It had no siren, and no flashing lights, however it was supposed to avoid wasting lives. It was the Mercedes-Benz ambulance again within the Thirties. At present, it nonetheless tells tales from 9 many years in the past within the Shut-up collection part of the Mercedes-Benz Museum.
The Mercedes-Benz ambulance was primarily based on the 320 luxurious saloon (W 142). Inbuilt 1937 by Lueg in Bochum in line with a patented system, the car 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 cell, 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, in all probability holding a gasoline cylinder. A kidney-shaped dish in a compartment within the partition dealing with the driving force served as a tray. There’s a heating system in there.
Again then, the dearth of personnel generally compelled the paramedic to double as a driver, having to control 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 doable.
The ambulance had no flashing lights to warn different drivers and no siren in any way. It displayed a Crimson Cross gentle above the windshield as a substitute, which was on throughout operations. However that wasn’t precisely synonymous with precedence in site visitors
The picture gallery beneath 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 turned normal 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 vans 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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