What is your dream pro-car collection?

Fred Goerlitz

Northeast Chapter / PCS Life Member
If you could have any 5 pro-cars you wanted what would they be? Please include pix if possible.

Mine would be:
1976 Superior 54 Cadillac Ambulance (mine)
1976 Miller-Meteor Lifeliner Cadillac Ambulance (ex Martinsville, NJ FAS)
1965-1968 Superior Cadillac Ambulance ('65 in pic, Elberon, NJ FAS)
1972 S&S Professional Cadillac Ambulance (Washington, NJ ES)
1960 Miller-Meteor Guardian Cadillac Ambulanc(ex Springfield, NJ FAS)

*All photoes FG collection except M-M Guardian which is FG/RL collection*
 

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Only 5? thats almost impossible!!
Cant say which in order of most wanted but here goes. Just remember i have left alot of dream cars out!
1) 2008-current Prinzing carved side hearse
2) 1958 Memphian Chrysler landau hearse
3)1984 Miller-Meteor Eldorado landau hearse
4)1953 Eureka Cadillac flower car
5)1979 AHA Lincoln landau hearse

2008 Prinzing carved side 4.jpg

2008 Prinzing carved side 5.jpg

1959 Memphian Chrysler 2.jpg

1984 Miller-Meteor Eldorado ad.jpg

1953 Eureka 1.jpg

1979 AHA Lincoln 2.jpg
 
1953, or 54 Henney Junior ambulance, or combo
1950's Superior Cadillac, or Pontiac ambulance, or limo-style combo
1960's Superior Cadillac, or Pontiac ambulance, or limo-style combination
Chrysler Briarean any style
1977, or 78 Miller Meteor ambulance, or limo-style combo
Any year Ghia-Imperial limousine
Cadillac limousines from the 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's
1941 Lincoln ambulance coachbuilder unknown
1949 Flxible Buick ambulance
ACC Vista Cruiser, or Sportwagon amlewagon
Corvair Greenbriar ambulance

I am sorry, but I have no pictures.
 
If you could have any 5 pro-cars you wanted what would they be? Please include pix if possible.

Mine would be:
1976 Superior 54 Cadillac Ambulance (mine)
1976 Miller-Meteor Lifeliner Cadillac Ambulance (ex Martinsville, NJ FAS)
1965-1968 Superior Cadillac Ambulance ('65 in pic, Elberon, NJ FAS)
1972 S&S Professional Cadillac Ambulance (Washington, NJ ES)
1960 Miller-Meteor Guardian Cadillac Ambulanc(ex Springfield, NJ FAS)

*All photoes FG collection except M-M Guardian which is FG/RL collection*
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Are there any surviving Guardian Cadillac Ambulances out there that are confirmed and in the hands of collectors? ? I have never seen one in person or know of an actually one to exist.
 
Thanks Mike! I've had the car since December of 1987. Here's a picture before the paint and body work
 

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I have it. the only thing I have not gotten that I want is a Chevy Suburban ambulance.
 
I have mine too. I have wanted a '93-'96 Superior ever since they introduced that body style. Wound up with my '94 Sovereign and couldn't be happier. She has a lot of miles on her but, she's still strong.
 
1) '59 Cadillac Landau,
2) '50 Cadillac Landau,
3) '54 Cadillac Flower car,
4) '60 Cadillac Landau,
5) My '54 Pontiac Landau by Superior.

All in black...of course
 
I would like to have an early-60s procession...say, 60-64 or thereabouts.
1. 4 door Cadillac as a lead car
2. S&S coach
3. Cadillac flower car, don't care about the coachbuilder
4. Cadillac series 75 limousine
In matching livery, preferably metallic light blue or black.

and a Lehman Peterson Lincoln as an unrelated toy
 
Are there any surviving Guardian Cadillac Ambulances out there that are confirmed and in the hands of collectors? ? I have never seen one in person or know of an actually one to exist.

Yes, there is at least 2 that I have heard about from 2 very reliable sources.

Confirmed Guardian? Yes. You, like the vast majority, have yet to lay eyes on one in person. That may change in next decade. ;)

Not only have I seen one in person, I have rode in it on more than one occassion.... albeit 50 years ago.:D
 
Yes, there is at least 2 that I have heard about from 2 very reliable sources.

Not sure why there is such a shroud of mystery over these vehicles. Nobody wants to reveal their location or ownership or any "real" details about these Guardian vehicles that are supposedly known to exist.

I have never seen such a nondisclosure attitude in any other collectible car circles that I have visited, including super rare multimillion dollar collectibles where only one model was ever made.

Just boggles my mind

/rant
 
I will put this in terms that you might be able to understand.. If you knew of a location that held buried treasure, would you be disclosing where the buried treasure is located before you had a chance to get to it? I believe that Forest Gump had a saying for this type of situation..............
 
I will put this in terms that you might be able to understand.. If you knew of a location that held buried treasure, would you be disclosing where the buried treasure is located before you had a chance to get to it? I believe that Forest Gump had a saying for this type of situation..............

Well I don’t understand it even though you tried to explain it,


This kind of thinking you shared makes me laugh for a number of reasons besides the fact such behavior comes off to me as a greedy, selfish, and childlike. You know like a child who wants to be the only one with his toys or the elite type who want to hoard and gossip about how they know about a “Secret Treasure” that they are only special enough to possess the information but wont share it.

Or at least that’s how it comes across to me, and I might be out of reality but I look at it like this.

  • If the cars really do exist then someone already owns them so they are taken at this time.
  • If there are people who do know about these “Special” cars and haven’t been able to step up to the plate and acquire them, then maybe these people don’t have deep enough pockets or maybe they don’t possess the proper “mojo” to acquire these magical vehicles. Everything is for sale at the right price.
  • And last but not least we should always remember we are only custodians and guardians (no pun intended) of these collectible vehicles as we are mortal and we cannot take them with us when we die. They will all eventually be passed on to new owners in time. Therefore I remain humble and appreciate them but I do not allow any of my possession to define me or who I am. My possessions will never own me.

____

To simply say “John Sullivan in Liberal Kansas has a 1964 Guardian in his barn but refuses to sell it or even show it to others” is not divulging a national secret of buried treasure. After all John Sullivan already has and owns that treasure so why be envious of him for being the guardian of the guardian at this time? Oh that’s right so you can be the first in line to try to buy it when it comes up for sale. That kind of goes back to what I was getting at in the opening.

I’d like for John Sullivan to share images or information with us about his vehicle and then I could appreciate the vehicle more but I would never consider John Sullivan to be a better person than me simply because he owned something that I really liked and appreciated, but didn’t own myself. Does owning it “complete” who he is as a person? I think not, but maybe in his small world (small mind) it does.


(Shakes head at how childish the thinking in this place can be at times)

Edit To add

Let me add

I look up to and respect collectors like Matt Garret as he understands he is only a guardian of the vehicles that he has in his possession, he doesn’t try to hoard them or covet them. The cars do not make him who he is nor does he allow them to define him as a person. If he knows where super rare gem of an auto is he will tell you where it’s located and even help you get in touch with the owner.

People like Matt and his outlook are what Car collecting should be all about IMHO

Read his web site and how he describes the vehicles, himself and his approach to car collecting. Not to mention look at how many super rare cars he owns that have very low mileage and then how often he trades or sells them to other collectors.

He puts "class" into classy car collecting and I try to take always take notes out of his play book

http://www.mcsmk8.com/cadillacs/mycads.htm
 
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James, nothing stops you (or anyone for that matter) from immeasurable countless hours tracking yourself: Start with finding municipalities where a desired vehicle served (or vintage for sale ads), make hundreds of phones calls, send thousands of emails, tracing lineage, looking through microfiche, checking public auction records, overcoming obstacles (like distance/no pics/no price/owner IDs incorrectly) or dead ends, keep from becoming frustrated while following up on every lead, burn a ridiculous amount of fuel, maybe mix in flight expenses, definitely figure in hotel expenses, all while finding/making the time to do so while keeping a balanced life.

Then maybe if you're lucky - you'll find the answer you seek, arriving at (or past) the curve others have traveled on a certain vehicle without the 'shortcut'. And if you both embark and succeed down this path, come to realize a deeper understanding for what is involved. In no way, shape, or form was this response intended to be condescending. Merely sharing typical stuff I go through when nose is to grindstone searching. One thing I have learned repeatedly is how delicate some situations can be and how respect/patience must be provided for any possible positive outcome. More a matter of flexibility/adapting to whatever the situation calls for rather than applying pressure and molding the situation into your liking (or pace).

I'll lend credence to your second bullet point! (Well, except not everything has a price - sometimes it does require finding a trade.) You know the old adage about paying a fair price for something. More often than not you'll own it. :)
 
James, nothing stops you (or anyone for that matter) from immeasurable countless hours tracking yourself: Start with finding municipalities where a desired vehicle served (or vintage for sale ads), make hundreds of phones calls, send thousands of emails, tracing lineage, looking through microfiche, checking public auction records, overcoming obstacles (like distance/no pics/no price/owner IDs incorrectly) or dead ends, keep from becoming frustrated while following up on every lead, burn a ridiculous amount of fuel, maybe mix in flight expenses, definitely figure in hotel expenses, all while finding/making the time to do so while keeping a balanced life.

Then maybe if you're lucky - you'll find the answer you seek, arriving at (or past) the curve others have traveled on a certain vehicle without the 'shortcut'. And if you both embark and succeed down this path, come to realize a deeper understanding for what is involved. In no way, shape, or form was this response intended to be condescending. Merely sharing typical stuff I go through when nose is to grindstone searching. One thing I have learned repeatedly is how delicate some situations can be and how respect/patience must be provided for any possible positive outcome. More a matter of flexibility/adapting to whatever the situation calls for rather than applying pressure and molding the situation into your liking (or pace).

I'll lend credence to your second bullet point! (Well, except not everything has a price - sometimes it does require finding a trade.) You know the old adage about paying a fair price for something. More often than not you'll own it. :)


You make very valid points in the research of the vehicles, especially about the delicacy of certain issues (mainly people’s personalities) For some the hunt is more fun than the actual ownership.

For me it’s just easier to offer top dollar for any collectible that I want and expressing my reasons for wanting said collectible to the current owner.

My experience has often been that I will end up with what I want simply by paying more money regardless of what the item is I am purchasing.

The issue I have here on this forum is that this is supposed to be a forum board where information is traded and shared for the benefit of the actual professional cars and the shroud of secrecy is really childish to me regardless of the reasoning you mentioned above. That goes back to all your time and energy researching it, did you do it for your benefit or for the preservation of the cars?
 
My 'benefit' you speak of is the soul soothing satisfaction of reaching a pinnacle after the thrill of the chase and knowing another becomes saved. For example, my Crown took almost 14 years of searching before finding a good one at a reasonable price. That feeling of deeply rooted satisfaction is what drives me to assist others in reaching their goals. Any token finder's fee or monetary gesture doesn't come close to matching my typical trade wage.

Thrill of the chase culmination. Be it vintage coaches, old motorcycles, certain antiques, or women (not vintage women ;) ) - principle remains unwavering.
 
now me I would much rather get the real thing a Eureka high boy. the MM is nothing compared to one of them. but I don't worry about other peoples pipe dreams. if you have seen one fine. if you own one and don't want to share fine. I just dam glad I don't have to wash it. I hate a high top of any configuration. now then me if I found one I would give it to Sara just to see her smile. she is looking for one I'm not.
 
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