1966 51" Rescuer
Corvalis, OR

1970 54" Rescuer
Salem-Willamette A.S. (Salem, OR)

(SL collection)

1970 54" Rescuer
Ada-Boi A.S. (Boise, ID)

(SL photo)

 

[Steve Loftin]

1973 Superior/Cadillac 54"
Parsons A.S. (Parsons, KS); ex-Berkeley, IL:

http://www.neiu.edu/~jabennin/bfd/picfile.html

1973 Lifeliner
Leawood, KS

(SL photos)

 

[Steve Loftin]

Decatur A.S. (Decatur, IL)

1967 S&S
1955 Miller (now owned by a collector in Florida)
1975 S/C 54"
1976 Crown Sovereign Landaulet combination

(SL photos)

 

[Steve Loftin]

Unusual '69 M-M "landau" hightop
Rocky River, OH

1971 Superior/Cadillac 54"
Strongsville, OH

(Dick Adelman photos)

 

[Steve Loftin]

Nation F.H. (McDonald, PA)

1971 Sovereign Limousine combination
1970 51" Rescuer

(SL collection; likely John Schmidt photos)

 

[Jonathon Fowers]

here is another

i would love to have this car

 

[Steve Loftin]

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad (Bethesda, MD)
1972 Volunteer (one of two)
They still have one of these (the other ended up in Holdredge, NE):

http://www.gazette.net/stories/092706/bethnew202540_31943.shtml

1972 M-M comes home after restoration:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bootbearwdc/45739390/

Here is the twin, as photographed in Holdredge in the early 1990s:

(SL photo)

 

[Mike McDonald]

McDonald, PA Fire Dept

Nation F.H. (McDonald, PA)

1971 Sovereign Limousine combination
1970 51" Rescuer

(SL collection; likely John Schmidt photos)

I visited the McDonald, PA Fire Department a few years ago while attending a PCS National Convention nearby. They really rolled out the red carpet pulling their rigs out for pictures etc.,.... I think they thought I might have been a decendant of "their" McDonald?. One of their rigs.... an early 50's Open Cab Mack Pumper migrated out to CA about ten years ago bought by a local SPAMMFAA Member from an ad in the "PA Fireman" and still has "McDonald Fire Dept" gold-leafed on the hood. Everyone thinks it ours..... but unfortunately not. Our Restored Open Cab Mack is from the New York State Prison System / Warwick, NY.... the same town Gregg Merks....... is from.

 

[Kevin M. Parkinson]

Decatur A.S. (Decatur, IL)

1976 Crown Sovereign Landaulet combination

(SL photos)

Steve,

That 1976 Superior caught my eye. The picture looks to be taken back when the car would have been in service. The landau bar doesn't look like any other 1976 Superior bar that I have seen and it appears to be installed on the wrong side of the car. Did you know anything else about this car; was it still in service? could it have been ordered that way? was it refurbished by a different coach builder?

 

[Paul Steinberg]

1972 M-M comes home after restoration:

Here is the twin, as photographed in Holdredge in the early 1990s:

(SL photo)

What is with the duct tape on the Grimes lights????

 

[Mike Weirauch]

That 1976 Superior caught my eye. The picture looks to be taken back when the car would have been in service. The landau bar doesn't look like any other 1976 Superior bar that I have seen and it appears to be installed on the wrong side of the car. Did you know anything else about this car; was it still in service? could it have been ordered that way? was it refurbished by a different coach builder?

I had a 76 Superior crown side service and it had the same landau bar only turned correctly. Some people think they look better upside down but personally I don't.