Classic cars with a purpose
Hearses are often forgotten commercial vehicles.
While they might be overlooked for their sombre purpose, used examples offer a lot of car for the money, and showcase interesting and sometimes bizarre versions of classics.
Furthermore, for those of us who love cars, a particular make or model might hold an important meaning as you take your final journey.
Here we’ve gathered some of the most interesting classic-car-based hearses from between 1928 and 2000, presented in chronological order.
1. 1928 Ford Model T hearse
Thanks to the widespread popularity of the Ford Model T, it’s no surprise it was also a common choice to turn into a hearse.
Its boxy bodywork lent itself to this kind of conversion and since the Model T’s stock look saw the back of the vehicle finish in line with the rear wheel, there was room to extend an overhang beyond the rear axle.
The Model T conversion resembles the type of hearse carriages that would have been moved by horses.
When cars were invented, funeral processions were able to go a little faster than horse-drawn arrangements, but the high price of cars meant it was a while before this type of transport took off.
In the early 1900s, motorised electric and gas-powered hearses were produced before car prices started to become more affordable.
2. 1936 LaSalle hearse
Similar to the 1936 LaSalle Touring Sedan, the hearse version also features three windows on either side.
The last window in this one is extended to accommodate the additional bodywork on what appears to be a lengthened wheelbase.
This example had custom coachwork completed by Meteor Motor Company of Ohio. According to the auctioneer, the hearse was used from 1936 to 1964 as a funeral car and ambulance.
A dual-use vehicle such as this was sometimes referred to as a combination car, which was not uncommon in America until the 1970s.
Multi-purpose use was often seen in small towns and rural areas, where funeral homes would provide ambulance services as well.
In the ’70s, regulations changed regarding the required equipment needed to be carried in ambulances, so these combination cars were largely unsuitable for this double purpose thereafter.
3. 1939 Packard Super Eight hearse
Packard was a leader in luxury American automobiles before the Second World War.
This Super Eight-based hearse was bodied by the Henney Motor Company of Freeport, Illinois.
The coachbuilder specialised in limousines, hearses, ambulances and taxicabs.
This hearse was commissioned by a funeral home in Virginia and reportedly cost around double what a new Packard of the period would have been, at roughly $10,000 and, because it was built by Henney, the majority of its Packard badging is replaced with Henney items.
Woodwork inside features Madagascan ebony and Honduran mahogany, and the interior is trimmed in a blue, velvet-type fabric.
The vehicle was restored over a 10-year period after extensive time off the road. To suit its profession, this classic Packard hearse has rear hydraulic levelling suspension.
4. 1939 Rolls-Royce 4¼-litre Wraith hearse
Given the rarity of standard Rolls-Royce Wraith models, hearse versions are few and far between.
This example is said to have started life with saloon coachwork, it was then fitted with a shooting-brake body and thought to have been used by a preparatory school, before a funeral director bought it and married it to a coachbuilt hearse body acquired at an auction.
Alongside ornate roof decorations, the sides feature bevelled glass and the rear window is curved.
Its period fittings remain inside and it achieved £58,700 at auction in 2007, so it’s possible this example would be even more sought-after by keen collectors today.
5. 1946 Ford hearse truck
Pick-ups arguably make the most sense for hearse conversions.
The long bed behind the cabin means minimal wheelbase lengthening is required to create the desired effect.
Several surviving trucks of this era have been turned into hot rods, but the only thing this Ford truck shares with those is an eight-cylinder engine – Ford’s flathead V8 was a staple in its pick-ups from the late ’30s until the early 1950s.
Just like its success with the Model T, Ford had set the pace for selling popular vehicles in huge numbers thanks to affordable prices.
This made the Ford truck an ideal candidate for a hearse, because many conversion projects are incredibly expensive.
Undoubtedly, this was a costly build, but the vehicle would have required far fewer alterations compared to some of the more elaborate creations listed here.
6. 1948 Buick hearse
Unlike some enthusiasts who have hearses in their collections, it appears this vehicle’s previous owner had an affinity for the Buick marque, rather than this particular niche.
The car was sold by RM Auctions in 2020 from the Roadmaster Collection, which featured more than 35 different Buick models.
Despite being in a collection, it seemed to be well used, because the car took part in the 2018 Great Race from Buffalo, New York, to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
For general use, the Buick was retrofitted with vintage air conditioning, a Pioneer stereo and cruise control.
It’s based on the Super Series 7 and powered by a V8 with an automatic transmission.
Although it was never intended to cover long distances, it sounds like this classic hearse has been modified into a driver’s car fit for classic and vintage shows, rallies and events.
7. 1949 Daimler DE27 hearse
Embarking on a bespoke coachbuilt vehicle is no cheap project and funeral cars have typically tended towards luxury marques, making what starts as a pricey endeavour an even-more-expensive one.
Daimlers oozed high-end quality and this conversion was completed by Dottrage Brothers of London in 1951.
The vehicle features four seats in front of the open rear deck and, as of 2008, this was believed to be the only one of its kind operational in the UK.
Daimler limousines and hearses were ideal for this kind of work because of their smooth and quiet-running engines.
The DE27 was fitted with a 4.1-litre straight-six which, it’s said, was developed for use in the Daimler armoured car during the war efforts.
8. 1954 Humber Pullman MkI hearse
While this is a well-preserved example of a Humber Pullman, this particular vehicle perhaps had a more interesting life once it stopped working.
Under previous ownership it was driven by Eike Erzmoneit, a German artist and musician who lived in London. He’s thought to have painted the rear door and created a unique ornament to adorn the bonnet.
The vehicle appeared in a 1997 episode of Top Gear as part of the classic hearse register, showcasing people who use hearses for other purposes, including as a carpet fitter’s van and even a drag-racing car.
It’s thought Erzmoneit used the Humber as a tour bus thanks to the large space in the back.
The vehicle was bodied by Jenkins & Pain, which is one of the few coachbuilders of the period to have survived into the 21st century, now working as an accident-repair workshop in Dover.
9. 1956 Austin Princess hearse
The Austin Princess was a popular choice to convert into a hearse and this particular one took the fancy of John Lennon.
The story goes that The Beatles preferred Austin limousines rather than the likes of Bentley or Rolls-Royce cars, because the doors opened wider which made it easier to jump in quickly.
This Princess featured in the 1972 documentary Imagine and was later fitted with two rows of airline seats.
After Lennon’s ownership, the vehicle was bought by a Californian film producer who used it to tour Ireland before taking it to America.
Here, it was registered EMAJIN, a numberplate this Austin still wears.
In 2008, it was donated to the Austin Rock & Roll Car Museum and is said to be in original condition with no evidence of reupholstery or paintwork, suggesting it's much the same as it was when Lennon drove it.
10. 1960 Cadillac Eureka hearse
Many American-made hearses feature S-shaped motifs on the rear panels, called landau bars.
What we might think of as decorative additions are based in history.
The landau was a carriage that first appeared in the mid 18th century. It featured two sections which would fold down flat, essentially a very early example of a convertible. The mechanism was housed on the exterior and disguised with what became known as landau bars.
In the 1930s, the limousine and funeral-car maker Sayers and Scovill is credited for adding ornamental landau bars to hearses, and it’s since become a tradition to feature landau bars on American hearses.
This V8-powered, 1960 Cadillac Eureka hearse was sold for US$30,000 in 2022 and, landau bars and all, certainly has a very distinctive style.
11. 1963 Buick Electra 225 hearse
Just like the Cadillac Eureka on the previous slide, this Buick Electra features landau bars at the rear.
It has an unusual gold paintjob with a beige-vinyl interior and was converted by the Flxible Side Car Company of Loudonville, Ohio, which was originally a motorcycle-sidecar manufacturer before branching out into buses, ambulances and funeral cars
This Electra is powered by a 401cu in Wildcat V8, with more than 300bhp.
Inside, the windows are lined with beige privacy curtains, and the rear panels are upholstered and decorated with wall lights.
It was reportedly ordered new by a funeral home in Colorado for the sum of US$7470 and used for around 20 years, before it passed through the hands of a number of collectors.
In 2023, it was sold at auction for US$12,750 to another collector.
12. 1963 Mercedes-Benz 220SE hearse
This Mercedes-Benz 220SE undoubtedly started its professional career wearing black, but has since been repainted in a more cheery Lapis Blue colour.
The interior is upholstered in two-tone brown with a glittered fleck. This example didn’t begin life in the UK and is based on a left-hand-drive 220SE, equipped with a 2195cc engine.
13. 1969 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI hearse
This Rolls-Royce Phantom VI began life with limousine coachwork, before it was sold to a firm of funeral directors and converted by Wilcox Coachworks.
This Phantom is one of 10 built by Wilcox, and we think the bodywork lends itself to this two-tone, black-and-burgundy paintwork.
14. 1970 Cadillac Superior hearse
In the era of land yachts, it’s no surprise Cadillacs were great candidates for funeral cars.
The bonnet is almost as long as the rear compartment, but the inside of this hearse is far from its original form.
Its previous owner repainted this classic a very dark purple and turned it into what the auction house describes as a ‘party wagon’. It seats nine people and, importantly for its latest profession, has a CD player. If anyone has CDs any more…
Two sunroofs and rear windows were added where the landau bars likely would have been.
15. 1971 Austin 1800 hearse
Once owned by the British Motor Museum, this classic Austin was on display from 1991 until 2003, when it was sold for £1495, at which point it had covered 39,400 miles and was in need of recommissioning.
It was bodied by Woodall Nicholson, which was one of Britain’s leading coachbuilders for the funeral industry.
16. 1983 Mercedes-Benz 280TE hearse
First registered in the UK with ivory paintwork, this classic Mercedes ended up in Australia where it was converted by the coachbuilding company Hillier by Design.
Despite its black makeover on the outside, the interior is still beige vinyl with a light-coloured cloth trim.
Creature comforts for the driver include air conditioning, cruise control, electric windows and a green tint along the top of the windscreen.
This example retains cut-down rear doors to allow access to storage space beneath the rear platform, which is used to keep a spare wheel.
17. 1987 Daimler DS420 Limousine hearse
This is one of the few cars we’ve featured that didn’t need to be lengthened to suit its new working life once it left the factory.
As standard, the Daimler DS420 Limousine was long enough to seat seven passengers and had three windows along either side.
Rather than the sloping rear roofline which dropped down to the boot, this example has been extended upwards and the side panels replaced to remove the rear doors.
18. 1990 Toyota Crown Miyagata hearse
The basic concept of a hearse is shared throughout most of the world, but each culture has its own take on it.
In Japan, there are American-style hearses, some of which are based on Toyota Crowns. There are also vehicles with incredible designs to resemble Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, known as Miyagata-style hearses, which generally feature wooden constructions mounted to the rear.
As you can see, this is an example of the latter.
There’s more inside, too. The car pictured is decorated with hanging lamps to illuminate gold-finished carvings of animals and flowers that adorn the walls and ceiling of the interior.
19. 1993 Ford Granada/Scorpio Cardinal hearse
This vehicle was built by Coleman Milne, a company based in the English town of Bolton that has been making funeral cars for more than six decades.
The Top Gear episode we’ve already mentioned that featured a Humber Pullman also included a visit to Coleman Milne which, at the time, predominantly worked on Fords.
This example has a 2-litre, four-cylinder, twin-cam engine and an automatic transmission.
20. 1994 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham hearse
This Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham has more than 100,000 miles on the clock and sold for $7975 in 2021, significantly less than an equivalent model without hearse bodywork.
Obviously, it’s more difficult to change the exterior back to a standard Fleetwood Brougham specification, but there’s plenty of room inside, so you can strip out the back and use it for extra seats or a campervan-style set-up.
This is made easier because this example retains its back doors, which permit access to the rear compartment behind a glass partition.
21. 1999 Cadillac DeVille hearse
Cadillac’s long history as a luxury American brand, means its cars are popular for funerals.
This example, from 1999, is trimmed black inside, the rear platform is finished with a marble-look surface and there are floral privacy curtains at the windows.
There’s also a 4.6-litre V8, which is only said to have covered 42,000 miles, when its new owner picked it up at auction with Mecum in 2017.
22. 2000 Saab 9-5 hearse
This Saab 9-5 was built by Coleman Milne with a substantially higher roofline and elongated wheelbase.
It benefits from features including air conditioning, electric windows, central locking and a CD player. This example has a 2-litre engine paired with an automatic gearbox.
In 2023, it sold for £683, with Historics Auctioneers, who described it as an ideal opportunity to acquire it for use as a van, since the rear windows were covered with panels which could be sign written.
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