For the railroad vehicle, see Combine carA combine car, most often referred to simply as a combine, is a type of railroad car which combines sections for both passengers and freight....
.
A
combination car was a vehicle built upon a (usually
CadillacThe Cadillac Commercial Chassis was basically a strengthened version of the long-wheelbase Cadillac Fleetwood limousine frame intended to carry the extra weight of the bodywork, rear deck and cargo area of funeral coaches and ambulances...
) "
professional carA professional car in modern times is an automobile that has been modified with extensive coachwork for service in livery transportation or in funeral home operations .Up until c...
" chassis which could be employed either as a
hearseA hearse is a funeral vehicle, a conveyance for the casket from e.g. a church to a cemetery, a similar burial site, or a crematorium. In the funeral trade, they are often called funeral coaches.-History:...
or as an
ambulanceAn ambulance is a vehicle for transporting sick or injured people, to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury. The term ambulance is used to describe a vehicle used to bring medical care to patients outside of the hospital or to transport the patient to hospital for follow-up...
, and had the capability of being swapped between those roles without much difficulty. These vehicles were upgraded by coachbuilders such as
SuperiorSuperior Coach was once a school bus body and professional car manufacturer, but today it focuses on building hearses and is located in Lima in Allen County, Ohio.-History:...
, Miller-Meteor, and Cotner-Bevington, and were typical of the era when
funeral homeA funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families. These services may include a prepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral....
s offered emergency ambulance service in addition to their primary trade.
Even if a "combo" has no flashing lights (mounted or concealed), siren, or two-way radio installed, an experienced vehicle collector can recognize it as such by it having systems to carry either a
gurneyA gurney, known as a trolley in British medical context, is the U.S. term for a type of stretcher used in modern hospitals and ambulances in developed areas. A hospital gurney is a kind of narrow bed on a wheeled frame which may be adjustable in height. For ambulances, a collapsible gurney is a...
or a
casketA casket, or a jewelry box is a receptacle for trinkets and jewels. It may take a very modest form, covered in leather and lined with satin, or it may reach the monumental proportions of the jewel cabinets which were made for Marie Antoinette, one of which is at Windsor, and another at Versailles,...
, one or more foldable seats on one side in the rear compartment where a first-aid person can sit while looking after a patient on their way to the hospital, and a cabinet where first-aid supplies can be stored.
Also, the presence of ambulance technology made combos useful in the
first callThe First Call vehicle is a vehicle used in the funeral service industry. This type of vehicle is used to pick up the remains of a recently deceased person, and transport that person to the funeral home for preparation. This initial pickup is called the "first call", hence the name of these...
role, as a gurney is also used in that function.
Some combos were equipped with rotating roof beacons that could flash either yellow lights in processional mode, or both red and yellow lights in emergency response mode.
For the railroad vehicle, see Combine carA combine car, most often referred to simply as a combine, is a type of railroad car which combines sections for both passengers and freight....
.
A
combination car was a vehicle built upon a (usually
CadillacThe Cadillac Commercial Chassis was basically a strengthened version of the long-wheelbase Cadillac Fleetwood limousine frame intended to carry the extra weight of the bodywork, rear deck and cargo area of funeral coaches and ambulances...
) "
professional carA professional car in modern times is an automobile that has been modified with extensive coachwork for service in livery transportation or in funeral home operations .Up until c...
" chassis which could be employed either as a
hearseA hearse is a funeral vehicle, a conveyance for the casket from e.g. a church to a cemetery, a similar burial site, or a crematorium. In the funeral trade, they are often called funeral coaches.-History:...
or as an
ambulanceAn ambulance is a vehicle for transporting sick or injured people, to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury. The term ambulance is used to describe a vehicle used to bring medical care to patients outside of the hospital or to transport the patient to hospital for follow-up...
, and had the capability of being swapped between those roles without much difficulty. These vehicles were upgraded by coachbuilders such as
SuperiorSuperior Coach was once a school bus body and professional car manufacturer, but today it focuses on building hearses and is located in Lima in Allen County, Ohio.-History:...
, Miller-Meteor, and Cotner-Bevington, and were typical of the era when
funeral homeA funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families. These services may include a prepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral....
s offered emergency ambulance service in addition to their primary trade.
Even if a "combo" has no flashing lights (mounted or concealed), siren, or two-way radio installed, an experienced vehicle collector can recognize it as such by it having systems to carry either a
gurneyA gurney, known as a trolley in British medical context, is the U.S. term for a type of stretcher used in modern hospitals and ambulances in developed areas. A hospital gurney is a kind of narrow bed on a wheeled frame which may be adjustable in height. For ambulances, a collapsible gurney is a...
or a
casketA casket, or a jewelry box is a receptacle for trinkets and jewels. It may take a very modest form, covered in leather and lined with satin, or it may reach the monumental proportions of the jewel cabinets which were made for Marie Antoinette, one of which is at Windsor, and another at Versailles,...
, one or more foldable seats on one side in the rear compartment where a first-aid person can sit while looking after a patient on their way to the hospital, and a cabinet where first-aid supplies can be stored.
Also, the presence of ambulance technology made combos useful in the
first callThe First Call vehicle is a vehicle used in the funeral service industry. This type of vehicle is used to pick up the remains of a recently deceased person, and transport that person to the funeral home for preparation. This initial pickup is called the "first call", hence the name of these...
role, as a gurney is also used in that function.
Some combos were equipped with rotating roof beacons that could flash either yellow lights in processional mode, or both red and yellow lights in emergency response mode. Alternately, a hole on the roof was often supplied where a beacon could be bolted on an intermittent basis, a wire passing through to the driver's compartment where it could be plugged in when needed.
Combos employed more often or exclusively as ambulances were often fitted with ambulance markings and additional lighting. However, usage of passenger car or station wagon derived vehicles as ambulances became impractical after c. 1980 due to upgraded equipment and interior measurement requirements imposed by government regulators. Many such vehicles were donated or otherwise found their way to developing nations.
The Cadillac combination unit was made famous in
GhostbustersGhostbusters is a 1984 science-fiction comedy film written by co-stars Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis about three eccentric New York City parapsychologists-turned-ghost exterminators. The film was released in the United States on June 8, 1984 and like several films of the era, teamed Aykroyd and/or...
as the Ecto-1, a modified 1959 model.