John, this '47 Dodge snagged from a non-procar forum has a similar roof treatment. Think it was also built by George Kelly..?
Wish this gingerbread barndoor had info posted!
MoPar procars
- Thread starter Steve Loftin
- Start date
John, this '47 Dodge snagged from a non-procar forum has a similar roof treatment. Think it was also built by George Kelly..?
Wish this gingerbread barndoor had info posted!
Washington DC, '61. Ex-President Dwight D. Eisenhower's driver taking the chains off the tires before driving home after President John F. Kennedy's Inauguration ceremony.
Initially just thought this is a cool vintage '55 Chrysler limo shot before realizing that the quarter window doesn't look like typical '55-'56 Imperial Crown limos. The window itself is longer, has a more gently sweeping angle down D pillar, and has different molding. I've not been able to find another shot of this exact limo searching presidential archives. Think it is a Crown Imperial, Derham, Eisenhower special (as a couple of his other Chrysler limos were), or maybe not a Eisenhower limo at all?
Last suggestion really doesn't answer what it is.
Initially just thought this is a cool vintage '55 Chrysler limo shot before realizing that the quarter window doesn't look like typical '55-'56 Imperial Crown limos. The window itself is longer, has a more gently sweeping angle down D pillar, and has different molding. I've not been able to find another shot of this exact limo searching presidential archives. Think it is a Crown Imperial, Derham, Eisenhower special (as a couple of his other Chrysler limos were), or maybe not a Eisenhower limo at all?
Last suggestion really doesn't answer what it is.
John Royark JR
PCS Member
Dont know what it is, but have always liked the taillights. Its almost like when they designed the car they forgot all about them and just stuck some on top and called it good.
Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018
August 19, 1945 - July 26, 2018
I've seen several pix of this neat car, one of which is in Gregg Merksamer's book. But these are the first good closeups I've seen. Nice!
Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018
August 19, 1945 - July 26, 2018
I've always been a big fan of MoPar procars. But some of my favorites were ambulances based on Chrysler Product station wagons. And I regret that I've never had pictures of some of these neat cars.
A bit unusal was the 1958 Chrysler New Yorker station wagon operated for only a couple of years by Ellis Funeral Home here in Midland. It was very plain-jane, even by ambulance standards back then, as it only had a single Jr. Beacon Ray light on top and a big B&M Siro-Drift siren on the rt. fender.
Thomas Funeral Home, also in Midland, added a very nice '57 Plymouth wagon to their ambulance fleet. Thomas' ambulances over the years were a bit more flamboyant than anything Ellis ever produced. The sad thing is that they didn't seem to understand vehicle electrical systems back then, such as dual batteries or high-output generators or alternators. This little Plymouth had a roof-mounted Q, to which the Thomas' cut out the "F" part of the Q grille and mounted an old truck-type stop light in the cavity. There were also four Unity red sealed beam lights, two on each side of the Q, and a Federal 17 beacon behind the Q. And to top it off, a Mars FL8 light on the right fender. The fatal mistake made by the Thomases was that they depended solely on the stock generator and battery on the car. They never understood why they had to put the battery charger on the car after every single ambulance run. On Easter Sunday of 1959, Midland's famous airshow was underway at the then-Midland Air Terminal. On standby at the airshow was Ellis Chrysler, and Thomas' then-new 1960 Ford sedan-delivery ambulance. That left the Thomas Plymouth and Ellis' first-out '59 Ford wagon.
About mid-afternoon a head-on collision occured near the airport entrance, and the two standby ambulances immediately responded. Ellis responded their Ford and their '59 Superior Cadillac combo from town, and Thomas responded the Plymouth. At that time just east of the airport a moderately steep hill existed that had to be climbed by westbound traffic. That climb was just too much for the little Plymouth, as the wiring to one pair of the Unity lights caught fire under the dash. And Thomas didn't have fire extinguishers in their vehicles, either. The crew from Ellis F.H. that was in the combo didn't transport, so on their way back to town, they stopped and helped put out the fire. There was no physical damage to the car, but they only ran the one set of red flashing lights thereafter.
And, one of the neatest MoPars I had the pleasure of working out of was a
'67 Dodge Polara ambulance that belonged to Baker Ambulance in Odessa. This ambulance was converted by the Gordon K. Allen Co. in Dallas and utilized their standard conversion, a roof-mounted Q flanked by four DoRay lollipops, two on each side of the siren, and a 17 beacon in the rear. Two brothers from Baker, Montana (hence the Baker name), Jim and Nate Cawley owned Baker Ambulance and each had their own ambulance, with the Dodge being Nate's. The Cawley brothers were go-getters in the ambulance business and were a bit ahead of their time, using c-collar and backboards when they weren't even required in Texas at the time. And they wasted no time when it came to responding. Prior to Nate's acquisiton of the Dodge, his unit had been a '65 Chevy Impala wagon, also a Gordon K. Allen Conversion. I went on a run in that Chevy with Nate on July 4, 1968, from a fatal MVA. We had three patients on board. I happened to look up to have Nate inform the ER about one of the patients and noticed that we were going over 100 mph and that was down a local in-town highway! Something similar happened on runs I made with Nate in the Dodge. As I said, these guys wasted no time. But sometimes they had dented fenders to prove it. To their credit, they had the first van ambulance in West Texas, which always got the comments!
A bit unusal was the 1958 Chrysler New Yorker station wagon operated for only a couple of years by Ellis Funeral Home here in Midland. It was very plain-jane, even by ambulance standards back then, as it only had a single Jr. Beacon Ray light on top and a big B&M Siro-Drift siren on the rt. fender.
Thomas Funeral Home, also in Midland, added a very nice '57 Plymouth wagon to their ambulance fleet. Thomas' ambulances over the years were a bit more flamboyant than anything Ellis ever produced. The sad thing is that they didn't seem to understand vehicle electrical systems back then, such as dual batteries or high-output generators or alternators. This little Plymouth had a roof-mounted Q, to which the Thomas' cut out the "F" part of the Q grille and mounted an old truck-type stop light in the cavity. There were also four Unity red sealed beam lights, two on each side of the Q, and a Federal 17 beacon behind the Q. And to top it off, a Mars FL8 light on the right fender. The fatal mistake made by the Thomases was that they depended solely on the stock generator and battery on the car. They never understood why they had to put the battery charger on the car after every single ambulance run. On Easter Sunday of 1959, Midland's famous airshow was underway at the then-Midland Air Terminal. On standby at the airshow was Ellis Chrysler, and Thomas' then-new 1960 Ford sedan-delivery ambulance. That left the Thomas Plymouth and Ellis' first-out '59 Ford wagon.
About mid-afternoon a head-on collision occured near the airport entrance, and the two standby ambulances immediately responded. Ellis responded their Ford and their '59 Superior Cadillac combo from town, and Thomas responded the Plymouth. At that time just east of the airport a moderately steep hill existed that had to be climbed by westbound traffic. That climb was just too much for the little Plymouth, as the wiring to one pair of the Unity lights caught fire under the dash. And Thomas didn't have fire extinguishers in their vehicles, either. The crew from Ellis F.H. that was in the combo didn't transport, so on their way back to town, they stopped and helped put out the fire. There was no physical damage to the car, but they only ran the one set of red flashing lights thereafter.
And, one of the neatest MoPars I had the pleasure of working out of was a
'67 Dodge Polara ambulance that belonged to Baker Ambulance in Odessa. This ambulance was converted by the Gordon K. Allen Co. in Dallas and utilized their standard conversion, a roof-mounted Q flanked by four DoRay lollipops, two on each side of the siren, and a 17 beacon in the rear. Two brothers from Baker, Montana (hence the Baker name), Jim and Nate Cawley owned Baker Ambulance and each had their own ambulance, with the Dodge being Nate's. The Cawley brothers were go-getters in the ambulance business and were a bit ahead of their time, using c-collar and backboards when they weren't even required in Texas at the time. And they wasted no time when it came to responding. Prior to Nate's acquisiton of the Dodge, his unit had been a '65 Chevy Impala wagon, also a Gordon K. Allen Conversion. I went on a run in that Chevy with Nate on July 4, 1968, from a fatal MVA. We had three patients on board. I happened to look up to have Nate inform the ER about one of the patients and noticed that we were going over 100 mph and that was down a local in-town highway! Something similar happened on runs I made with Nate in the Dodge. As I said, these guys wasted no time. But sometimes they had dented fenders to prove it. To their credit, they had the first van ambulance in West Texas, which always got the comments!
Terry Lange
PCS Member
A good friend of Kerry and I spotted this ambulance in a rural area outside of Winnipeg this week. Knowing our interest in procars, he made a U-turn and got some shots. He couldn't get any closer without the risk of becoming dog food.
Looks like an early '50's Plymouth or Dodge to me. The '60's Superior bullet lights don't belong on the car, but the rest of it looks okay.
Looks like an early '50's Plymouth or Dodge to me. The '60's Superior bullet lights don't belong on the car, but the rest of it looks okay.
Attachments
Kurt Arends
PCS Elected Director 2021-2024
That would be a '56 New Yorker.
Kurt Arends
PCS Elected Director 2021-2024
Disregard my last post.
1950 Dodge Coronet?
It was for sale on Kijijji in Saskatoon not too long ago, add said it was a 1950 Dodge Coronet Ambulance.
It was for sale on Kijijji in Saskatoon not too long ago, add said it was a 1950 Dodge Coronet Ambulance.
Kerry Lange
PCS Member
My friend that emailed me the photos, told me that this car is currently sitting at a body shop around Beausejour, Manitoba. Hopefully, it appears that somebody has bought it and has some plans for a restoration.
Martyn Donaldson
PCS Member
Gotta love '50s advertising... "Makes one car do the work of three for.. Business, Pleasure and Funerals" 
Such a candid period capture with no information provided. Eisenhowers again?
Mike McDonald
PCS Member
Looks like (2) Future Pro-Car Enthusiasts peaking in the "Ghia" at Palm Springs? MM
that ambulance belong to ken coppoek in royal oak mich I wired the lights on it when he got it, later he took his life in it then it was sold
Brad Ross
PCS Michigan Chapter President
That is Ike and Mamie Eisenhower and the car is a 1960 Ghia Crown Imperial Limousine. Photo taken in Palm Springs, California, 1962.
The White House leased a limo like this for Jackie Kennedy. That had to be unusual when so many were Cadillacs.
Skip Goulet - Deceased 1945 - 2018
August 19, 1945 - July 26, 2018
Such a candid period capture with no information provided. Eisenhowers again?
Ike and Mamie, both!
Anyone have any pics of a 61 plymouth or dodge? I think they were great looking cars and just wondering if any were converted?
Although I've never seen a photo of one, odds are there were. I've seen ACC ads featuring a '61 Plymouth and Dodge Amblewagons, but no others with raised roofs or that had been stretched. I'm sure there were several other wagon conversions, as seen here.
The full-size '61 Plymouths are my favorite MoPars.
(internet photos)
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Disneyland Hotel circa '60 via Orange County Archives.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ocarchives/6832451905/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ocarchives/6832451905/