Downsized Superior Ambulance List last updated October 2014

[Paul Steinberg]

Of the 30 ambulances that Superior manufactured from 1977 to 1979 I only know of 11 of them that have
survived based on information on the Northland PCS Website. I know of the following 11 cars. Does anyone
know of the whereabouts of the 18 ambulances not accounted for??? I assume that the one that went to
Saudi Arabia is still there, so I didn't include it in the final count of missing units. I find it amazing that the only picture of the entire production run that isn't on the Northland PCS Website
(http://www.northlandpcs.com/index.htm) is of unit #4. I thank them for providing the information to do this
research and also for great archive service to the PCS Members.

1977
Mike Barruzza 1977......1 (#729, 730, & 731)
Brian Schuff 1977.......2 (#732 & 733) (reported as scrapped)
??????..................3 (#734) Physician's Ambulance of Rancho Cordova, Ca.
??????..................4 (no picture)
Brian Schuff 1977.......5 (#735 & 736)
??????..................6 (#738) *Brian Ochs..Needs to be verified
Bob Hess 1977...........7 (#739 & 740)
Tony Corriher...........8 (#741)
Earl Wendt 1977........ 9 (#742, 743)
??????..................10 (#744, 745)
1978
Kent Dorsey 1978 .......11 (#746, 747) Now owned by Adam Borket
Paul Steinberg 1978.....12 (#748)
??????..................13 (#749)
??????..................14 (#750) Now owned by Jim Staruk Narberth Ambulance PA
Mark Ferris.............15 (#751, 752)Ashland Fire Department
??????..................16 (#777)
Jim Ireland.............17 (#753 & 754)Kearny NJ Police Department
AMR/Connecticut*........18 (#755 & 756)18 & 19 were delivered together to
??????..................19 (#755 & 756)Village of Dundee NY Fire Department*unknown if 18 or 19
Myron Gittell 1978......20 (#729, 757, 830, 831)
1979
??????..................21 (#758, 759) pair delivered to the City of
??????..................22 (#758, 759) New York Police Department.
Terry Lange 1979........23 (#760) does he still own this car?????Winkler, Manitoba Fire Department

 

[Ron Devies]

I dispute your list I believe #748 is owned by someone else..................................................................

 

[Paul Steinberg]

The list was as of 2014, and I just happened to find it yesterday. There is no doubt in my mind that some of the cars have changed owners in the last 7 years. Feel free to take on the task of updating the list and reporting back the changes that you have found.

Today, even the Northland PCS site domain has changed ownership, and the archives are lost forever. I remember that there were over 1000 pictures of professional cars on the site, and it was searchable by year, type, and manufacturer. Just like the original Professional Car Society forums, almost a decade of information was lost, when that site went dark.

 

[Terry Lange]

I purchased the '79 (#23 on the list) from the Winkler Fire Dept. in Winkler, Manitoba when they offered it for sale in 1989. I briefly used it in our fleet of standby ambulances for local speedway and motocross events in and around Winnipeg. When I relocated to So.Cal. in late '89, I took the car with me. Having no practical use for it in CA, I sold it to Vase Funeral Home in Rock Springs, WY. I believe they also offered EMS services at the time. I don't have any verifiable information on what happened to it after that, but was told by someone many years ago that they blew the engine in it, and sold/traded the car at Fred McPeck's dealership in Denver, CO. Attached are a couple of pics of the car taken when Winkler F.D. still owned it, and after I acquired it and made some minor modifications. Both photos were taken by me.

 

[Paul Steinberg]

Thanks for the update. One more piece of the puzzle in the history of these ambulances.

 

[Paul Steinberg]

My car, #748 in the production list was originally sold to Stettler Hospital in Stettler Canada ( Stettler, AB T0C 2L0, Canada), and then traded in when they purchased a new Crestline ambulance from Peter Adsten. From there it was sold to Copper River EMS in Glennallen, AK 99588. I purchased it from Copper River in 2004.

 

[Terry Lange]

My car, #748 in the production list was originally sold to Stettler Hospital in Stettler Canada ( Stettler, AB T0C 2L0, Canada), and then traded in when they purchased a new Crestline ambulance from Peter Adsten. From there it was sold to Copper River EMS in Glennallen, AK 99588. I purchased it from Copper River in 2004.

I got to see your rig even before Stettler Hospital did. When it was being delivered from the Superior plant to Stettler, Alberta by the western Canada Superior distributor (Sorensen Distributors), they stopped by my Winnipeg residence to let me look it over.

 

[Steve Lichtman]

The photos of the Transports on the Northland site were supplied by Roger White. As of 2014, he had not located a photo of #4, though he (and I) knew where it was originally - Huntemann's Ambulance, Washington, DC. Since then, I found a photo of it, below, which I have also provided to Roger to complete his collection. As far as I know, it's long gone.

 

[Steve Lichtman]

Also, the Dundee car in CT is #18, and Dundee's #19 is in Pete Grave's possession. He also had '79 #6, formerly from Pinedale, AR.

 

[Brian Martin]

I met Brian yesterday. He said that #6 is alive and well, and sent some photos to share. It was originally Cotillion White over Lime Yellow and served as a demonstrator for Superior. The second owners later painted it the current red and white. He said Steve Lichtman took the original photo that shows the yellow better. Steve? Brian added the Federal Q.

 

[Tim Prieur]

Great shots, thanks for sharing them.

 

[Adam Borkat]

I met Brian yesterday. He said that #6 is alive and wellView attachment 46130

Where is Brian Ochs' #6 originally from? I believe this is the one I've seen listed as the United Superior Sales in Rock Island, Il rig.

 

[Jean-Marc Dugas]

I finally decided to go with the standard Eveready flashlights for the car and got these 2 Eveready Energizers. They are both circa early 80s, so a perfect fit. Getting period-correct Maglite (verified by serial number with Maglite) has yielded no results. All I need to do now is to go get an orange cone that will fit one of these and I am compliant with the 1984 New Brunswick Standards for Ambulance Services....for the flashlights....

 

[Paul Steinberg]

Just learned that the 1978 that was owned by Kent Dorsey is now owned by Adam Borket. History of this ambulance from Adam:

This rig was the first of the ten Superior Transports built in 1978 and originally white and orange. From what I've pieced together, it was originally purchased new by Excelsior Hose Company No. 1 in Olyphant, PA. In 1985, it was sold to another firehouse 250 miles away in Shippenville, PA. The second owner was the Shippenville/Elk Township Volunteer Fire Department, which was the primary source of fire and rescue services serving the Shippenville Borough, Elk, and Paint townships for over 70 years. In 1992, the ambulance found its third home at McGovern’s Ambulance Service in Calais, ME. My understanding of its time with McGovern’s is that it was used solely as a parade vehicle rather than a service vehicle. After nearly a decade with McGovern’s, in 2001, the ambulance began its life strictly as a collector vehicle going into collector hands for the first time.

 

[Abe Bush]

Is there a listing of the 77-79 M-M ambulances as well as this Superior list?

 

[Steve Lichtman]

I apologize, was I supposed to be posting a picture of this? This is the 77 Superior most recently sold by Brian Ochs, when I first saw it. It was owned by B&B Ambulance in Peoria, IL, and it attended the '88 PCS International Meet in Decatur, IL. It was one of three Transports in attendance. (The other two are '77 #9, owned by Wendt FH of Moline, IL, and Terry Lange's '79.)