You can see just about anything rolling down Woodward during the Dream Cruise, but we parked it for a bit in Ferndale to check out the classics at the Emergency Vehicle Show. Here are our top three favorite cop cars, fire trucks, and ambulances.
Cop Cars
1977 Ford LTD
This detective special is outfitted with the 351 Police Package and a 460-cubic-inch V-8 making all of 226 hp and 371 lb-ft of torque and driving a three-speed auto. This one has factory air conditioning and tinted windows, but we’re much more interested in the red velour interior and magnetic Federal Fireball FB111 teardrop emergency light. It did service in Montgomery Township, Ohio, before undergoing a serious restoration.
1961 Plymouth Fury
With the “Golden Commando Power” 361-cubic-inch V-8 under the hood, this Plymouth must’ve been menacing in the rear view mirror. With 310 hp and 435 lb-ft on tap, it had plenty of power, blown through a Torqueflite three-speed auto. This one, formerly of the Village of Farnham Police Department in Pennsylvania, is rather rare, as this unloved, fin-less body style was only produced in ’60 and ’61.
1941 Ford Coupe
Can you imagine asking the suspect to climb into the back of your coupe? Lake Orion, Michigan, did back in the ‘40s. This 90-hp flathead V-8 with automatic transmission was restored six years ago and is believed to be the oldest police car registered and owned by a police department in the state of Michigan.
Fire Trucks
1957 Howe/Willys Jeep HJ-P
Willys licensed the original Jeep CJ design to a number of companies after the war, including the Howe Fire Apparatus Company of Anderson, Indiana. This 1957 model HJ-P was purchased by the Western Electric Company for use at its Allentown, Pennsylvania, plant, after which it was donated to the local volunteer fire department. It carries no water on board, just some equipment and hoses on the back and a water pump driven off a power take-off (PTO) on the front bumper. It’s operated by a throttle pull on the driver’s side of the grille and monitored by a tachometer on the passenger’s side of the grille. Under the hood sits the standard four-cylinder engine mated to a column-shifted three-speed manual.
1960 American LaFrance Type 900
“Old Frankie” here is a 1960 Type 900 running a proprietary Continental gasoline inline-six and a four-speed manual transmission rather than the optional V-12. These roofless models were popular at the time, but you could get them with a roof as well. Frankie worked the Stonefort, Michigan, fire department back in the day.
1972 Ford 900
The Ford 900 Chassis Cab commercial truck was popular with fire truck manufacturers in the 1970s, and this one outfitted by Pierce in Appleton, Wisconsin, had a long service life. The pump was upgraded to a newer Waterous Company unit in 1986 and the original gasoline V-8 was swapped for a Caterpillar diesel in 1988. The Tele Squire combination ladder/sprayer is original.
Ambulances
1969 Oldsmobile 98 Combination
Before the mid-1970s, it was common for funeral homes to also operate ambulance services and this particular Olds 98 was owned and operated by the Voran Funeral Home. It only saw two years of service before Voran shut down its ambulance division and was parked for 38 years. Most ambulances of the day used Cadillac commercial chassis, so this Oldsmobile is rather rare.
1972 Cadillac Combination Hearse/Ambulance
Back in the ‘70s, Cadillac provided a “Commercial Chassis” to limousine, ambulance, hearse, and other outfitters. Every bit of the body from the dashboard back was left off so a custom body could be fitted. This particular hearse/ambulance combo was built by the Miller-Meteor Company of Piqua, Ohio, and sold to the Fry and Lange Funeral Home in Indiana. By removing the emergency light beacon and installing window covers, it could be quickly converted to a hearse when needed.
1954 Chevrolet/National Ambulette
No, that’s not a typo. Ambulettes were common in the early days of the ambulance and referred to smaller vehicles unable to accommodate a full-size stretcher. This 1954 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery van was outfitted by National and served in Ohio. These days, it’s been outfitted with a modern Chevrolet crate 350 V-8 and more comfortable seats.
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