Hooniverse Truck Thursday: The "I'm A Movie Star, Baby" Edition


Last weekend out at the Art of Automobile Lifestyle Show, I saw a whole bunch of cool stuff. But one of the true delights was spotting this cool old ambulance-hearse manufactured in 1924 by Studebaker. Wait! Studebaker made trucks in the 1920’s?


Apparently they did as this “Big Six” was a star car back in the day. In 2002, a couple from Central Florida purchased it from Warner Brothers Studio out Californie way and brought it here to the Sunshine State.

At that, my fellow Hoons, is a Big Six. It apparently runs and drives as it made it here to the coast for this show.

I’m not really sure why the driver and passenger are dressed in old school prison uniforms. Possibly this truck was featured in the old Keystone Kops series of movies?

That theme would explain the handcuffs on the bed in the rear of this beast. Well, at least I hope that is what they are for!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The maximum upload file size: 64 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop files here

  1. P161911 Avatar
    P161911

    Not really a truck, just a big car that happened to have a truck like body put on it.
    It does day "POLICE" on the front, that might explain the prison uniforms too. Actually, I'm pretty sure some jails still use that uniform. Sheriff Joe in Arizona uses it.

  2. muthalovin Avatar

    Its like Prison Break, but with less tattoos.

  3. Van Sarockin Avatar
    Van Sarockin

    Rough condition. That bed looks more like a stretcher. Maybe it's an escapee from the prison museum in Saint Augustine.

  4. aastrovan Avatar
    aastrovan

    That is one cool old beast.

  5. Charles_Barrett Avatar
    Charles_Barrett

    My guess is that this is a paddy wagon or black mariah, which would explain the "Police" signage and the striped costumes and handcuffs. In the back is a backless bench, where arrestees would be seated back-to-back for transport to the pokey (or hoosegow). A vehicle of this livery would have many uses at a movie studio, whether for comedy, drama, or period history productions. It's a beauty, if a bit worn about the edges.

  6. BlackIce_GTS Avatar
    BlackIce_GTS

    If it's some of these ones, it looks like it spent most of it's movie career as an ambulance.

    1. GMAN Avatar
      GMAN

      I just bought that truck on Craigslist for $40 bucks what a steel.

      1. Xscars Avatar
        Xscars

        Sorry but I still own it and it runs as new. It was used in many Warner Bros movies as an ambulance and police vehicle from 1930 to 1969

  7. brian Avatar
    brian

    i know this stude. it was originally a paddy wagon/ ambulance in la county when it was new in 1924. it was later donated to warner bros