Majorette Jeep Wagoneer ambulance

[Charles A. Eckert]

I'm going through my possessions and getting down to the bare essentials: stereo, records, certain books, computer, bicycle, and four cars. Ya know? Anyway, I've given a few Matchbox/Hot Wheels to a little boy of my acquaintance, but I decided this one needed to be kept in the pro car circuit. It's mine from when I was a kid in the early 80s.

I don't think I've ever seen an actual Jeep Wagoneer ambulance of this vintage. Did they exist, or is this a fanciful fabrication?

Hope this image hosting works...and my apologies; I'm not that good at photography, but I'm improving a bit.

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[John ED Renstrom]

it looks like a Aussie conversion. if they didn't built it they should have

[Steve Lichtman]

Never seen one in the US. Majorette is a French company so it may be like something over there.

[Robert C Baker]

:specool:Back in the late 70's early 80's there was a guy who lived in English Counsol, Maryland (Balto. Co.) who was going to open and ambulance service and make a play to knock off A&A ambulance and AL-Lin ambulance service's. He had 1 Jeep wagoneer and had it converted by a local body shop, and it looked very similar to the one in the above except it had barn doors on the rear and no tailgate. It was a very nice looking car all black done in gold leaf stripping and lettering, 6 Fed. fireball lights 4 on the conversion roof 2 on the front fenders, 1 4 light 2-red, 2-white bulb becon ray and a Federal Q 2-B on the roof of the jeep. He also had the stretcher load on the right side.
It was different but one good looking car. End result he for some reason or another could not pass the Balto. City Health Dept. Ambulance Inspection. I later heard he moved out west and opened a service out there. And that was the last I ever heard of that guy and I never saw that ambo again.
Now for the Toy ambo/wagoneer I actually have one of those except mine was bought much later than the one above and it is all white with blue stripping and a S.O.L. on the hood.:specool:

[Steve Lichtman]

:specool:Back in the late 70's early 80's there was a guy who lived in English Counsol, Maryland (Balto. Co.) who was going to open and ambulance service and make a play to knock off A&A ambulance and AL-Lin ambulance service's. He had 1 Jeep wagoneer and had it converted by a local body shop, and it looked very similar to the one in the above except it had barn doors on the rear and no tailgate. It was a very nice looking car all black done in gold leaf stripping and lettering, 6 Fed. fireball lights 4 on the conversion roof 2 on the front fenders, 1 4 light 2-red, 2-white bulb becon ray and a Federal Q 2-B on the roof of the jeep. He also had the stretcher load on the right side.
It was different but one good looking car. End result he for some reason or another could not pass the Balto. City Health Dept. Ambulance Inspection. I later heard he moved out west and opened a service out there. And that was the last I ever heard of that guy and I never saw that ambo again....Really?!?!? I don't suppose you have a picture of it, do you?

Leave it to Baltimore, the home of the home-made ambulance. I didn't know there was something more shady than Al-Lin's home-made plumbers-truck ambulances with a cot and nothing else inside....

[Mike Doll]

I also remember that Jeep ambulance. If I recall correctly the Jeep ambulance could not pass the Baltimore Health Dept. Insp. (which was the authority having jurisdiction at the time over private ambulances in the Baltimore metro area) because there was no seat in the back for an attendant.

I remember when Al-Lin was only a two rig service back in the mid to late 70's. They had a white & red pontiac and a dark brown Cadillac combination coach. Before the brown Caddy they had a white M-M. By the late 80's Al-Lin was giving most of the ambulance calls to Metropolitan in Glen Burnie and concentrating on their home oxygen service. I believe by the mid 80's Al-Lin was sold and that's when they started back up with the ambulance services.

[Steve Loftin]

Really?!?!? I don't suppose you have a picture of it, do you?

Leave it to Baltimore, the home of the home-made ambulance. I didn't know there was something more shady than Al-Lin's home-made plumbers-truck ambulances with a cot and nothing else inside....

Really?!?!? I don't suppose you have a picture of the Al-Lin's rigs, do you?

[Darren Bedford]

Those cars were sold here in Toronto at a Mac's Milk store 5 minutes from my house. They had some pretty cool cars and a little different than Matchbox and HotWheels. I likely have some of the ones I had when I was a kid but packed away somewhere. I wouldn't have that ambulance but that brand of car for sure.

Gotta love those memories,
Darren

[Steve Lichtman]

Really?!?!? I don't suppose you have a picture of the Al-Lin's rigs, do you?Uh, no. Really.

I didn't consider them very "photo-worthy" when I had to pay by the print.

[Harry Evans]

As a child growing up in Europe, I had this toy. It was based on a late 1970's toy of a 2-door Wagoneer called the Cherokee made from I think 73-78. Before I was old enough to collect cars, I worked with models/toys and have 15K stashed away. This one is not too hard to find but not as rare as the base Cherokee with a civilian roof. However, the ambulance has an odd window, and a tail heavy rear. When die-cast manufacturers look to change/expand toy lines, they go for easy changes. Adding just a high roof with two holes for the lights would have been easier than changing the side windows, different rear doors, and interior plastic. See link for the pair: http://www.breithaupts.com/tcnew902.htm
Thus, I would strongly suggest that someone, most likely in Canada, where Majorette was widely distributed, saw a Jeep modified like this. As the owner of a Wagoneer, I'd hate to drive something that tail-heavy though.

[Kent Dorsey]

saw a Jeep modified like this. As the owner of a Wagoneer, I'd hate to drive something that tail-heavy though.[/QUOTE]

These units it seems had particular rollover problems as I recall...