It had no siren, and no flashing lights, nevertheless it was supposed to save lots of lives. It was the Mercedes-Benz ambulance again within the Nineteen Thirties. Immediately, it nonetheless tells tales from 9 a long time in the past within the Shut-up sequence part of the Mercedes-Benz Museum.
The Mercedes-Benz ambulance was primarily based on the 320 luxurious saloon (W 142). In-built 1937 by Lueg in Bochum in accordance with a patented system, the automobile was within the possession of musical instrument producer Hohner in Trossingen, Germany. It got here with a 3.2-liter six-cylinder engine that developed 57 kW (78 PS).
It featured two side-hinged rear doorways and it might carry two sufferers concurrently, on two stretchers one above the opposite. The decrease stretcher is cellular, because it rests on a rail-guided roller-mounted bogie. A bench seat and a folding seat are additionally within the ambulance. So is a cylindrical assist, most likely holding a fuel cylinder. A kidney-shaped dish in a compartment within the partition going through the driving force served as a tray. There’s a heating system in there.
Again then, the shortage of personnel generally pressured the paramedic to double as a driver, having to keep watch over the affected person by wanting within the rearview mirror. Moreover, the main focus was not on offering first assist on the scene of the accident, however on taking the affected person to the hospital as quick as attainable.
The ambulance had no flashing lights to warn different drivers and no siren by any means. It displayed a Purple Cross gentle above the windshield as an alternative, which was on throughout operations. However that wasn’t precisely synonymous with precedence in visitors
The photograph gallery under shows a number of ambulances. There’s a 2001 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with a field physique, sporting blue lights, and a siren. “Rotating beacons” and “two-tone horn” solely grew to become customary gear for emergency autos a lot later.
These days, Mercedes-Benz autos generally function a base for ambulances. Modified property fashions, SUVs, and vans, but additionally vehicles and buses decide up sufferers and carry them to hospitals. However clearly, the warning system and gear are totally different from these from 86 years in the past.
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