Professional Cars driven over the years

M

Mitch Fiandt - Deceased 1957-2024

After posting the cars we are planning to sell, I got to thinking of all of the cars I have either driven or worked out of over the years. In 38 years I have driven or worked out of 10 different combos or coaches. Some were excellent cars and a few were not. I would like to share the different cars and would like others to share theirs. Sorry not any pictures to young and dumb to think of it at the time.

1. 1964 Ponitac Superiour Combo Fire Dept Ambulance
2. 1970 Old C/B Long wheel base Combo 1st ambulance after the county took over the EMS in mid 1974
3. 1971 Olds C/B Lng wheel base combo Funeral Home
4. 1975 Cad S&S
5. 1975 Cad M&M Combo Funeral Home. Never used by us as an ambulance
6. 1977 Buick Superiour Complete piece of junk only in service for 3 years
7. 1980 Cad S&S
8. 1987 Olds Eureka One Sweet Coach
9. 1994 Cad. I believe it is an S&S cant remember
10. 1999 Cad Eagle Current primary coach

Of all of the cars my favorites were the 64 Pontiac and the 1987 Olds.
These cars wer either owned by the fire dept county EMS or two different funeral homes
 
For me they are:

1972 M&M Landau Traditional Cadillac
1997 Superior Statesman Cadillac
1984 Superior Cadillac
1986 Superior Sovereign Buick-currently under restoration/purhased from FH were I worked.
1989 Eureka Buick
1996 S&S Victoria Cadillac
1990 S&S Victoria Buick
1998 Eureka Cadillac
2007 Superior Statesman Cadillac
1994 Superior Sovereign Cadillac- Currently in Service
1974 Superior Cadillac
1969 Superior Endloader Cadillac
1986 Superior Sovereign Cadillac

And to many service vans to count.
I've owned the two '86's, the '69, and the '94.
 
You all know I own an 86 Lincoln S&S Landau coach. In the late 80s I worked for a local limousine company and drove the following: 1986 Cadillac Ogara 62 inch stretch limo; 1985 Cadillac American Coach Works 54 inch stretch; 1982 Cadillac Armbruster 54 inch stretch with the V8-6-4; and a 1986 Cadillac Williams Motor Works 72 inch stretch. My favorite was the 85 American Coach works Caddy.
 
I've driven, rode in, owned, worked on, worked out off and handled way to many pro-cars to remember, and I'm only 33! I know the oldest one that I've ever driven was a 1949 Henney Packard Nu-3-Way Laundau coach! I'd say since being in the funeral profession, working with coach dealers and this hobby of ours I've driven at least over 100 different professional cars with in the last 15 years!
 
Jeremy D. Ledford said:
I've driven, rode in, owned, worked on, worked out off and handled way to many pro-cars to remember, and I'm only 33! I know the oldest one that I've ever driven was a 1949 Henney Packard Nu-3-Way Laundau coach! I'd say since being in the funeral profession, working with coach dealers and this hobby of ours I've driven at least over 100 different professional cars with in the last 15 years!
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Like Jeremy there have been too many to keep up with, but I have owned over 200 pro cars, worked out of several more. Oldest driven would be a 47 caddy hearse, oldest steered while being pushed was a 37 henny packard.
 
Memorial Ambulance Service in Buffalo, NY

I had the good fortune of serving Memorial Ambulance Service & Invalid Coach Service in Buffalo, NY. The following were a list of our cars. Theywere light green and white. The story of our company from its founding from 1950-1990 will appear in an upcoming issue of the Professional Car Society periodical. Most of our work was answering 911 emergency calls. We also served were the ambulance service of choice for several hospitals and nursing homes. We also served the Sisters at several convents and Motherhouses. below is the list of cars I drove and worked out of.:smileflagcan:

1965 Pontiac Sur Coach 48"
1965 Cadillac Sur. Coach 42"
1966 Cadillac M+M 42" combo
1966 Cadillac M+M 48"
1967 Cadillac S&S 54" Coach
1968 Cadillac Sur. Coach 48"
1968 Cadillac M+M 48" x2
1968 Cadillac M+M 42"
1969 Cadillac M+M 48" x2
1970 Cadillac Sur. Coach48" x2
1970 Cadillac M+M 48"
1971 Cadillac M+M 54"
1971 Cadillac Sur. Coach 54" x3
1972 Cadillac M+M 48"
1972 Cadillac Sur. Coach
1973 Cadillac Sur Coach 54"
1973 Cadillac S&S 54" Coach
1973 Cadillac M+M 54" Coach
1974 Cadillac Sur. 54" Coach
1975 Cadillac Sur. Coach 54"
1976 Cadillac Sur Coach 54"
1976 Cadillac M+M Coach 54"
 
Hope you took pictures of all those wonderful cars, Joe. Since it appears that you worked equally in Superior and Miller-Meteor ambulances in any given year, did you develop a preference for one over the other?
 
Like others here I have drove and rode in too many to count, but the oldest I have driven is my 49 S&S Cadillac combo and my 49 Eureka Cadillac combo. The oldest I have rode in is a friends 1941 A.J. Miller Oldsmobile combo.
 
Here is my list
1958 Austin princess limousine

1970 Cadillac formal
1975 Superior Cadillac 50" or 54" Hi top Ambulance (ride along 1day)
1976 Cadillac moloney embassy limousine
1978 Cadillac formal
1980 Stretch cadillac . home made
1982 cadillac maloney 48''
1985 Cadillac o'gara 50"
1985 lincoln 50" dillinger /gaines
1986 Lincoln 50" armbruster stageway
1986 Mecedes 60" n.c.e.
1986 R.S.Harper cadillac 63"d.c.
1986 Lincoln n.c.e 204"
1988 Lincoln r.s. harper 116"
1988 Cadillac H/E 52" 5 dr limousine



The above vehicle's are one that i drove or was a ride along.
 
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Let's see where to start:
1964 Superior Pontiac Consort
1967 Superior Pontiac Consort
1967 Miller Meteor Cadillac Combo
1969 Superior 51-Cadillac
1969 Miller Meteor Combo
1971 Superior 54-Cadillac (3)
1971 Superior Cadillac Combo (5)
1972 Miller Meteor Cadillac Lifeliner
1973 Superior 61 Chevy Widebody
1973 Superior 54-Cadillac (2)
1974 Superior 61 Chevy Widebody
1974 Superior 54 Cadillac
1974 Superior Cadillac Combo (3)
1975 Superior 54-XL Cadillac
1976 Superior 54-XL Cadillac
1976 Miller Meteor Cadillac Critierion
1976 Superior Cadillac Combo (3)
1979 Superior Cadillac Combo (3)
1982 Superior Cadillac Hearse (2)

then came the log wagons
 
In order of ownership:

1938 Buick Series 90 Ltd Limo converted to a Sedan Amulance by Local FD
1964 S&S Cadillac Park Row Combo
1965 Superior-Cadillac Crown Soverign Combo
1967 CB-Oldsmobile Combo
1973 S&S-Cadillac Medic Mark-I Ambulance
1956 Meteor-Cadillac Ambulance
1954 Henney-Packard Senior Ambulance
 
For job:

1978 S&S
1984 S&S
1996 S&S Masterpiece
2002 S&S Masterpiece
2006 Federal Coach
2009 Federal Coach
2011 S&S Masterpiece, current fleet

For fun:

1956 Pontiac Memphian ambulance
1956 Cadillac Superior ambulance
1964 Pontiac Superior High top ambulance
1970 Miller-Meteor
1968 S&S Combination
1971 Cadillac Lifeliner ambulance (Montreal-Albany!)
 
The Gentlemen asked if I have taken pictures of them. Many of them yes. My only regret is they I did not take a picture of each one. To answer the question--I did not care for the S&Ss. I loved many of them of he others we worked 24 hour shifts! -the 68 Sur., The 73 and 74 Sur. The 70M+M. The 71 Lifeliner. The 65 Pontiac. We were able to bring gentleness and compassion to those we served. It was not a money game -it was different then. If an elderly women fell and hit her head on the back coffee table you did not have to put her on a back board. Peace :smileflagcan:


Joe Van Volkenburg said:
I had the good fortune of serving Memorial Ambulance Service & Invalid Coach Service in Buffalo, NY. The following were a list of our cars. Theywere light green and white. The story of our company from its founding from 1950-1990 will appear in an upcoming issue of the Professional Car Society periodical. Most of our work was answering 911 emergency calls. We also served were the ambulance service of choice for several hospitals and nursing homes. We also served the Sisters at several convents and Motherhouses. below is the list of cars I drove and worked out of.:smileflagcan:

1965 Pontiac Sur Coach 48"
1965 Cadillac Sur. Coach 42"
1966 Cadillac M+M 42" combo
1966 Cadillac M+M 48"
1967 Cadillac S&S 54" Coach
1968 Cadillac Sur. Coach 48"
1968 Cadillac M+M 48" x2
1968 Cadillac M+M 42"
1969 Cadillac M+M 48" x2
1970 Cadillac Sur. Coach48" x2
1970 Cadillac M+M 48"
1971 Cadillac M+M 54"
1971 Cadillac Sur. Coach 54" x3
1972 Cadillac M+M 48"
1972 Cadillac Sur. Coach
1973 Cadillac Sur Coach 54"
1973 Cadillac S&S 54" Coach
1973 Cadillac M+M 54" Coach
1974 Cadillac Sur. 54" Coach
1975 Cadillac Sur. Coach 54"
1976 Cadillac Sur Coach 54"
1976 Cadillac M+M Coach 54"
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Okay

If we are just talking professional cars and not Type I II and III ambulances I can shorten the list.
Alliance Ambulance Service:
3 1973 Superior Regency Combinations
1 1976 Superior 54XL
1 1974 Superior Pontiac 51"

Gold Cross Ambulance:
3 1976 Miller Meteor Duplex Combinations

Personals (I have ran them on calls)
1980 S&S Victoria Combination
2 1964 Miller Meteor Duplex Combinations
1975 Superior Cadillac 54"
1976 Miller Meteor Duplex Combination
1966 Superior Pontiac Combination
1970 Cotner Bevington Seville Combination
1974 Cotner Bevington Cottington Combination
 
I managed a small standby ambulance service in Lubbock, TX for 22 years. We began as part of a REACT team in '69; but in '71 the team fell apart. I was given a'63 Pontiac Consort ambulance by Joe Summers of Summers Coach and Ambulance Sales in Duncanville, TX, and that got the actual standby service up and running. We had our share of mostly short-wheel-based ambulances and a few station wagons until the mid-80s, when we were forced out of the coaches and wagons into Suburbans and vans.

Here's a reasonably accurate list of what we had: '63 Pontiac Consort, '61 Flxette ambulance; '61 C/B Olds Seville ambulance; 1965 Olds VistaCruiser built as ambulance; '62 International TravelAll lowtop ambulance; 1967 Chevy BelAir wagon ambulance conversion; 1967 short Buick National ambulance; 1966 C/B Olds Seville ambulance; 1966 C/B Olds Cotington combo; 1974 C/B Olds Seville ambulance; 1974 C/B Olds Cotington ambulance; 1970 Chevy lowtop Suburban ambulance; 1971 Chevy lowtop Suburban ambulance; 1973 Chevy Modular Ambulance Corp. hightop Suburban ambulance; 1970 Chevy hightop local-built Suburban ambulance; 1973 Superior Chevy highotp Wide-bodied van; 1974 GMC VanDura Type II ambulance; 1984 Chevy Starline Type II ambulance; 1992 Frontline Ford Diesel Type II ambulance.
 
1982??? Collins Cadillacs, 3 of them, awful cars, couldn't wait to get rid of them...white, white top, blue velour
1981 S&S, black cobra top, white paint, blue brocade interior
1979 MM sideloader, charcoal gray, black top, red velour, came from an SCI location in Memphis, as I recall, to use for housecalls...it was worn out when we got it and didn't get better with age
1986 S&S FWD hightop, white/white with blue velour
a pair of 88 S&S FWD hightops, white/white with blue velour
85 Buick LeSabre 6 door cars, one even had crank windows?!
87 RWD Cadillac 6 door car, don't recall the coachbuilder, but I do recall that it would stall every time we pulled off the FH lot at low speed, like in procession, for instance
Haven't driven a procar in years...
 
Skip Goulet said:
I managed a small standby ambulance service in Lubbock, TX for 22 years. We began as part of a REACT team in '69; but in '71 the team fell apart. I was given a'63 Pontiac Consort ambulance by Joe Summers of Summers Coach and Ambulance Sales in Duncanville, TX, and that got the actual standby service up and running. We had our share of mostly short-wheel-based ambulances and a few station wagons until the mid-80s, when we were forced out of the coaches and wagons into Suburbans and vans.

Here's a reasonably accurate list of what we had: '63 Pontiac Consort, '61 Flxette ambulance; '61 C/B Olds Seville ambulance; 1965 Olds VistaCruiser built as ambulance; '62 International TravelAll lowtop ambulance; 1967 Chevy BelAir wagon ambulance conversion; 1967 short Buick National ambulance; 1966 C/B Olds Seville ambulance; 1966 C/B Olds Cotington combo; 1974 C/B Olds Seville ambulance; 1974 C/B Olds Cotington ambulance; 1970 Chevy lowtop Suburban ambulance; 1971 Chevy lowtop Suburban ambulance; 1973 Chevy Modular Ambulance Corp. hightop Suburban ambulance; 1970 Chevy hightop local-built Suburban ambulance; 1973 Superior Chevy highotp Wide-bodied van; 1974 GMC VanDura Type II ambulance; 1984 Chevy Starline Type II ambulance; 1992 Frontline Ford Diesel Type II ambulance.
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I knew I'd leave out something: The fastest running ambulance we ever had: a 1971 C/B Seville ambulance. That 455 was fast! Another fast one: a 1966 Ford station wagon conversion.
 
I mostly missed the era of professional car ambulances in service. But I did make a couple of calls from time to time:
  1. 1971 M-M Cadillac Lifeliner, Wheaton Vol. Rescue Squad - I rode in this in 1975 when Dad fell ice skating and had some lacerations. I was 10 at the time and I couldn't understand why I had to ride backwards. But it was my first ride ever in an ambulance.
  2. 1973 S&S Cadillac Medic Mark I, Northmont Ambulance - I made a few calls in this in one week when the van ambulance for my service was in the shop after a wreck. It's now Bruce Biancalana's ambulance
  3. 1975 M-M Cadillac Criterion, Northmont Ambulance - my company owned this one, too. I never did run any calls for the company in it, but I did stop at a wreck while driving it to it's buyer in TN and we did put the patient in the back of it until the "real" ambulance arrived. This is, of course, Richard Vyse's ambulance now.
  4. 1960 Flxible Buick Ambulance - when my grandmother needed to be transferred from the hospital to the nursing home after her stroke in 2000, Dad and I did it in the 40 year old Buick, to the great frustration of her idiot doctor.
 
Steve Lichtman said:
I mostly missed the era of professional car ambulances in service. But I did make a couple of calls from time to time:
  1. 1971 M-M Cadillac Lifeliner, Wheaton Vol. Rescue Squad - I rode in this in 1975 when Dad fell ice skating and had some lacerations. I was 10 at the time and I couldn't understand why I had to ride backwards. But it was my first ride ever in an ambulance.
  2. 1973 S&S Cadillac Medic Mark I, Northmont Ambulance - I made a few calls in this in one week when the van ambulance for my service was in the shop after a wreck. It's now Bruce Biancalana's ambulance
  3. 1975 M-M Cadillac Criterion, Northmont Ambulance - my company owned this one, too. I never did run any calls for the company in it, but I did stop at a wreck while driving it to it's buyer in TN and we did put the patient in the back of it until the "real" ambulance arrived. This is, of course, Richard Vyse's ambulance now.
  4. 1960 Flxible Buick Ambulance - when my grandmother needed to be transferred from the hospital to the nursing home after her stroke in 2000, Dad and I did it in the 40 year old Buick, to the great frustration of her idiot doctor.
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What about that nifty DeSoto wagon you have, Steve? Did you work out of it?
 
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