Tuesday, May 4, 2010

CV's 1938 LaSalle Ambulance

No major incidents have ever occurred on this date.

At the March 4, 1938 meeting of the Cumberland Valley Hose Company, members decided to purchase a new ambulance. On April 15, 1938 the company announced that they had ordered a 1938 LaSalle ambulance from the Wolfington Body Company. The unit was mounted on a LaSalle chassis, the body was of all steel construction with a special cabinet in the interior for first aid equipment and supplies. The ambulance was powered by a V-8 motor and the unit was painted a light tan. An unusual feature on the ambulance was an apparatus for fighting small fires that was built into the fender well on the one side (it didn't mention anymore on this but I can only assume that it was a fire extinguisher). The ambulance went into service on June 3, 1938 and was dedicated on June 16. The original price of the ambulance was $2,890.25 less $790.25 trade in allowance for the Studebaker for a final cost of $2,100.

The ambulance replaced the company's first unit a 1931 Studebaker. On February 7, 1941 it was reported that the ambulance was in need of a overhaul. A committee was formed to replace the unit. In March 1941 it was replaced with a 1941 Cadillac. Wolfington gave the company a allowance of $1,987.00 for the LaSalle.

2 comments:

Sparky said...

Like to have that today. Wonder if I could get it for that price?

Haney said...

3 years? I wonder what the major problem was that this ambulance needed overhauled after only three years of service. I'm sure they were not running the volume of calls they are today. On the bright side they only lost $113 on the trade.