1926 Buick ambulance

JFK car or not, I'd take the Buick any day over the Pontiac. I beleave if I remember right, it was for sale in hemmings in the past year or 2. I've seen it somewhere for sale. Its a beautiful car.

Josh
 
I think this ambulance was "well bought" as Matt Stone likes to say. I expected more money for it, didn't you guys?
 
It really looked like a beautiful restoration.

A special interest vehicle like the Buick often seems not to bring big money at auctions as it is something with a limited following. A restored Packard ambulance was sold at BJ several years ago and while I forget the sale price it would be hard to believe the restorer recooped their investment.
 
Wow, that was up for auction at Barrett-Jackson last week? Why didn't anybody say anything? :4_11_9:

I really like that ambulance, and for the price it sold for, it's worth it. That is the nicest pre-war ambulance I've seen.

Spent so much time on that flippin' non-JFK ambulance that I missed this one.
 
'26 Hoover Buick Ambulance

Todd is correct, the car was sold this summer at the RM Auction, formerly Kruse Auction, at Auburn, Indiana, 20 minutes up the road from me.

The car was originally purchased about 8 years ago, also at the Kruse Auction, by my good friend and PCS / CLC member, Larry Dunn. Larry is the person who gave me the lead which lead to the purchase of my '54 Eureka hearse. Larry and the hearse are photographed below, at this summer's RM Auction. I didn't know that Larry or his ambulance would be in Auburn, so it was a real surprise to find him there. Somewhat amazingly, we had driven my '54 Eureka to Auburn that day, so Larry was able to see the '54 completely restored, and I think he got a real kick out of seeing it that way, compared to the original condition he first saw when he found it in Phoenix Arizona, bottom photo.

When Larry purchased the Buick ambulance at Kruse's, about 8 years ago, I not only was able to see the car, but Larry let me drive it. A really tough driver, I'll tell you. Perhaps one of the most interesting characteristics of the car was the 3-speed transmission. The configuration of the shifting was that 1st gear was over to the right, where one would normally find 3rd. So you have to shift it in reverse, as 3rd gear is actually where you'd expect 1st. Below is also a photo of my wife Marlene, sitting in the ambulance, while I was chatting with Larry. Tom
 

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I had a 1926 Buick Master 54C, with the same shifter, and it was a great car to drive. Never had any problem with shifting. I have noticed that there are quite a number of items on this car that are different than my 1926. As an example, my Master had all nickle plated headlights and parking lights, whereas this one has painted parts. The Standards had the painted headlamps. In looking at this car, it is difficult to tell if it is a Master or a Standard. I also remember my fuel / vacuum tank being on the right hand side, along with the brass Marvel Schebler updraft carburetor, but it was so long ago that I owned that car, it might just be my memory playing tricks on me. Hard to believe that it has been 35+ years ago that I sold that car...
 
That looks like a beautiful car, Tom. Wish I had known it was around, I would have loved to see it in person. I try to go to that auction at least 1 or 2 days every year. I think I'm going to start trying to hit the one down the road too, rumor has it there was a Broadmoor Skyview there last year...
 
Todd, over the years I've seen a Broadmoor or two in Auburn, but I don't remember one being there in 2010. There was, however, a '30's Henney Hearse. I started the car, and it sounded good, but had been "restored", and a lot of the original features, such as casket rollers, had been removed. It was essentially a big station wagon. I never learned what it sold for, but would be curious to know. Tom
 

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There was, however, a '30's Henney Hearse. I started the car, and it sounded good, but had been "restored", and a lot of the original features, such as casket rollers, had been removed. It was essentially a big station wagon. I never learned what it sold for, but would be curious to know. Tom

That Henney was for sale recently at Hyman Ltd. in St. Louis, MO. As I recall, the rear interior was already missing when the 'restoration' was done. Somewhere floating around this board is a picture of it as it was found. At the time, it was in a pale and medium green color scheme.
 
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