CC Cohort Hugo 90 has posted another compelling car that he shot a few days ago in Anacortes, WA. Stretch sedans like this used to be fairly common sights, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen one. No, these have zero relationship to the “limo” of modern times, at least in terms of how they were used. These were “professional cars” used in a variety of settings.
My favorites were the fleet of blue stretch 1961 Chrysler “sedans” used by the University of Iowa Hospital to transport patients all over the state. There was a bucket seat for the driver, and the gurney took up the space on the passenger side of the car. They had full-width back seats, which were far enough back to accommodate other family members. Seems kind of awkward, but it was a lot classier than riding in an ambulance or a rough-riding panel truck.
This is amazing – looks remarkably like a Photoshop but then there are enough crazy European professional cars that I can just about believe it.
Ford Granada (think Euro version of the AUS/NZ market Falcon): http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Ford_Granada-based_limousine_.jpg
Mercedes W124: http://images.forum-auto.com/mesimages/296474/KIF_1751.JPG
That Granada served as the Dutch queen’s limo for a while in the ’80s and early ’90s, until it was replaced by an even more hilarious-looking stretched Ford Scorpio. Even the royal family consists of misers in NL.
It’s called how you keep royalty welcome in a country that could probably do just fine without royalty: Don’t spend too much of the public’s money on the family upkeep.
That’s got to be one of the ugliest cars I’ve ever seen. And the Scorpio wasn’t exactly a looker to begin with.
On a side note, I was thumbing through some old magazines and found a 1994 issue of Motor Trend. It included a spy shot of what they believed was the forthcoming 1996 Taurus. It was actually the Scorpio. Oops. As always, looking back at the prognostications of the car rags is hilarious.
A 1966 Pontiac Limousine was in the 1993 movie “Rudy”
http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_474226-Pontiac-Bonneville-Limousine-1966.html
I Have always wondered what the deal was on these. Also The 6 Door D\sedans I use to see around Newark Airport in 60s , 70s, I never Would Have Thought That a Gurney was Positioned in the Passenger side. It Does sound more pleasant than the alternatives for long term patients especially.
So what would be a typical use of this Pontiac? Is this also an airport taxi?
Yes, possibly. Some funeral homes used them, in parts of the country where it wasn’t so obligatory to use a Cad (like NJ). Hotels, resorts; for airport pickups.
Many of these were used by lower end/small town funeral homes as a lower priced alternative to a Fleetwood 75 Formal Sedan and matching Cadillac hearse, they would most likely be following a similar Ponitac commercial chassis hearse or hearse/ambulance combo car, which would do tripple duty in a small community back in the day, ambulance, meat wagon and funeral coach. A combination coach like this, without the traditional hearse “landau S bar” roof could be used for both ambulance and hearse duties, it used to be common for local funeral homes to also run an ambulance service.
It used to be that Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick all used to make a commercial chassis that could be used for limo/family sedan or hearse/ambulance combos.
Built by Superior Coach, although most were in Bonneville trim, rather than the Catalina subject car.
Where’d those hubcaps come from? I don’t recall ever seeing them on any other full size Pontiacs of the era, although they do resemble the Tempest/LeMans hubcaps somewhat.
Look like chrome rims with baby moons. A fairly popular combination, once upon a time.
My bad. I meant the ones in the Superior Coach brochure picture above.
I should have realized what you meant. They do look familiar, but I can’t exactly place them. Odd. Maybe because they went to 15″ wheels on these?
yes its 15″ i got one
They’re from the ’61-’63 Tempest, which also had 15″ wheels.
Is it using coupe-length doors? That would explain the odd proportions.
no its hand made only for this model
Hi Mike, you noted you have a 1966 pontiac superior limo..still have it? This is an old item I found researching. I just bought one and trying to connect and find information.
Let me know
Thnaks
Scott Martini
sloit@fuse.net
cincinnati ohio
Okay, I had a 1966 Catalina 4-door, and I could have lived in the damn thing. On more than one occasion, I took a nap in the back seat rather than drive home drunk, and it was really well-suited to the purpose. It amazes me that someone would go to so much trouble and expense to give a full-sized mid-60s Pontiac a slightly-bigger rear seat.
Some stretched cars like this had jump seats in the middle, as did some Checker cabs.
Yeah, I’d love to see an interior shot, to see just exactly what they were doing with the extra space on this particular car.
yes its like a extra seat in the middle that you can flip over
I saw a stretch white Mercury Grand Marquis in traffic just yesterday. Some cars just don’t quite convey the “limo” vibe.
hi i got one here in sweden it was only 10 made in the world of this model 4 imported to sweden 5 i the states the last one we dont know where it is but its the real thing and not a photo shop pleas do you have some more pictures of it mr
Paul Niedermeyer i working to restore my carand i have seen the two other cars here in sweden but the last burnt up in the 1970 my ad is raggarnsvall77@live.se
Paul did not take the pictures, there may be more if you follow the Cohort link above and look for pictures by Hugo 90.
How about posting some pictures of your car there?
some picures
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its the price 2900 here in sweden i pay´d 25000 dollar and it was hard metal work to do on it