Ambulance Roller: 1958 Miller-Meteor Cadillac
With roots dating to the 19th Century, Miller-Meteor had become the largest supplier of ambulances and hearses by the 1960s. They worked exclusively with chassis supplied by Cadillac, but when those cars were downsized in the late 1970s, that pipeline went dry, and the company folded. This 1958 Caddy ambulance (which looks a bit like the one from Ghostbusters) is in rough shape and lacks an engine or transmission. Idle for more than 40 years, this potential project is available in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is offered here on eBay where the opening bid of $3,500 is unmet.
Miller-Meteor came to be through a merger of similar companies in 1954 (if you roll in school buses and limousines). The firm purchased commercial chassis from Cadillac for their first merged product in 1957. Their vehicles became popular with hospitals and funeral homes and accounted for 50% of that market in just five years. Miller-Meteor thrived for another 15 years until Cadillac began to shrink their automobiles for improved fuel economy, so M-M was gone by 1979.
We don’t know when the seller came upon this 1958 ambulance, but since the photos were taken of it on a trailer, the assumption is it was a barn find. It has some degree of rust and damaged body panels as you would expect after being in limbo since the 1980s. The glass seems mostly intact though we’re told the piece in the tailgate is missing.
This vehicle’s 365 cubic inch V8 and automatic transmission have long since flown the coop and that may be why this car did time in the Southwest desert, covered or not. You could go the restomod route with a modern drivetrain and then spend a small fortune on the body and interior. But what would be the goal in doing so, having a very cool and very large station wagon!?
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Comments
You knew you were in trouble back then when you’d call an ambulance and a hearse arrived.
Who you gonna call?? (To fix this up)
I can’t believe the author passed up the chance to reference one of the most famous Miller-Meteors out there!
Hahah! At first glance the first thing I thought of was Ghostbusters!
There is a market for these, albeit limited. One would have to confer with members of PCS to determine whether this is a viable candidate for restoration and reequipping, because that figure will reach well into 6 digits!
There is a market for these, albeit limited. One would have to confer with members of PCS to determine if this is a viable candidate to restore and reequip, because this will reach well into 6 figures to do so.
A fellow I worked with had one a ‘59, bought it from the company he worked for. A film unit was doing nationwide search of ambulance companies if they had one for use in the original Ghostbusters movie. They were able to contact him and it became the one Ray Stantz rolled up in that needed “suspension work and shocks, brakes, brake pads, lining, steering box, transmission, rear end … maybe new rings, also mufflers, a little wiring..”
The movie is iconic, a few bucks and little work would certainly put a smile on any kids face at the local car show…even if left in rough condition but of course slathered with the required paraphernalia.
In my hometown of Bridgeport CT the City ran the Cadillac-based ambulances in the 60’s but I remember them being black, so very hearse-like!
The unusual feature I remember were the sand dispensers in front the rear wheels: a box and tubing that dispensed sand in front of the back wheels for snow and iced-up roads.
The worst thing with this if you want to really restore it real nice it would need a bit? of chrome work which would require either being FILTHY RICH or WINNING BIG in the lottery.
pop cans
@MRC
He mentioned Ghostbusters. But this is a ’58. Ghostbusters is a ’59.
After the movies the GB car sat and deteriorated. I believe it was used in the movie Ghostbusters Afterlife. After that it was restored to its original GB finest.
There was a documentary with Dan Ackroid about its restoration.