Ambulance question
 

Has anyone ever seen an original or restored Model A or AA ambulance at any of the car shows?? Someone asked me at the Old Car Festival. We were parked next To Querfields Model A Hearse, but I couldn't answer the lady asking.

Re: Ambulance question
 

Well a model aa is not very fast, so maybe that is why there are hearses, but not ambulances. No need to hurry in a hearse.

Re: Ambulance question
 

Depending on the geographic region dedicated ambulances were typically rare. In small towns and rural areas the local undertaker often provided ambulance service using the hearse.
Think how far ambulances have come with the life saving services they can provide now. Growing up in Chicago I well remember the 1957 Cadillac based ambos whose attendants could only provide rudimentary first aid at best. I can't recall, but as the Caddys were taken out of service the city must have purchased van based ambulances.

Re: Ambulance question
 

Yes Bob, there was a green ambulance at the first national meet held at French Lick. I'll post some pix of it Monday when I get to the shop.

Re: Ambulance question
 

There were only 85 AA 280A Ambulances built. All were 1931 models. I actually owned one of them when I was a teenager. Didn't have a clue what I had. It was just an old truck that weighed 4500 lbs and was powered with a 40 horse engine. It was originally used in the coal mines in northern New Mexico, then as a church bus, a grocery truck, then as a farm truck before I bought it in 1955 for $45.

Re: Ambulance question
 

As Fordors stated, early ambulances were not easily recognized. The small town furniture stores also had the funeral home. And the hearse did double duty. Sometimes it was the local garage with the tow truck. They'd get a call for the accident and drop their "customers" off at the hospital along the way. In Ontario Canada, ambulance service was officially recognized in 1967 by the province. The first ministry ambulances were 1967 Ford Econolines, painted blue and white.
I worked Ambulance for 15 years. One fellow who helped with my early training, started by working for the furniture/ funeral store. They'd get paid $2 for the call, an extra $2 if the person was dead, and an additional $1 if the deceased was a local using the funeral home you worked for.
There's my history lesson for the day.
Now back to your regularly scheduled program. :). Jeff

Re: Ambulance question
 

That meet was probably the largest display of AA trucks and body styles of any meet I've been to. Does anyone know if that was from one collection or who owned them. It was indeed a cool display.
Larry

Re: Ambulance question
 

I would like to see the first ambulance that Ford put on a commercial "A" chassis in late 1928.

Pluck

Re: Ambulance question
 

Our local Furniture/Funeral was also the Chevy dealer. There is just something about buying a new car with corpses in the next room gives me the willys.

Re: Ambulance question
 

I do not think that Ford produced an ambulance in 1928 or 1929. There were likely some specialty non-Ford ambulance bodies for 1928 & 1929 Ford frames.

I also think that the Model AA Ambulance, the AA Hearse, the AA Police Wagon and the AA Panel Delivery may have common body parts like doors, roofs and rear fenders.

The first photo may not be a Ford Ambulance, but a specialty body.

One of the photos shows a Hearse.

Re: Ambulance question
 

You can see one at the Elliott Museum Stewart, FL
They are presently closed due to the Hurricane Irma but their phone # is
772-225-1961.
Their collection is spectacular although most vehicles are displayed behind glass and very difficult to photograph. I have visited and was disappointed in the fact I could not get some good pictures because of the glass. There are a few that are displayed from behind the glass.

Re: Ambulance question
 

I visited a private Model A museum a few years ago in Palm Beach that was owned by an individual who had probably 100 or more A's. The caretaker told me the owner was donating them to the Elliot Museum. I took a lot of pictures and this may be the one you are referring to. A lot of them were restored but several others needed to be restored.

TerryO

Re: Ambulance question
 

Another interesting A. I can't remember for sure what this one was used for with the sheet metal contraption on the side. I'm thinking maybe a camper is what they said it had been.

TerryO

Re: Ambulance question
 

A Police Wagon and a Hearse that was owned by a local funeral home.

TerryO

Re: Ambulance question
 

What length chassis would they have been built on? I'd love to get my hands on a chassis a little longer than the standard but not a truck.

Re: Ambulance question
 

Terry, I purchased the hearse you have in your photo at the Ford Lauderdale auction earlier this year. Don Snyder

Re: Ambulance question
 

Good. Are you going to restore it? John Peeples owned it and wasn't going to sell it but when contacted he priced it pretty high and the buyer said he'd have it picked up later that week. He regretted selling it immediately.

TerryO

Re: Ambulance question
 

Don,

Will you display it at the store?

R/ Roger.

Re: Ambulance question
 

Don't know.

Here are the pix I promised Bob....

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Re: Ambulance question
 

...and here are the pix of the Querfeld Funeral Home's (-located across the street from The H/F and Greenfield Village) hearse. I know Bob has seen this truck numerous times, but maybe others have not.

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