Article 00B
(This article was published in The Professional Car magazine issue #128.)
Crestline Coach began in 1975 as a division of Crescent Ambulance Service in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. During the early Crestline years we manufactured ambulances as well as hearses and limousines. A total of 14 hearses were manufactured, 6 of which were based on station wagons, 5 on GM Suburbans, and 3 on Dodge Maxivans.
Our objective was to produce hearses that were priced lower than those imported from the US. But at the lower prices, it was a struggle to remain profitable. Meanwhile the demand for our ambulances was growing rapidly throughout Western Canada, so in 1983 the manufacture of hearses and limousines was discontinued in order to devote all of our resources to the manufacture of ambulances.
1978 Crestline Oldsmobile - This station-wagon featured a raised roof and a body extension aft of the rear wheels. This experimental coach was sold to a funeral home in Grand Forks, British Columbia for $16,000.
1979 Crestline Chevrolet - This station-wagon was lengthened 14 inches in the rear doors. This coach served for many years with Binkley's Funeral Service in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan.
1981 Crestline Oldsmobile - This station-wagon had a raised roof and an extended wheelbase. This coach was manufactured for the Eventide Funeral Home of Red Deer, Alberta.
1982 Crestline GM Suburban - This Suburban was converted to a funeral coach for Speer's Funeral Chapel of Regina, Saskatchewan. It was their designated "rural roads" coach.
1982 Crestline Dodge - This Dodge Maxivan featured a full-width bench seat ahead of the partition. It was custom built for Parkside Memorial of Swift Current, Saskatchewan.