A group of EMTs have set a new Guinness World Record for Longest Journey By Ambulance, traveling 3,233 miles from Hollywood, California to Hollywood, Florida from behind the wheel of a 1972 Miller-Meteor Cadillac ambulance. The record was set between March 1st and March 10th, 2025, with Michael Mclean, Jacqueline Grange, and Erik Axene taking the wheel. Interestingly, the vehicle that completed the journey is the oldest licensed ambulance operating in the U.S.
The 1972 Cadillac ambulance used in the record-setting journey is part of the Symbiosis urgent care fleet from Southern California, with Symbiosis partnering with Texas-based EMS educational provider Axene Continuing Education in the record attempt. The chassis underpinning the Cadillac also served as the platform for a number of other commercial vehicles, including a hearse.
“This was the perfect opportunity to create an experience that my students could engage with, so I could then put in important medical information in the content that they would pick up,” said EMS Medical Director with Axene Continuing Education, Dr. Erik Axene. “In the industry, most of education is kind of drab and boring, but not ours, it’s fun and exciting. And then, everyone is watching and engaged, so they learn something, and then patients are better taken care of and communities are safer.”
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The group documented their journey on social media, recording setbacks like a power steering failure and challenging weather conditions. However, after nine days, the 1972 Cadillac rolled into Florida to a line of applauding emergency personnel.
Despite its age, the Cadillac looks fully stocked and ready to treat patients, with medical supplies and a gurney in the rear. Video captured at the welcome ceremony in Florida shows personnel checking out the classic Caddy inside and out.
“It’s really wonderful to see the team come into such a supportive and very lovely establishment. The fire department has been very very welcoming and to see such a lovely ceremony presented to them is not something that I see at every record attempt,” said Guinness World Record Adjudicator, Brittany Dunn.
Comments
Awesome.
Is that a real Q-siren on top? Let’s roll!!
Kind of cool. But I’m glad it wasn’t me flipping the bill on the fuel. I’m guessing 5 to 7 MPG max?
I always loved these big old Caddy ambulances and hearses from the early 70’s to mid 80’s. Then they kind of disappeared.
When the tones go off you don’t worry about mileage. 🙂
Still, would’ve been a killer to run this in the 1970’s oil crises. Imagine a city fleet of big-block emergency vehicles!
Who ya gonna call?
Why do I find these kind of vehicles so cool. Remember seeing six door Pontiac airport limos. All that stuff is cool.
Because this literally screams what it is from a mile away!
It’s not a soulless lookalike where you need to find the emblem to know what brand it is (like most CUVs today).
I’m an old man now, but back in the early 80s, I was a jockey. Many, many of the racetracks used to have these Caddy ambulances. They’d chase the horses around the track and, unfortunately, I had several rides in these.
When I leave the surly bonds of earth, long after our great leader Idi Amin Dada, I want to be dispatched in a Cadillac. However, with my luck, it will be a Hyundai Excel with an aftermarket vinyl roof and opera lights.
Let’s have real ambulances again, that thing looks cool comparatively. And prolly more reliable on average than current production…
I was previously employed by Bay Cities Ambulance in San Diego, I drove a variety of these ambulances for a number of years. I made numerous high-speed code 3 runs since we had the State Highway Patrol traffic accident calls, the Cadillac Ambulance built by the Superior Ambulance Company, made for a stable and dependable ride during those times, 1968-1970. Thanks all of our safety depended upon it.