The Northland Crown Journal - Northland Professional Cars

The Northland Crown Journal
“In Service For Professional Car Enthusiasts Since 1989”
Volume 2—Issue 1—January & February 2010
A Milestone Anniversary
See Full Story on Page 6
Official Publication of the PCS Northland Chapter
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The Northland Crown Journal
Thanks to our Corporate Sponsors! Their generosity and support of
The Northland Chapter brings this newsletter to you in living color.
January & February 2010
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In This Issue
President‘s Message
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Welcome, New Members
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A Historic Hearse—Where Is It Now?
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A Milestone Anniversary.
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Northland Calendar
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Northland Chapter Officers
President
Tony Karsnia
612.325.2344
East Bethel, MN
Email: kars971@aol.com
Vice-President
Gene Rafferty
763.780.0386
Blaine, MN
Email: cadlimo76@yahoo.com
Secretary / Treasurer
Jon Wurm
Forest Lake, MN
651.464.6524
Email: jonwurm@yahoo.com
Webmaster
Jeff Stanton
Co-Webmaster
Dennis Goethe
636.256.9707
Shakopee, MN
Email: jeff@hydrohaven.com
Ellisville, MO
Email: dennis@seemycars.com
Newsletter Editor
Tony Karsnia
East Bethel, MN
612.325.2344
Email: kars971@aol.com
Be sure to check us out Online!
www.northlandpcs.com
Home of
The Northland Photo Archive Database
“Preserving the World’s
Professional Car History”
The Northland Chapter was granted a charter by the officers
of The Professional Car Society, Inc. on August 18, 1989 to
serve the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota,
and the Canadian province of Manitoba for the restoration
and preservation of professional automobiles and promotion
of The Professional Car Society. Annual chapter memberships are on a family basis and include four (4) issues of the
chapter‘s official publication, The Northland Crown Journal, admission to all chapter sponsored activities, and the
right to vote and hold office within the chapter. Invitation
blanks may be obtained from any officer listed below or by
visiting our online website. Annual dues of $20.00 may be
directed to the secretary / treasurer.
The Northland Crown Journal is the official publication of
The Northland Chapter and is published quarterly. Members
are strongly encouraged to submit professional car-related
stories, articles, and photographs for publication in the
newsletter. All submissions should be directed to the editor,
who reserves the right to edit any material submitted. Classified ads are free to members and will run once unless otherwise specified.
Membership in The Professional Car Society is a prerequisite to membership in any of its chapters. PCS membership details may be obtained by contacting the PCS
Membership Director: Jeffrey Hookway, 201 Glenside
Trail, Sparta, NJ 07871-1249 or visiting the official PCS
website at www.professionalcarsociety.org
PCS Northland Chapter is an
official member of the
Minnesota Car Club
Association
The purpose of MCCA is to unite local car clubs so the focus and activities of each can be recognized and appreciated
by a larger audience. Each spring, MCCA publishes a directory of all member clubs, shows, and cruise nights. Below is
a photo from the annual MCCA meeting at which local
clubs distribute information about their upcoming activities.
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The Northland Crown Journal
President’s Letter
Speaking of Kars...
By Tony Karsnia
Happy New Year! I
hope you all had a blessed holiday season and received those
car-related items you put on
your list to Santa. As you can
see, we‘ve done some updating
to The Northland Crown Journal again, this time in the form
of conversion to Microsoft Publisher format. Besides ease of
editing and changing content, this enables us to email the
newsletter to the publisher, who will in turn mail it to those
who choose to receive a hard copy. For fellow chapters, PCS
officers, and any chapter members who so desire, the newsletter will be emailed as a PDF, cutting costs of printing and
mailing considerably, while expanding our circulation. Positive change overall. My only apology is that it took so long to
complete the conversion process, which involved creating new
ads for some of our corporate sponsors.
Having just finished up with our annual Mid-Winter
Warm-Up meeting, we are looking ahead to the Spring Fling
Meet in April. Please check out the roster of upcoming events
elsewhere in this issue, grab your calendar, and write in some
activities you can attend. The Spring Fling is always well
attended and is a good time for the whole family. We‘re always on the lookout for new places to go and people to see.
If you‘d like to host an event, whether it be a day trip or weekend meet, please contact a chapter officer.
NEW MEMBERS—WELCOME!
Clyde Swenson—Paynesville, MN
Mike Robison—Catlin, IL
1965 Superior Cadillac Royale limousine-style combination
1968 Superior Cadillac limousine-style combination
1969 Superior Cadillac limousine-style hearse
1969 Miller-Meteor Cadillac limousine-style combination (2)
1969 Superior Cadillac flower car
1969 S&S Cadillac Victoria hearse
1971 Superior Cadillac limousine-style combination
1973 S&S Cadillac Victoria hearse
1973 Superior Cadillac limousine-style combination
1974 Superior Cadillac landau hearse
1976 Superior Cadillac Crown Sovereign landau hearse
1977 Superior Cadillac landau hearse
Ray Nowak—Williamsville, NY
John “Ed” Renstrom—Hot Springs, SD
1972 Cotner/Bevington Oldsmobile 54‖ ambulance
1972 Cotner/Bevington Oldsmobile Seville combination
1973 S&S Cadillac Victoria combination
Keith Lampe—Lake City, IA
1974 Superior Cadillac hearse
1981 S&S Cadillac Victoria hearse
1984 Superior Cadillac hearse
Turning toward the national PCS scene, I am pleased
to report that things are looking brighter after nearly two years
of headaches. In a nutshell, a few ―viruses‖ invaded PCS during and following the 2008 International Meet in Mt. Laurel,
NJ. Those ―viruses‖ wreaked all kinds of havoc with chapters,
board members, our national club constitution, website, magazine, and treasury. They attempted to take control of PCS and
mold it to their liking. When that didn‘t work, they attempted
to destroy the organization and it‘s good name. Thanks to an
astute Vice-President (Rick Duffy), a diligent board of directors, and concerned new treasurer (LeeAnn Boston) and webmaster (Paul Steinberg), PCS is getting back on track, ridding
itself of those ―viruses.‖ While I‘m not comfortable giving
the ―all clear‖ just yet, I am confident that the ―viruses‖ have
been neutralized and PCS is protected against further sabotage. You can be assured that the vast majority of Board of
Directors members understand and appreciate what PCS is all
about. They weren‘t willing to let this fine organization,
which has been in existence since 1976, fall prey to egodriven ―viruses‖ that were more concerned about turning PCS
into a ―free for all‖ than they were about integrity, professionalism, appreciation of professional car history, and fellowship.
If you have any questions or concerns about The Professional Car Society or the Northland Chapter, please feel
welcome to contact me anytime. As a chapter President and
national board member, I don‘t like to air dirty laundry in public, but I do feel you, the members, have a right to know what
is going on. I‘ll be heading over to Flint, MI in a couple
weeks for the Micro-Meet and Mid-Winter Board Meeting, so
please contact me if you have issues you‘d like me to bring
before the PCS board.
Chuck Patterson—Saginaw, MI
1980 Superior Cadillac Regal landau hearse
Donald Hessman—New York, NY
Philip J. Schwab—North Haven, CT
Calvin Whitaker—Saint Louis, MO
1995 Cadillac 4-door limousine
2000 Superior Cadillac hearse
2000 Superior Lincoln hearse
2002 S&S Cadillac hearse
2002 S&S Cadillac 47-inch limousine
2002 Eureka Cadillac 90-inch limousine
2003 S&S Lincoln 95-inch limousine
2004 Superior Cadillac 65-inch limousine
2005 DaBryan Cadillac 100-inch limousine
2005 DaBryan Lincoln 120-inch limousine
Dilbeet Titus—New Delhi, Delhi, India
1927 Minverva Type AL 7-passenger limousine
1935 Buick Series 90 7-passenger limousine
1938 Buick Series 90 7-passenger limousine
Jimmie DeRamus—Alexandria, LA
1966 Superior Cadillac hearse (2)
1966 Miller-Meteor Cadillac hearse
1985 S&S Cadillac Victoria hearse
January & February 2010
A HISTORIC HEARSE—
WHERE IS IT NOW?
By Tony Karsnia
In this time
between Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day
and the 42nd anniversary of his assassination, I thought it
might be of interest
to include a feature
on the hearse that
transported his body
in those dark days following the tragic end to his life on April
4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee.
Fortunately, Northland Chapter member, Dr. Roger
White, has had a long-standing interest in preserving the history of the 1966 Superior Cadillac Royale limousine combination, which was purchased new by R.S. Lewis & Sons Funeral
Home in Memphis by Mr. Zane Smith, the local Superior
dealer at the time. Three years later, Smith sold R.S. Lewis &
Sons another new hearse, taking the ‗66 in trade. In the meantime, the car achieved notoriety by transporting the body of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
According to R.S. Lewis, Jr., current owner of the
funeral home, but who worked there at the time of the assassination, the 1966 Superior was used to transport Dr. King from
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the hospital to the funeral home the evening he was shot on a
balcony of the Lorraine Motel.. The next morning, following
a visitation in R.S. Lewis & Sons chapel, the same hearse was
used to carry Dr. King‘s body to Memphis Metropolitan Airport, where it was placed aboard an airplane and flown to Atlanta, Georgia. To verify the authenticity of the hearse‘s participation in the events following the assassination, Mr. Lewis
signed an affidavit on June 7, 1991 (see page 8.)
But where has this 1966 Superior Royale been all
these years? Stored away, still in the hands of Zane Smith, the
(now retired) Superior dealer who sold it new before acquiring
it back from R.S. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home. Realizing the
historic significance of the car, Smith brought it out of storage
in 2004 and attempted to sell it on eBay, a move that caused
some raised eyebrows.
Apparently, Smith had originally intended to donate
the car to the National Civil Rights Museum (located at the
former Lorraine Motel), but changed his mind when he
learned what the museum was paying speakers, including Dr,
King‘s widow, Coretta Scott King. He then offered it on
eBay. While he would not reveal his reserve price, Smith received several bids during the car‘s 10-day stint online, turning down the highest one of $20,000. An unidentified news
article at the time stated, ―Experts estimate that the vehicle is
worth nearly $50,000‖ but does not elaborate on who the supposed ―experts‖ are. It is assumed that Smith put the partially
restored car back into storage where it continues to slumber.
(See additional photos on page 7)
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The Northland Crown Journal
field Hills, Michigan, in 1999. Dr. Richards has carried on the
important duty of preserving this milestone vehicle, which
By Tony Karsnia
now has approximately 25,000 miles on the odometer.
The world may not have stood still on February 19,
All right, you astute professional car historians.
1980 to mark the end of an era in EMS history, but we, the
What significant event occurred nearly 30 years ago, changing enthusiasts and historians who cherish professional cars, will
history forever? Miller-Meteor had ceased operations, S&S
always treat this date as significantly important as a tribute to
was down to one model, Superior was still building sidethe Cadillac ambulance and Dr. Roger Dean White—a man
servicing hearses, and the world was now without one tradiwho didn‘t just collect history; he became a part of it.
tional type of ambulance: the car-based, commercial Cadillac
Special thanks to Dr. Roger White for providing the
chassis type. First Packard was gone, then Buick, then
photographs that accompany this article.
Oldsmobile and Pontiac. Now the death bell sounded for the
Cadillac ambulance too. They had all but been replaced by
van and modular truck based units. Sure, there was more
space for equipment and patient care in them, but the trucks
had no style and the ride was almost rough enough to inflict
secondary injury upon patients en-route to the hospital!
So, when did it all end for the Cadillac ambulance?
Most professional car enthusiasts are aware that the 1970s was
a period of rapid replacement of car-chassis ambulances with
the van and truck type, but when was it literally all over for
the Cadillac? On February 19, 1980 as the last Cadillac ambulance was driven out of Superior‘s Kibby Street plant in Lima,
Ohio. For the first time since the early 1900s, there were no
more...
The last one is a 1979 Superior Cadillac Transport
ambulance, number 10 of 10 produced by Superior for the ‗79
model year and number 30 of 30 made by Superior on the
These photographs of the nearly completed 1979 Superior
―downsized‖ Cadillac chassis from 1977 to 1979. This
Cadillac ambulance—the last one to be built in America—
Omaha Orange and Cotillion White Cadillac is a true limousine-style with quarter windows in the patient compartment. It were sent to Dr. White as he began negotiations to purchase
this historic vehicle. It is ironic how the car appears ―stuck
was completed by Superior in November, 1979.
Meanwhile, a physician in Rochester, Minnesota, had back in the corner...out of the way.‖
learned that Superior was about to discontinue production of
the Cadillac ambulance. S&S had ceased producing theirs in While it is true Dr. White did not ―order-build‖ this car, he did
have the privilege of having it detailed to his liking prior to
1976 and Miller-Meteor‘s last one came off the line in 1978,
one year before that company closed altogether. Having long delivery. Among other things, the lightbar was replaced by a
championed the car-based, commercial chassis ambulance, Dr. pair of Federal 184 beacons with red domes, a Federal PA200
siren was installed, along with a pair of chrome Federal
Roger Dean White—assistant professor of anesthesiology at
CP100 speakers above the roof sign, and aluminum window
the Mayo Medical Center at the time and lifelong ambulance
buff—set about to purchase and preserve the last Cadillac am- signs that read ―R.D. White‖ were installed giving the ambulance that final, personalized touch.
bulance.
The transaction became official on that cloudy and
somber day in February 1980 as Dr. White signed the papers
for his brand new 1979 Superior Cadillac ambulance. ―It is a
fantasy fulfilled‖, said Dr. White as Superior executives and
employees held a ceremony commemorating this event in the
new car delivery area. Ironically, not but a few paces away
were some of the van and modular type ambulance that had
rung that death bell for the Cadillac ambulance. In addition to
the keys for the ambulance, Dr. White was presented with a
bronze-on-wood plaque, stating that he was the owner of the
last Cadillac-chassis ambulance manufactured and sold by
Superior (a division of Sheller-Globe Corporation.)
After the ceremony, Dr. White proudly drove his new
ambulance home to Rochester, MN. In his capacity as Medical Director for Gold Cross Ambulance Service, he occasionally used the Cadillac to respond code-3 to emergency calls,
but—to date—this historic ambulance has never carried a pa(See additional photos on page 9 )
tient.
After carefully preserving this ambulance for nearly
20 years, Dr. White transferred ownership of it to his good
friend and medical colleague, Dr. David Richards, of Bloom-
A MILESTONE ANNIVERSARY
January & February 2010
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Northland Calendar of Events
February 20, 2010
Saturday
Minnesota Car Club Association Meeting. St. Albert‘s Church, 32nd Avenue S. & 29th Street,
Minneapolis. Meeting starts at 12 Noon. Info: Dave Fridlund - Club Listing Coordinator - 612-724-8409
February 19-20, 2010
Friday—Saturday
PCS Mid-Winter Board Meeting. In conjunction with the Mid-Michigan Chapter‘s annual Micro-Meet.
Plumb-Smith Funeral Home—Flint, MI. Info: Brady Smith, (810) 691-6352 or
plumbsmith@ameritech.net
April 29-May 2, 2010
Thursday—Sunday
Northland Chapter’s annual Spring Fling weekend Meet. Headquarters hotel will be the Country Inn
& Suites, Forest Lake, MN. We have a block of rooms reserved at a special rate of $87 / doubleoccupancy / night. Make reservation directly with hotel by calling (651) 982-9799 and mention you are
with PCS Northland Chapter. A complete agenda for this meet will be announced soon at
www.northlandpcs.com, www.professionalcarsociety.org, and in the next issue of this newsletter. Info:
Tony Karsnia, (612) 325-2344 or kars971@aol.com
July 8-11, 2010
Thursday—Sunday
Iola Old Car Show & Swap Meet. Iola Old Car Show Grounds—Iola, WI. This year‘s theme is
―Sensational Sixties.‖ Info: iolaoldcarshow.com
July 27-31, 2010
Tuesday—Saturday
PCS International Meet. Albany, NY. For complete details and agenda see
www.professionalcarsociety.org. Info: Dan Herrick, (518) 392-2807 or dkherrick@juno.com
September, 2010
Northland Chapter Fall Meet. Date, location, and agenda are still being planned. Details soon.
*Following the MCCA meeting in February, Northland Chapter VP Gene Rafferty will be assembling a list of Car Shows and
Cruises in the Twin Cities area. Many of our chapter members participate in these on an informal basis. If you have a show
or cruise in your area of the Northland Chapter, please submit the dates and details so we can include it on this calendar.
Direct all submission to the Editor.
(Historic Hearse—Where Is It Now? continued from page 5)
Right: The scene at Memphis Metropolitan Airport on
April 5, 1968 as the body of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. is loaded into an airplane, bound for Atlanta. Notice
the 1966 Superior Cadillac Royale limousine combination coach from R.S. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home.
Below: Lewis‘s black over white Royale appears to be
a pretty standard example, with airline-style drapes, no
provision for landau panels, and devoid of any optional
lower chrome molding accents. According to Superior,
the Complete History, by Thomas A. McPherson, this
car would have cost approx. $11,346 new.
Special thanks to Dr. Roger White for providing the
information and photos for this article.
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The Northland Crown Journal
January & February 2010
(A Milestone Anniversary continued from page 6)
Clockwise from top left:
-Dr. Roger White signs the paperwork for his 1979 Superior Cadillac ambulance on February 19, 1980.
-Robert J. Rossiter, National Sales Manager-Professional Vehicles– Superior, presents Dr. White with plaque.
-Close-up detail of the commemorative plaque presented to Dr. White.
-James P. Kelly, President of Sheller-Globe‘s Superior division, presents Dr. White with keys to the new ambulance.
-(L-R): Darrell I. Metzger, VP Marketing—Sheller-Globe—Superior division; Dr. White; James Kelly; Bob Rossiter.
-Dr. White‘s 1979 Superior Cadillac ambulance as seen at the 1996 PCS International Meet in St. Paul, Minnesota.
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The Northland Crown Journal
Above: The last Cadillac ambulance emerges from Superior Coach in Lima, OH on February 19, 1980
Below: Thirty years later, this Cadillac is still in pristine condition thanks to Dr. Roger White & Dr. David Richards
January & February 2010
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Prinzing Motor Coach, LLC
231 N. Main St. PO Box 182 Morton, MN 56270 • info@prinzingmc.com
“My Tastes Are Simple; I Like To Have The Best.”
The Northwestern Casket Company
David Koll
4300 Quebec Avenue N.
New Hope, MN 55428
(612) 789-4356
Former builders of Horse-Drawn &
Motor Tune-Up
Trans-Tune
Bugs-B-Gone
Deep Creep
www.seafoamsales.com
―A Minnesota company‖
Front Cover Photo: When Dr. Roger White arrived at Superior Coach Corporation‘s Kibby Street plant in Lima, Ohio on
February 19, 1980 to accept delivery of a brand-new 1979 Cadillac ambulance, this was the scene that greeted him: His ambulance, lit up in all her glory, awaiting the journey to her new home in Rochester, Minnesota.
Back Cover Photo: Anyone who knew professional car historian Bernie DeWinter IV knew his passion for the combination
coach, especially with limousine-styling, a crown roof, formal drapes, dual demountable beacons, and painted a unique ―pink
champagne‖ color. As a gifted artist, Bernie drew this 1959 Superior Cadillac Crown Royale limousine-style combination
and appointed it with all his favorite amenities. Bernie will forever be an honorary member of the Northland Chapter.
We miss you dearly, Dutch. Rest in peace.
On The Road Again
Next Destinations...
M CCA MEETING
St. Albert’s Church
Minneapolis, MN
Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010
12 Noon
SPRING FLING
WEEKEND
Forest Lake, MN
April 29-May 2, 2010
Watch for more Info!
The Northland Crown Journal
Tony Karsnia, Editor
3634 Viking Boulevard NE
East Bethel, MN 55092
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