Miller-Meteor Criterion - Real History

Robert Shepard

Robert Shepard

Website Administrator / Past President - Golden St
Super Site Supporter
I had the pleasure of speaking by phone this morning with Joe Grimes. He is the former Miller-Meteor Product Sales Manager. Having met Joe at the last Miller-Meteor reunion, I was aware that the Criterion came came about by his vision. During our call today he filled me in on the secret project that produced the Criterion prototype. By 1972 the companies that manufactured ambulances were aware of the new design criteria that the DOT was pushing. These came to be known as the KKK specs. Joe was also getting feedback from ambulance operators for design changes, so he started formulating a new ambulance design based on the Cadiilac commericial chassis. Joe brought this concept to Miller-Meteor engineer, Orville "Slug" Francis, and together they worked on the design. Joe credits Slug for his amazing engineering that brought the concept to be built as a prototype in 1973.

While the aforementioned process may sound very normal, it was anything but. All the work was done as a secret project and without the approval of the plant manager! He found out about the project when he walked out of his office and into the production area, and saw the prototype for the first time. At this point it was touch and go as to whether the prototype was going to be the first and last of its kind.

In the end the plant manager was won over by the design, and the fact that it was engineered to meet the new federal specifications. Once completed, the first Criterion was shown at the national fire chiefs convention, where it was the hit of the exhibit area. The downside was its price; upwards to $30,000 with dealer mark up.

While the car was a big hit with the DOT, ambulance operators, and Miller-Meteor dealers; it struggeled to fit into the production line with other orders. Joe said this resulted in less than 50 units produced during its three year model run.


Robert Shepard
Golden State Chapter
1975 Miller-Meteor Criterion
1976 Miller-Meteor Lifeliner
 
WOW!!!!! Only 50 Criterions produced and I'm lucky enough to own one and it is road worthy! That is amazing and outstanding information Robert.

Thank you for sharing. I need to call my insurance guy right away.

Richard
 
I think we have a match!

I think I have seen the Midland Park Criterion in person...

I've told many of you before how John Ringdahl, an ambulance operator / builder / dealer from Fergus Falls, MN was "importing" nice used Cadillac ambulances from the left & right coasts, reconditioning them, and reselling them to ambulance services here in the upper midwest. I am certain one such car was the Midland Park Criterion.

I distincly remember seeing this car, which still had the blue beacon dome on it, during a visit to John's place (he's been a good friend of mine for many years) ca. 1986. The orange stripes were gone from the roof and the lettering was removed from the doors. Shorlty thereafter, John sold this car to Jones Ambulance Service in Park Rapids, MN who used it as a transfer rig for the next 4 or 5 years. I took this photo in the early 1990s after the car was taken out of service and left to sit next to the ambulance garage. I tried to buy it at that time, but they weren't willing to sell. The last time I saw the car, they had basically dumped it out in the woods because it had gotten so rusty. And they STILL were not willing to sell it!
 

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If it had a blue beacon, it wasn't from New Jersey. The state wouldn't allow an ambulance to have anything other than red lights and even then, you couldn't use red headlights. Our 1970 Superior came from the dealer with red flashing headlamps, and it wouldn't pass inspection until they were removed. New Jersey was one of the first states to have a safety inspection, and every vehicle had to be inspected, even if it was in municipal or state ownership and use. The inspectors never let anything get by them.
As for the Midland Park car, I remember is vaguely, but not enough to tell one from another. Midland Park in located in Northern NJ and they probably are still around. Someone might just try to ask if they have any old pictures of the car. Some squads were proud of their heritage and have a wall full of pictures, and others could care less. You never know what might turn up...
 
I'm not trying to butt heads with you, Paul, because you know more about vintage ambulances and U.S. ambulance services than I could ever hope to, but I visited the Midland Park, N.J. website. and found another picture of their old procars in front of their office, sporting blue beacons. For some reason, the photo won't open all the way but is good enough to be able to see.

Past%20Ambulances%20-%20003.jpg


As well, they have photos of their current Type 3 units that also have blue in the front light bars.
 
Didn't go to the website, however, all I can say is that when I was in the Squad in New jersey, we couldn't use blue lights on the ambulances, however, if it was a personal car of a volunteer responding it was OK. Blue was the volunteer color in New Jersey. All I can think of is that they being a volunteer squad, they got a pass on it. There is also the possibility that they put a red lens on for inspection and changed it out after they got there sticker. Either way my original post was made without looking at the picture.
I know that we tried to use blue on our custom built 1970 Ford box ambulance by P&L, and we got shot down on the blue by the DMV inspector. We could have swapped them out after getting the sticker, however, we never wanted to get into the hassle if we got caught. Possibly we can get Dan McCann to weigh in on this, since he is a life long NJ resident, and has been around the squads for a very long time.
thanks
 
I had the privilege of working out of a '76 Criterion in 1980 and 1981. It was a wonderful ambulance. Smooth ride. I contacted the son of the man that I worked for recently because I knew they kept it in storage for a long time, but they sold it. I don't know to whom. My former employer died last year after years of declining health. In his heyday, he was a wealth of information of all things ambulance.
 
Paul is correct in NJ you could not have Blue lights or red head lights that flashed. When I rode in Kearny we had to change the headlights to pass inspection. The only exception in NJ was for fire trucks over 17,000 lbs. They were self inspection and did not have there plate on them. They could also have blue flashers or strobes on the rear.As well as a blue bulb in the rotator. That all changed in the late 80's early 90's when the state began to let you have blue lights on an ambulance as well as yellow flasher in the rear. The only thing that has not changed is that all regular lights must still work as the did when the vehicle came off the line from the manufacturer. Any changes for use as an emergency vehicle must follow title 39:4 of the motor vehicle law in NJ.
I know of several squads that would changes the lights and lenses just to pass inspection. No one ever knew they did this if you saw the rig riding around town or on a call. Most of the members did not know either.
 
Richard Vyse said:
I cannot see a picture.....
Click to expand...

That is because some sites won't allow you to link to there pictures. One more reason for people to be a site supporter... the pictures can be hosted on the website...
 
Dunno when they actually started to construct the first Criterion body but here is a scan from the 1972 M-M Ambulance sales literature of ambulance and hearse production. Note what "might" be in the top middle of the photo! Its ether a Criterion or an Ambulandu!:toocool:
 

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Jeremy D. Ledford said:
Dunno when they actually started to construct the first Criterion body but here is a scan from the 1972 M-M Ambulance sales literature of ambulance and hearse production. Note what "might" be in the top middle of the photo! Its ether a Criterion or an Ambulandu!:toocool:
Click to expand...

It's a Volunteer; 48" headroom body, with a streetside window.
 
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