1959 Cadillac hearse, ambulance and flower car reference

[Brian Austin]

A variety of examples from the various coachbuilders making "professional cars' on Cadillac chassis:

 

https://www.newcadillacdatabase.org/static/CDB/Dbas_txt/prof59.htm

[Brian Austin]

Chassis reference

Edited January 11, 2021 by Brian Austin

[Brian Austin]

Some sales literature.

 

http://www.phantomcoaches.org/saleslit.html

[Brian Austin]

Might as well link to another reference post:

 

 

[bisc63]

Very cool stuff! Thanks for posting.

 

[Brian Austin]

 

 

[Brian Austin]

Nice build of the AMT kit to represent the car as it looked in the movie prior to becoming the Ectomobile.

 

http://www.spencer1984.com/my_models/pre-ectomobile.php

 

 

Someone's Flickr page with some good reference pictures: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/37350472@N02/with/29469267498/

 

Sad-looking project car:

http://davidsclassiccars.com/cadillac/418851-1959-cadillac-ambulance-original-condition.html

 

Edited August 28, 2021 by Brian Austin

[espo]

12 hours ago, Brian Austin said:

 

 

What a shame, looks like the "Tin Worm" has had it's way with this one. Might save some of the hard to find trim and glass.  

[Brian Austin]

Apparently people do buy those basket cases to build their Ectomobile clones.

 

 

Here's an ambulance in much nicer condition:

https://www.motoexotica.com/sold_inventory/inventory/15277/1959/Cadillac/Ambulance/20192228?detail_embedded=true&leadsource=Showroom|motoexotica_sold_inventory

[Brian Austin]

High-top ambulance.

https://topclassiccarsforsale.com/cadillac/16064-1959-miller-meteor-cadillac-hightop-ambulance.html

[Brian Austin]

http://cadillacdb.planeteldorado.com/Dbas_txt/prof59.htm

 

FWIW, the author of the above website had this to say regarding the red ambulance in the MotoExotia listing I posted earlier.

"This Miller-Meteor Futura-styled ambulance was offered for sale at auction on eBay in December, 2003. According to the vendor, tens of thousands of dollars went into restoring this car ...even though he said the gauges, wipers, blinkers and A/C were o/s.  Note that the leather front bucket seats are from a 1964 model; the steering wheel from a 1965; the wire wheels are from the nineties, the boat horn is non-authentic, as is the upper chrome side trim running from the front door to the rear bumper. Late Extra, 4/2004:   According to Sarah, my young friend and professional car enthusiast from Cleveland, OH, the base vehicle is a Miller-Meteor Sentinel model; Sarah is right!  The car was acquired by an enthusiast in England for less than the $25K asking price.  Corrigendum 5/2004: At first I thought those rectangular roof-mounted tunnel lights, blue lens siren and curved chrome side trim were not authentic, however, the new owner has sent irrefutable proof that all these items are genuine MM issue; he sent a period advertisement for Miller Meteor's Sentinel, Volunteer and Ambulandau models (see below). He added that the vendor had repaired most of the outstanding defects before shipping the car to Europe; he found the original front bench seat and sent that over with the car."

 

The horns and wire wheels do for sure look out of place.

 

 

[Brian Austin]

 

[Brian Austin]

[showrods]

Great treasure trove of information!  I loved those old sales brochures.