This 1956 Cadillac Meteor ambulance may lack modern medical equipment, but it’s got more than enough style.

“It’s a smooth ride smooth, too,” said owner Scott Ashworth.

Ashworth, a retired Rochester firefighter, purchased the vehicle from a Florida museum. On June 24, he joined other car enthusiasts at the weekly gathering of The Downshifters Club at Plumb Corner.

Ashworth, who spent 37 years with the fire department, started his career working in a Cadillac ambulance. The one he purchased was originally delivered to a small town fire department in Minnesota.

A rarity, the ambulance is one of the last  built by the Meteor Motor Co., of Piqua, Ohio, before it merged with the A.J. Miller Company, also of Ohio. The new company produced cars under the Miller-Meteor brand.

“If it’s not the only one in existence, it’s very close to being the last,” Ashworth said.

In summer, The Downshifters Club meets Monday nights in Rochester and other South Coast locations throughout the week. Club gatherings feature music, a charity raffle, and plenty of classic cars.