Hello to all the members of the professional car community. Today I am starting this thread in hopes of collecting all known information, locations and pictures of the elusive 1956 GMC Carryall Ambulance by the Christopher Company. I joined this forum while I was trying to find information on the vehicle, and I soon realized that I was not alone in the search. Therefore, the plan for this thread is to share all known information on the vehicle with the other interested members. Hopefully, we can help at least one of us to track the ambulance down. Below is all information I have been able to acquire to date(10/21/15).
General Info
The Following info can be found in the following link; http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/c/christopher/christopher.htm (Active 10/21/15)
-The ambulance was made by the Christopher Company in Manhattan New York at 100 Central Park south. The company ran from 1954 through 1967, where it was eventually absorbed into various corporations.
-The ambulance was Branded as an FAPA Res Q (Fire-Ambulance-Patrol Auto). They were made mostly out of long wheelbase GMC Carryalls but did occasionally get produced using suburbans, depending on customer preference.
-The 1954 FAPA Could carry 4 stretchers and 150-200 gallons of water
-Hozes were stored under 2 built in running boards for the 200 GPM water pump. Controls for the pump were located behind drivers door.
-The FAPA had a rear mounted foam delivery system inside the extended rear step wich could generate 6000 gallons of foam retardant.
-The ambulance was advertised in Five Engineering Magazine and Chevrolet Silver book.
-Christopher was know to deliver these Ambulances to CT, FL, MI, NY, NJ, NM, PA, VA, WI, WV, Ethiopia, Brazil and Venezuela.
Possible Leads
-Robert Davidson, member of PCS, shares a link of a craigslist add for a 1956 GMC Carryall Ambulance in 2009. The link is dead now but the location of the add was Western Massatutsis. I Have Posted an add in Western Massatutsis inquiring about the wearabouts of this Ambulance. I recieved a reply to this add from a fello by the name of Edwin Mattila. He states that he seen the Green ambulance below but does not know if it's still for sale.
He said that he will look into it for me. I will Keep you posted when new info turns up. The link to the dead craigslist add is as follows
http://westernmass.craigslist.org/cto/2574746762.html. The original thread for this add is as follows http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/showthread.php?t=6602&highlight=Christopher
-Todd Merrifield, member of PCS, talked to a genelman by the name of Brian in 2008. Brian is the Poster of the Craigslist add above. Todd said that Brian was seeking money to restore the ambulance for a cause like a museum or historical society. This was located in the same thread as above. In western Massatutsis, there are about 4 car museums, none of wich have the ambulance as an exhibit. Hopefully, this means Brian still has it. I sent Todd an email asking about this Brian fello. Hopefully he gets back to me and can shed some light on the situation.
-Nicholas Struder, PCS, shows a picture of the FAPA made for the Lincoln park FD. I looked Up Lincon Park FD. I was able to find a picture of the same ambulance Nicholas Struder shared in one of the Christopher Company's adds.
I searched the Lincon Park Craigslist Classifides but had no luck.
-On many of the Adds for Christopher, the ambulances have the logo NBFD.
. I talked to Jack Ramsey, PCS, on the phone. He believes the logo actually reads WBFD. later, I found a picture of an FAPA with this badge, and underneath the photo, it states that the ambulance was shipped to Westbend, Wisconsin. Therefore, WBFD must mean West Bend Fire Dept. I looked at West Bend Craigslist, still no ambulance.
General Info
The Following info can be found in the following link; http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/c/christopher/christopher.htm (Active 10/21/15)
-The ambulance was made by the Christopher Company in Manhattan New York at 100 Central Park south. The company ran from 1954 through 1967, where it was eventually absorbed into various corporations.
-The ambulance was Branded as an FAPA Res Q (Fire-Ambulance-Patrol Auto). They were made mostly out of long wheelbase GMC Carryalls but did occasionally get produced using suburbans, depending on customer preference.
-The 1954 FAPA Could carry 4 stretchers and 150-200 gallons of water
-Hozes were stored under 2 built in running boards for the 200 GPM water pump. Controls for the pump were located behind drivers door.
-The FAPA had a rear mounted foam delivery system inside the extended rear step wich could generate 6000 gallons of foam retardant.
-The ambulance was advertised in Five Engineering Magazine and Chevrolet Silver book.
-Christopher was know to deliver these Ambulances to CT, FL, MI, NY, NJ, NM, PA, VA, WI, WV, Ethiopia, Brazil and Venezuela.
Possible Leads
-Robert Davidson, member of PCS, shares a link of a craigslist add for a 1956 GMC Carryall Ambulance in 2009. The link is dead now but the location of the add was Western Massatutsis. I Have Posted an add in Western Massatutsis inquiring about the wearabouts of this Ambulance. I recieved a reply to this add from a fello by the name of Edwin Mattila. He states that he seen the Green ambulance below but does not know if it's still for sale.
http://westernmass.craigslist.org/cto/2574746762.html. The original thread for this add is as follows http://www.professionalcarsociety.org/forums/showthread.php?t=6602&highlight=Christopher
-Todd Merrifield, member of PCS, talked to a genelman by the name of Brian in 2008. Brian is the Poster of the Craigslist add above. Todd said that Brian was seeking money to restore the ambulance for a cause like a museum or historical society. This was located in the same thread as above. In western Massatutsis, there are about 4 car museums, none of wich have the ambulance as an exhibit. Hopefully, this means Brian still has it. I sent Todd an email asking about this Brian fello. Hopefully he gets back to me and can shed some light on the situation.
-Nicholas Struder, PCS, shows a picture of the FAPA made for the Lincoln park FD. I looked Up Lincon Park FD. I was able to find a picture of the same ambulance Nicholas Struder shared in one of the Christopher Company's adds.
I searched the Lincon Park Craigslist Classifides but had no luck.
-On many of the Adds for Christopher, the ambulances have the logo NBFD.