Patrick J. Martin
PCS Life Member/Illini Chapter President
...you can bet its something special. When that hearse guy is someone who's collection is made up mostly of one-offs and two-offs, you can also bet it is something unique and significant. Well I would like to present the ambulance that caused this hearse guy to break ranks, the 1942 Henney Packard Civilian Defense Ambulance.
When I was still new to learning about professional cars, even though hearses is where my primary interest lies, I thought it would be fun to have an example of each kind of professional car. I had thought about going after a 1975-76 high top as an example of last of the big ones, and I had thought about going after a 1977-79 downsized as an example of last of the breed. But the first time I saw an artist's advertising rendering of the Henney Civil Defense units, I thought now that would be a neat ambulance to have. Being from that bygone prewar era, the car just had a style and a class about it that I found very appealing. Then learning how rare they were, it appealed to me even more!
If someone can correct me, please do so, but from what I've read on this forum, other websites, and the Henney book, I believe that only about 12 were ever built, and until mine was discovered last year, I don't think any were known to have survived.
The oral history the previous owner gave me states that the car started out as a military ambulance on a California base. After the government retired it and auctioned it off, it became the track ambulance at the Santa Anita Race Track. When they retired and sold it, it was purchased by a gentleman who had 1500 cars that he supplied to Paramount Pictures for movies. It was from that gentleman that I purchased it, which apparently makes me only the fourth owner in the car's 71-year history. It almost seems mindboggling to me to think that I own a car that is twice as old as I am, and even older than my parents!
The car was purchased two weeks ago and was delivered yesterday. I find it somewhat amusing that it has apparently been a California car its whole life, and the day it comes to Illinois it gets snowed on! The truck driver said he felt like he was driving a tourist attraction, as every time he stopped he had people coming up asking about it, and he said frequently noticed people in other cars taking cell phone pictures of it.
When it arrived, the sun was hitting it just right that I could make out some "ghost lettering" on one side. I can't guarantee my accuracy, but I think it said "Long Beach Fire Department Ambulance". The Long Beach FD is not part of the history that the previous owner mentioned, so I wonder if his information isn't 100% accurate, or I wonder if it was painted that way for a movie. If anyone ever sees one of these in an old Paramount movie, do let me know!
Three things that surprised me about it seeing it in person is that it seems much smaller in person than it looks in photographs. I would say that its only about six feet high, because I'm six feet tall and it and I are about the same height. I was also surprised to discover that the body is made of composite wood-and-steel construction. I wonder if that was due to steel shortages due to the war effort. Then I was surprised to see that the cross-shaped windows are only cross-shaped on the outside. On the inside, the windows are square with square panes of glass. From the inside looking out, the corners of the windows reveal nothing more than the back of the exterior sheet metal!
I know she's not pretty, and I also admit that I don't have the funds to give her the restoration that she deserves at the present time, but she is both unique enough and historically significant enough that I felt the need to give her a good home. I know that the City of Chicago had one of these when new, and being an Illinois native, my intent is to eventually restore her as the Chicago unit.
A couple questions I have right now, what type of siren would be appropriate for 1942? Does anyone have a when-new photo of the rear of one of these units, and/or a photo of the interior? What model Packard should I be looking at for things like drivetrain, interior, and front end sheet metal parts?
This ambulance also brings my pro car collection up to ten cars, and its my first ambulance, so its both a personally significant car as well as being significant in the history of ambulance design.
I apologize for the lack of interior photos, but I can only get the right front door open, and all that reveals is a crud-covered dashboard and torn up seat, hardly photogenic. The driver's door won't open at all, and the rear doors only open a few inches before the bottom edge hits the rear bumper. But, and a big bonus here, it appears as though all the various missing pieces are in the back!
I wish to extend to fellow PCS member Danny Ryder a public "thank you" for arranging the transportation of this car. I also wish to thank fellow member Randy Sharpe for checking the car out for me in person before I purchased it.
I apologize if this post sounds like too much bragging, but I am definitely proud to have acquired this car. At the least, I think we can all appreciate that at least one of these pieces of pro car history will be preserved thanks to joining the PCS family!
When I was still new to learning about professional cars, even though hearses is where my primary interest lies, I thought it would be fun to have an example of each kind of professional car. I had thought about going after a 1975-76 high top as an example of last of the big ones, and I had thought about going after a 1977-79 downsized as an example of last of the breed. But the first time I saw an artist's advertising rendering of the Henney Civil Defense units, I thought now that would be a neat ambulance to have. Being from that bygone prewar era, the car just had a style and a class about it that I found very appealing. Then learning how rare they were, it appealed to me even more!
If someone can correct me, please do so, but from what I've read on this forum, other websites, and the Henney book, I believe that only about 12 were ever built, and until mine was discovered last year, I don't think any were known to have survived.
The oral history the previous owner gave me states that the car started out as a military ambulance on a California base. After the government retired it and auctioned it off, it became the track ambulance at the Santa Anita Race Track. When they retired and sold it, it was purchased by a gentleman who had 1500 cars that he supplied to Paramount Pictures for movies. It was from that gentleman that I purchased it, which apparently makes me only the fourth owner in the car's 71-year history. It almost seems mindboggling to me to think that I own a car that is twice as old as I am, and even older than my parents!
The car was purchased two weeks ago and was delivered yesterday. I find it somewhat amusing that it has apparently been a California car its whole life, and the day it comes to Illinois it gets snowed on! The truck driver said he felt like he was driving a tourist attraction, as every time he stopped he had people coming up asking about it, and he said frequently noticed people in other cars taking cell phone pictures of it.
When it arrived, the sun was hitting it just right that I could make out some "ghost lettering" on one side. I can't guarantee my accuracy, but I think it said "Long Beach Fire Department Ambulance". The Long Beach FD is not part of the history that the previous owner mentioned, so I wonder if his information isn't 100% accurate, or I wonder if it was painted that way for a movie. If anyone ever sees one of these in an old Paramount movie, do let me know!
Three things that surprised me about it seeing it in person is that it seems much smaller in person than it looks in photographs. I would say that its only about six feet high, because I'm six feet tall and it and I are about the same height. I was also surprised to discover that the body is made of composite wood-and-steel construction. I wonder if that was due to steel shortages due to the war effort. Then I was surprised to see that the cross-shaped windows are only cross-shaped on the outside. On the inside, the windows are square with square panes of glass. From the inside looking out, the corners of the windows reveal nothing more than the back of the exterior sheet metal!
I know she's not pretty, and I also admit that I don't have the funds to give her the restoration that she deserves at the present time, but she is both unique enough and historically significant enough that I felt the need to give her a good home. I know that the City of Chicago had one of these when new, and being an Illinois native, my intent is to eventually restore her as the Chicago unit.
A couple questions I have right now, what type of siren would be appropriate for 1942? Does anyone have a when-new photo of the rear of one of these units, and/or a photo of the interior? What model Packard should I be looking at for things like drivetrain, interior, and front end sheet metal parts?
This ambulance also brings my pro car collection up to ten cars, and its my first ambulance, so its both a personally significant car as well as being significant in the history of ambulance design.
I apologize for the lack of interior photos, but I can only get the right front door open, and all that reveals is a crud-covered dashboard and torn up seat, hardly photogenic. The driver's door won't open at all, and the rear doors only open a few inches before the bottom edge hits the rear bumper. But, and a big bonus here, it appears as though all the various missing pieces are in the back!
I wish to extend to fellow PCS member Danny Ryder a public "thank you" for arranging the transportation of this car. I also wish to thank fellow member Randy Sharpe for checking the car out for me in person before I purchased it.
I apologize if this post sounds like too much bragging, but I am definitely proud to have acquired this car. At the least, I think we can all appreciate that at least one of these pieces of pro car history will be preserved thanks to joining the PCS family!
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