Mr. Ed's Hearse Pictures

Perhaps some of the most beautiful and graceful vehicles ever created, the hearse, or funeral coach, has always seemed to get a bad rap. People seeing them drive by get chills and look away. It may be because hearses remind us of death. The last ride that we will ever take on earth.

But I see them very differantly. Hearses have a grace about them. With their dark color, draped windows, scrolls and long bodies, they omit a sense of dignity and beauty. Most pre 1970 hearses were hand-built. Creations of a coach company that would take the chassis and drivetrain from an auto manufacturer and extend it, then drop their own body and interior onto it.

Interiors were made of imported woods, velvet and satin in many colors then casket rollers were installed. The car was designed by the undertaker in many instances. Perhaps the greatest interest I have in hearses is the fact that most of them were one-of-a-kind. No two were completely alike. This is why when I see an old hearse or ambulance rotting away somewhere, I get a sick feeling. These automobiles are the rareist of the rare.

So sit back and enjoy these pictures. If you have any interest in old hearses you should get some satisfaction in knowing that, at least these have survived.

Letter Rec. 1-21-2012

1885 to 1900 ??? Horse Drawn Hearse ~

Dear Ed, I inquired of you about a horse drawn hearse earlier in October and I wish to thank you for your response. I'm trying to find the value($) of a horse drawn hearse that was last used in 1918 by my fathers funeral home. Please sign in to my Kodak Gallery to see 3 photos of the hearse. As stated before, it was last used in 1918. It has snow runners on it(we gave the wheels away!) and I was told by the owner/restorer of The Lowel Body Shop( Albert Slyke, Lucky Acres Ranch) that it is in "excellent" condition.The carved wood curtains and original FABRIC curtains are remarkable. Mr. Slyke was unable to appraise it and was unable to find the maker of the carriage. I am having a hard time finding an appraiser in this part of Michigan and would appreciate any tips or a "ball" park estimate on the value of my hearse. Thank You, Sincerely, Cindy M.

Letter

Mr. Ed,
My wife and I have always thought of Hearses as beautiful works of craftsmanship. At a recent car show in Everette, WA, there were a couple present. One was the classic '66 Cadillac. The other was a 1929 Ford Model A version which we had never seen before. It was actually the first car that caught my wife's eye as we approached the car show from the parking lot.My father in law is a bit of a Ford collector himself with a '31 A Roadster, '31 Sedan, '40 Mercury Coupe, and a '56 T-Bird. So we keep our eyes peeled for things he might like. The plaque on the Hearse indicated that it was purchased as a truck to be restored a few years ago. The current owner decided to make it into a period Hearse. The frame was extended and the 'coach' section is still in progress. The car is using the classic 8-column design with the hand carved wooden curtain panels. This car really struck us as fascinating, as we had not seen a 'horseless' hearse this old before.In doing some research online I came upon your site. There are some truly gorgeous vehicles featured in your collection of photos. I have attached the 2 photos I took of the 'A.' Unfortunately it was very wet at this event, so the pics are not the best. I hope you enjoy them, and may find them worthy of posting on your site.
Regards,Tim

1941 Cadillac Hearse ~

Hi, I'm 66 years old and have a picture of an 1941 Cadillac hearse with the engraved sides. Purchased in Miami, Florida in 1967, I owned it for six months before going into the Army. While in training, my mother sold it. Have been trying to find out if it still exists. When I bought it from a used car lot, the dealer told me that it was the same hearse that buried Al Capone, he even had a newspaper article with the picture. I took the hearse but not the article. Then, a Miami Herald reporter heard about me and my friends going to California for a “surfing safari”. This is one picture that I was able to keep. Hope you will post it on your website, maybe someone will recognize it. Thanks for your time, Al Glass

Hearse & Limos FOR SALE

I got this e-mail from Buenos Aires , Argentina. Ricardo Birsa wants to sell these old Cadillac Hearses and Limousines. Also, a couple of horse-drawn hearse are for sale as well. Here's his e-mail sent on Sept. 22, 2014:

Hello Mr Ed ,
I´m Ricardo Birsa from Argentina . My company is US1 Exports , a company especialized in selling antique collector cars , airplanes and military vehicles . I found your site and was very impressed about the so many different styles of the hearses there are around the world . I´m contacting you because I have an incredible set of Cadillac 1938 funeral cars and also a horse drawn hearse and a flower´s carriage made by the same coach builder Hermida & Nazzi matching the style . The cars and carriages are simply amazing with deep carving . Maybe you know somebody interested in buying them as a set and we can do business together . There are : two Cadillac 1938 hearses , one Cadillac 1938 flower´s car , two horse drawn carriages : hearse and flower´s carriage and a Cadillac 1938 Limousine . All the vehicles from the same funeral home . I´m attaching some pictures of one of the hearse from when it was restored to participate in a movie production 25 years ago also some of the carriages and if you think that you can move them I´ll send more pictures and information .
Thank you very much in advance and I´hope we can do something together . I´ve been exporting goods for 27 years worldwide .

Here's Ricardo's contact information:

Ricardo Birsa

US1 Exports

www.us1exports.com

Alberti 857 (1642) San Isidro

Buenos Aires , Argentina

If your looking for something really differant and amazing to restore, this may be you chance. Think what these vehicles would look like fully restored.

BELOW ARE THE PICTURES OF RICARDO'S COLLECTION THAT IS FOR SALE: