For the railroad vehicle, see Combine car

Combine car

A combine car in North American parlance, most often referred to simply as a combine, is a type of railroad car which combines sections for both passengers and freight....

.

A combination car was a vehicle built upon a (usually Cadillac

Cadillac Commercial Chassis

The Cadillac Commercial Chassis was basically a strengthened version of the long-wheelbase Cadillac Fleetwood limousine frame intended to carry the extra weight of the bodywork, rear deck and cargo area of funeral coaches and ambulances...

) "professional car

Professional car

A professional car in modern times is an automobile that has been modified with extensive coachwork for service in livery transportation or in funeral home operations...

" chassis which could be employed either as a hearse

Hearse

A hearse is a funerary vehicle used to carry a coffin from a church or funeral home to a cemetery. In the funeral trade, hearses are often called funeral coaches.-History:...

 or as an ambulance

Ambulance

An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...

, and had the capability of being swapped between those roles without much difficulty. These vehicles were upgraded by coachbuilders such as Superior

Superior Coach Company

Superior Coach was once a school bus body and professional car manufacturer, but today it focuses on building hearses and is located in Lima in Allen County, Ohio.-History:-Garford Motor Truck Company:...

, Miller-Meteor, and Cotner-Bevington, and were typical of the era when funeral home

Funeral home

A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families. These services may include aprepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral....

s offered emergency ambulance service in addition to their primary trade.

Even if a "combo" has no flashing lights (mounted or concealed), siren, or two-way radio installed, an experienced vehicle collector can recognize it as such by it having systems to carry either a gurney

Gurney

A gurney, known as a trolley in British medical context, is the U.S. term for a type of stretcher used in modern hospitals and ambulances in developed areas. A hospital gurney is a kind of narrow bed on a wheeled frame which may be adjustable in height. For ambulances, a collapsible gurney is a...

 or a casket

Casket

A casket, or jewelry box is a term for a container that is usually larger than a box, and smaller than a chest, and in the past was typically decorated...

, one or more foldable seats on one side in the rear compartment where a first-aid person can sit while looking after a patient on their way to the hospital, and a cabinet where first-aid supplies can be stored.

Also, the presence of ambulance technology made combos useful in the first call

First Call vehicle

The First Call vehicle is a vehicle used in the funeral service industry. This type of vehicle is used to pick up the remains of a recently deceased person, and transport that person to the funeral home for preparation. This initial pickup is called the "first call", hence the name of these...

 role, as a gurney is also used in that function.

Some combos were equipped with rotating roof beacons that could flash either yellow lights in processional mode, or both red and yellow lights in emergency response mode.