Fleet shots

[Steve Loftin]

I couldn't find a thread dedicated to fleet photos, so let's start one here. It will be for fleet (and group) shots, which often feature multi-make vehicles that would be difficult to place in a marque-specific thread.

Here's the Farber & Otteman F.H. (Sac City, IA) ambulance fleet in a shot likely taken in the late 1960s. The first three cars aren't too unusual, but that last one is - and I would love to find a shot of it by itself! I would also like to know what company did the stretch/conversion.

1966 Consort combination
1964 Vista Cruiser ambulance
1963 Embassy with sedan ambulance option
1958 Biscayne sedan ambulance (perhaps doubled as a family car, like the Pontiac?)

Just when we think we've seen 'em all...!

This firm is still in business:

http://www.farberotteman.com/index.php

 

[Adam Borkat]

Love the idea Steve!

Midland Park Volunteer Ambulance Corps (Midland Park, NJ)

1967 and 1960 Miller Meteor Cadillac ambulances (from their site)

 

[Steve Loftin]

Owen - Part I

Owen-Landrith F.H. (Sapulpa, OK)

1. Pair of Packards
2. Fleet, about 1948
3. Same scene, different view (their '48 Chevy sedan ambulance must have been busy)
3. October, 1950

(SL collection)

 

[Steve Loftin]

Owen - Part II

1. Henney and Meteor combinations
2. New fleet of hearses and six-doors

This firm went out of the ambulance business in 1977. They replaced their 1970 M-M and 1973 C/B combinations and 1972 and 1969 Fleetwood 75s with the Buicks seen above. I'm including the next two photos to show you how the building evolved over the years. The buildings (funeral home, house next door, both garages) still stand, but the firm is no longer in business.

3. 1947 Miller combination
4. 1959 Comet combination

(SL collection)

 

[Adam Borkat]

Schrader Bros. Funeral Home (Plymouth, MI)

The horses don't look pleased at what's replacing them

 

[Steve Loftin]

Raleigh Harrison F.H. (Beloit, KS)

Packard combination, Pontiac wagon ambulance, and a Chevy sedan.

(SL collection)

 

[Jeremy D. Ledford]

Schrader Bros. Funeral Home (Plymouth, MI)

The horses don't look pleased at what's replacing them

Them horses are thinking, "what tha heck is up with this crap"! "A horseless hearse and a horesless ambulance"!!!:4_11_9:

 

[Steve Loftin]

Whitaker F.H. (Greencastle, IN)
1961 Electra 225 hardtop
1960 National/Olds combination
1961 National/Olds combination
1960 Dart wagon ambulance
1961 Dynamic 88 hardtop

(from a WFH matchbook cover)

 

[Steve Loftin]

SWEET fleet!

I won this photo on eBay a few weeks ago and have been drooling over these cars - especially the '62 - ever since!

Chaulk A.S. (Natick, MA)
1962 M-M
1956 Meteor

(SL collection)

 

[Brendan Martin]

I won this photo on eBay a few weeks ago and have been drooling over these cars - especially the '62 - ever since!

Chaulk A.S. (Natick, MA)
1962 M-M
1956 Meteor

(SL collection)

Chaulk Ambulance, I've seen their trucks around Boston for years. Nice photo Steve. Always good to see some New England cars!! Thanks. Any more???

 

[Walt McCall]

These are incredibly interesting images, Steve! You're onto something here. Please keep them coming. I'll have some to share, too. Thank you, thank you, thank you! - Walt

 

[Steve Loftin]

Chaulk Ambulance, I've seen their trucks around Boston for years. Nice photo Steve. Always good to see some New England cars!! Thanks. Any more???

As a matter of fact, my friend...yes!

Chaulk A.S. (Natick, MA)
1962 M-M
1956 Meteor

Here's the same scene, taken a few years earlier and prior to being bought out by Chaulk:

Natick A.S. (Natick, MA)
1956 Meteor (same car as in earlier post)
1951 Miller

(postcard from SL collection)

 

[Steve Loftin]

Here's a fleet I have many memories of:

http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/showpost.php?p=30808&postcount=28

http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/showpost.php?p=30805&postcount=26

As mentioned in the other thread, Central bought the last five '76 S/C 54" cars built. Here they are a few weeks after delivery:

Central A.S. (Tulsa, OK)
Units 61, 63, 64, 65, and 66

(SL photo)

 

[Darren Bedford]

Steve

I would love to have a 1962 MM Ambulance to go with my two '62 MM hearses.

I wonder what it would look like with the white and red reversed. Mostly red with a white strip.

Great thread !
Darren

 

[Attila Bethlenfalvy]

Since I've been on a Smit-Joure kick lately (even though a few of these have been posted in other threads)...

'36 Cadillac, '34 Lincoln, & '50 Packard (looks earlier but may have been built in '50):

'50 Packard, '55 Buick, & '47(?) Buick:

'50 Packard, '56 Buick, & '55 Buick:

'60 Cadillac x2, '58 Buick, '56 Buick, & '55 Buick (friggin' love this shot):

Owning a '60 Smit-Joure Fleetwood base ambulance one day may have become my new holy grail.

'65 Cadillac by Visser:

 

[Attila Bethlenfalvy]

Here's the Chapel Hill Mortuary capture again with '60 Superior Pontiac ambulance in front of '57 Superior Cadillac combination.

Gotta hate traffic - even in a small town. Too much for me to Photoshop out.

Other fun fleet shots saved:

Love this shot which was saved from this forum. Search didn't turn originating thread up, so please claim if yours.

I predict that Terry & Kerry Lange will have awesome submissions in this thread!

 

[Attila Bethlenfalvy]

What's that? You want looser 'fleet' interpretations as captured by my askew view around the country? Covered.

***For personal use only. Permission not granted for reposting anywhere.***

 

[Adam Borkat]

1920's S&S hearse and ambulance - Williams Funeral Home, Garland, TX

Cadillacs - No idea where this is.

Butterworth's Mortuary - Seattle, WA

Sparks (Dowell Martin) Funeral Home
SWB Cotner/Bevington Oldsmobile
1964 Miller-Meteor Cadillac

Peacock-Larsen Funeral Home - La Junta, CO
Chrysler limousine
Packard hearse

Hamlett-Dobson Funeral Home - Kingsport, TN

 

[Brendan Martin]

As a matter of fact, my friend...yes!



Here's the same scene, taken a few years earlier and prior to being bought out by Chaulk:

Natick A.S. (Natick, MA)
1956 Meteor (same car as in earlier post)
1951 Miller

(postcard from SL collection)

Very cool Steve, and thanks again. These cars are not as abundant in our area, so it's great to see photos of their existence. Please keep them coming.

 

[John ED Renstrom]

i have a few I can put in here.

the first is a shot of a delivery of 1937 flexables to the Navy .
the second is my fleet a few years back.72 cb, 75 cb, 89 Collins and the 86 H&E. the 86 is the only one still home of that group.