The first motorized hearses were produced in 1909. Prior to that hearses were horse-drawn. It wasn’t until 1920 that motorized hearses become more mainstream. Early on, some hearses also doubled as ambulances because of the large capacity in the back of the vehicle.
The majority of hearses in the U.S are Cadillac’s and Lincoln’s. The word “hearse” comes from the Middle English “herse,” which referred to a type of candelabra often placed on top of a coffin. Sometime in the 17th century, people starting using the word to refer to the horse-drawn carriages that conveyed the casket to the place of burial during a funeral procession.
Cadillac manufactured a “commercial chassis” which is a strengthened version of the typical passenger car to handle the extra bodywork weight, rear deck and cargo. Ford Motor sells a Lincoln Town Car that is built with expectations of becoming a hearse. Coachbuilders, manufacturer of bodies for automobiles, take the base of the car and put the finishing touches on that turns the vehicle into a working hearse.
Below are 26 vintage hearse brochures from between the 1940s and 1960s.
The majority of hearses in the U.S are Cadillac’s and Lincoln’s. The word “hearse” comes from the Middle English “herse,” which referred to a type of candelabra often placed on top of a coffin. Sometime in the 17th century, people starting using the word to refer to the horse-drawn carriages that conveyed the casket to the place of burial during a funeral procession.
Cadillac manufactured a “commercial chassis” which is a strengthened version of the typical passenger car to handle the extra bodywork weight, rear deck and cargo. Ford Motor sells a Lincoln Town Car that is built with expectations of becoming a hearse. Coachbuilders, manufacturer of bodies for automobiles, take the base of the car and put the finishing touches on that turns the vehicle into a working hearse.
Below are 26 vintage hearse brochures from between the 1940s and 1960s.
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| 1940 Meteor-La Salle Funeral Car Model 530 |
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| 1942 Cadillac Seventy Five Limousine |
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| 1948 Chevrolet |
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| 1950 Cadillac Seventy Five Limousine |
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| 1951 Chevrolet Hearses |
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| 1952 Superior-Cadillac |
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| 1954 Pontiac-Superior |
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| 1954 Superior-Cadillac |
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| 1956 Cadillac Limousine |
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| 1957 Eureka Limousine |
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| 1957 Eureka Landau |
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| 1958 Eureka Cadillac |
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| 1958 S & S Superline Park Hill |
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| 1958 S & S Knickerbocker |
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| 1958 S & S Victoria |
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| 1959 Cadillac Eureka Hearse |
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| 1959 Eureka Cadillac |
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| 1959 Superior Cadillac |
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| 1959 Superior Cadillac Crown Royal Landaulet |
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| 1960 Cadillac Professional Cars |
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| 1961 Eureka Cadillac Landau |
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| 1962 Oldsmobile Cotner-Bevington |
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| 1962 Oldsmobile Cotner-Bevington |
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| 1966 Cadillac Paramount Landau |
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| 1967 Cadillac Royale Tiara |
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| 1970 Cadillac Professional Cars |
