Fire Engines Photos

The Crown Coach Corporation.
The Crown Carriage Company began in 1904 and were located at 621-623 South Los Angeles Street, in the"City of Angels" in Los Angeles building"Business Wagons for Business Men". From this somewhat humble origin, the Crown Coach Corporation emerged.
Although commercial models of fire apparatus were assembled by Crown as early as 1936, it was not until 1949 that a full line of fire apparatus was considered. The first Crown Firecoach was produced in 1951 and had the serial number F1001 and was delivered to the West Covina Fire Department in California.
The LA County FD was a prime purchaser of Crown apparatus totalling around 134 pieces and the companies apparatus proved to be one the most popular pieces of fire apparatus manufactured in the western United States with sales ranging from Janeau, Alaska in the north,to San Diego in the south. Crowns were not only popular because of their short wheelbase and turning radius along with excellent driving visibility,but because they were all locally built. Of the approximately 868 Crowns of various sorts that were sold between the years of 1953 and 1985,about 82% went into initial service in California. Snorkel and Telesqurt equipment were a standard with Crown,as well as Maxim aerial ladders. Crowns strongest production years were between 1958 through to 1968.
The change in management and ownership brought about a pause of apparatus sales during the late 1970's, and in actual fact, between the years 1982 and 1983, no Crown fire apparatus was produced at all. Selling the Los Angeles production site and moving to Chino,California certainly didn't help.
In 1984, Lakeside FD California took delivery of a Crown/Van Pelt, three Crown/Van Pelts went to San Jose in 1985, and the last Crown Firecoach was delivered to Santa Monica,California that same year.
Today, its believed there are still around 20 Crown fire apparatus in preservation, and actually the very first Crown ever built by the company is still known to have survived and is still in preservation today.

With thanks to Pete Matten.