Is the JFK ambulance up for auction at Barrett-Jackson a fake?

[Sal Collaziano]

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Pontiac, Celebrities

John F. Kennedy Pontiac Bonneville Ambulance - Click above for high-res image gallery​

The plot seems to be thickening around the auction of a 1963 Pontiac Bonneville ambulance that supposedly transported the body of President John F. Kennedy's body after his assassination. Unfortunately, a kink has arisen in the tale of how this vehicle went from a piece of national history to the auction block. Originally the seller claimed that the vehicle was sold as surplus before receiving a full restoration. The only problem with that tale is that the real vehicle was never sold at a Naval auction. Instead, the ambulance that ferried the late commander-in-chief was donated to John F. Kennedy library.

From there, the Kennedy family apparently asked that the vehicle be destroyed - a request that the library promptly obliged. On June 26, 1986, the Pontiac ambulance was loaded into the jaws of a crusher and turned into scrap. For any fan of rare or vintage vehicles, the photos of the vehicle with its doors caved in courtesy of a fork lift aren't easy to look at. The stout of heart will have to head over to Jalopnik to get a closer look.

Barrett-Jackson has decided that while the car may not (read: probably isn't) the one that carried President Kennedy's body, it will still be sold at auction. While the fact that the vehicle up for auction in Arizona may not be the real deal is likely to decrease its value considerably, we still think the car is cool as hell. What better way to get the family around town than in a Navy grey '63 Pontiac ambulance?

How about the hearse that carried JFK's casket? The '64 Cadillac is also up for bid on eBay motors with a buy it now price of just $1.5 million. You can check it out here.


Gallery: 1963 Pontiac Bonneville JFK ambulance


[Sources: Jalopnik, eBay Motors]Is the JFK ambulance up for auction at Barrett-Jackson a fake? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.


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[theonlyjohnson]

There were multiple ambulances that drove him. One from the scene to the coroner. One from the coroner to the airport, and I believe the one to pick him up from the airport was the same used in his funeral. The one that brought him to the airport was recently purchased by a private owner and loaned to a museum. The one on eBay for lots of money I believe was his funeral car. As for the one from the scene of death I am not sure its story or whereabouts. At the time first call responders, ambulances, and hearses were all activities done by the mortuaries. Often ambulances and hearses were one, a combination car. The pontiac that brought me to this forum is a 1962 Star Chief Combination car. As you would expect from any business, all transports were logged so you could actually find who was transported in what car being driven by who. But good luck finding the ledger. If the mortuary was sold the records are often trashed, or sometimes if they sold a coach the ledger has been known to go with the car