Heritage Coach Dealer Blog USA

The early 20th century was a time of major changes in transportation. Cars were quite new, and roads mostly did not exist. Horses and buggies were still the transportation of choice for many people. However, a third option also became popular around this time – the trolley.

The earliest streetcars and trolleys were drawn by horses, and developed around the turn of the 19th century. By the turn of the 20th century, streetcars had become electrified. New electric trolleys were more practical for longer distances, and the lines expanded.

At the time, trolleys were viewed by many as the most practical and hygienic means of transportation. Unfinished roads and unreliable performance made many skeptical of the newfangled automobile, and the high price of cars made them impractical for the average budget. Horses and buggies, though still quite popular, were beginning to be seen as dirty and old-fashioned.

With these factors in place, it was perhaps only natural that in some cities, the trolley took the lead as funeral car of choice. For example, the Los Angeles Railway offered funeral charters of a trolley car. The car was specially configured to provide a chapel section (where the coffin was placed) and a passenger compartment. If the immediate family desired privacy, a curtain could be drawn to separate them from the rest of the mourners in the compartment.

Funeral trolley service lasted in Los Angeles only until 1924. Many other cities closed their funeral trolley services near the same time. Many then found that the cars had to be completely remodeled before commuters and sightseers would ride in them.

Though the funeral car trolley lasted only a short time, it is an interesting reminder of a unique period in the history of transportation.

If you are a funeral car collector or enthusiast, you may want to consider joining the Professional Car Society . This international society was founded in 1976 to encourage the restoration and preservation of professional cars. A professional car can be virtually any customized vehicle that is based on a passenger car and used in livery, funeral or rescue services. Special attention is given to dual-function vehicles such as hearse/ambulances and invalid coaches.

The society is a gold mine of information for anyone attempting to restore, maintain or preserve a car that fits within its guidelines. A quarterly magazine, The Professional Car, is distributed free of charge to members. The magazine carries numerous articles and advertisements that are of particular interest to professional car enthusiasts. Each issue also provides a free Classifieds section, which can be quite helpful in obtaining needed parts for your funeral car.

An international meet is held each summer, always in a colorful and interesting location. This is wonderful opportunity to meet and mingle with others who share your hobby, and to trade valuable information and tips.

The society also maintains a significant web presence. Here you can find information on your local chapter, learn about the society’s history and plans for the future, submit details about your car for possible display at future events, and keep up with ongoing events.

It is not necessary to own a professional car in order to join, but if you do own a car you are encouraged to submit photos for possible publication. Membership dues are quite low, considering the benefits that are included.

If you are still in the market for the perfect funeral car , we invite you to visit our convenient dealership. We can help you find the funeral car that is right for you.

Several days ago, we brought you a spotlight on Grim Rides. This California-based funeral car club also maintains an extensive online presence. Among other things, Grim Rides was able to locate the current owner of the Harold and Maude hearse, possibly the most famous funeral car in film history.

For those of you who are young at heart, or are raising kids of your own, be sure to visit Grim Rides’ extensive online museum of Grim Toys. Although the toys are not for sale through the website, it is a great resource for creating a list of items to search for. The museum is divided by category, making navigation a breeze.

Funeral Cars
A surprising number of die cast and plastic toy funeral cars have been created over the years. From monster movie tie-ins to accurate scale models of legendary hearses, Grim Toys has a fairly extensive list. Most listing feature photographs, which can be extremely helpful should you attempt to choose between offerings on eBay or similar websites.

Ambulances
Throughout history, many hearses have done double duty as ambulances. Even when separated, ambulances in many places continued to resemble funeral cars until recent years. If you are interested in ambulance history, be sure to check out Grim Toys’ photos of old ambulance vehicle toys.

Other Toys
The museum also includes a sizeable collection of other spooky toys. Limos and cemetery kits, toys modeled on Ghostbusters’ famous Ecto-1 and toys from other famous films round out the list. The photos are a wonderful way to bring back childhood memories.

Grim Toys provides a wonderful service, cataloging funeral car models and other spooky toys from throughout history. Whether or not you have kids of your own, the site is worth a look for a bit of nostalgia.

In much of the world, the rituals surrounding death are largely based on the celebration of life, both that of the deceased and that of those who remain. Perhaps nowhere on Earth is this more pronounced than in the Big Easy. New Orleans is a city of extremes, with the motto Laissez les Bon Temps Roulez, or Let the Good Times Roll. Blending traditions dating back to ancient Africa with the music for which the city is famous, New Orleans has developed a funeral ritual all its own: the jazz funeral.

Jazz funerals are not extremely common today, but are still practiced on a semi-regular basis, particularly for members of Mardi Gras krewes, local musicians and old New Orleans families. Anyone can have a jazz funeral, however. The funerals are customized for each family, but generally follow a basic pattern.

The band and the family (on foot) lead the procession, which generally begins at the church or funeral home. Many families select a traditional horse-drawn hearse, although a modern funeral car can also be used. Other mourners often join the procession on foot.

On the way to the cemetery, somber songs are played. This is the time to mourn the passing of a loved one. At the cemetery, the body is interred. At this point, the music changes. Upbeat songs are played in celebration of life. The funeral procession becomes a Second Line, a sort of impromptu parade that is also prevalent at weddings and other events. Dance is common, often a sort of frenzied cathartic dance. Onlookers and passersby are invited to join in the parade and dancing.

Interested in hearses for sale?  Stop by our friendly dealership.

Although this sort of celebration of life may seem shocking to those whose funeral rituals are hallmarked by grieving, it is not unusual worldwide. From the Irish wake to the African spiritual celebrations, funerals in many cultures recognize the healing power of celebration. In a city whose history has been marked by hurricanes, plagues and fires, it is perhaps only natural that New Orleans would have developed such a moving way of recognizing its deceased.

Drunk driving awareness programs have been extremely popular in recent years. Groups like SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions, formerly Students Against Drunk Driving) and MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) regularly stage scenarios that attempt to shock teens with the stark realities of possible drunk driving consequences. These scenarios usually take place around prom season, as groups attempt to ensure that teens will make wise choices on prom night.

In decades past, these demonstrations have largely consisted of static displays placed on school lawns. Wrecked cars and funeral cars are generally a part of the display. If a student has recently been involved in a non-fatal accident, his or her car may be used to help bring realism.

In recent years, these static displays have been supplanted or reinforced by live demonstrations. These demonstrations are often sponsored by police and fire departments, and may include ambulances, police cars and even funeral cars. Live actors play the roles of the injured and dead.

A group in Dracut, Massachusetts recently staged one of the most realistic displays yet, according to the Valley Dispatch. Held on school grounds, the scenario placed three students in cars that had just been involved in a head-on collision. A fourth student lay on the pavement, the victim of a gushing head wound. As the girl was declared dead, her mother rushed onto the scene, screaming in agony. One of the drivers, a popular student, was arrested for vehicular homicide as liquor bottles were pulled from the car. The girl was zipped into a body bag and loaded into a funeral car as her mother was physically restrained.

Later, students filing into an assembly were met with an open coffin bearing a mirror inside. A chilling note read “This could be you.” The mother of a student killed in a drunk driving accident then addressed the somber group.

Although demonstrations like the above could be considered too graphic for students, proponents believe that these programs make a difference. Student drinking statistics are down, and some groups partially attribute this to these realistic anti-drinking and driving displays.

If you would like to donate your funeral car for use in a school display, contact your local chapter of SADD or MADD for more information.

As a general rule, funeral car enthusiasts love to fix up their cars and show them off. Some prefer to restore their vehicles to their original condition, others soup them up for racing purposes. Another group, however, prefers to turn their funeral cars into showpiece works of art. A British pair has done just that, and now plans to enter the vehicle in a cross-Europe road rally.

The car in question is a 15 year old Ford Dorchester mourners’ car that was purchased for 100 pounds. The three man team has customized the vehicle around a disco theme, complete with disco ball, pink paint and flashing lights. Now they plan to enter their car in a road rally known as the Ramshackle Rally, which will cross Europe to Krakow, Poland later this year.

The rally is a popular see and be seen event, in which the team is attempting to raise money for charity. Their charity of choice is the Cauldwell Charitable Trust, a group organized by friends of one of the team members that helps sick and disadvantaged children.

The trio will drive approximately 3,000 km in four days from the city of Calais, France to the finish line in Krakow. None have ever competed in an event on this scale, but all are eager to get started.

If you are a funeral car enthusiast, you probably enjoy taking your car out and showing it off. A road rally is a great place to meet others who share your interest in unusual vehicles. Rallies take place around the world on a fairly regular basis, and are easy to find online. If you are still in the market for the perfect funeral car, be sure to stop by our friendly dealership.

If you have ever been to Disney’s Haunted Mansion in any of its global incarnations, you have traveled through the ballroom scene. Your “doombuggy” vehicle passes along a second floor overlook, where you can watch the ghosts gathering for a “swinging wake” below. A funeral car delivers ghostly party-goers to a banquet hall where they dine and dance. Two portraits come to ghostly life to finish their duel in midair.

This scene is a marvel of technology, but not modern technology. In fact, the illusion was based on a 150 year old stage magician’s trick. The effect is known as Pepper’s Ghost. If you do not want the illusion spoiled, you may want to quit reading here. For those of you who are curious, however, here is a brief explanation of this old yet powerful effect.

The effect was named for John Henry Pepper, a chemistry professor at the London Polytechnic Institute who explained the illusion in his 1862 book “Wonders of Optical Science.” It has been used over the years by everyone from stage magicians to phony mediums and spiritualists.

The illusion is based on the properties of light reflection through glass. Although you may not have realized it, a sheet of glass separates you from the room below. Directly above and below your ride vehicle are sets of animatronic figures. When the figures are illuminated, their reflection appears in the glass in front of you. You are simultaneously viewing the real props, such as the funeral car and banquet table, and the reflected “ghostly” images of the hidden animatronics.

Unfortunately, the Imagineers who designed the ride did not take into account that the apparitions are a mirror image of the animatronic figures. If you look closely at the dancers, you will see that ghostly women are actually leading the men.

This simple but effective illusion has truly stood the test of time. Next time you are in the Haunted Mansion, see if you can notice the effect for yourself!

Funeral car enthusiasts and cult movie lovers alike are extremely familiar with the 1959 Cadillac Superior hearse that was so much a part of the film Harold and Maude. Over the decades, the fate of that funeral car has been widely debated. Numerous people have come forward claiming to be the current owner, from celebrities to funeral car collectors. However, the popular funeral car club Grim Rides appears to have located the actual owner.

So Who Owns the Car?
The gentleman who currently owns the Harold and Maude funeral car has decided to remain anonymous. However, he met with the owner of Grim Rides and provided documentation that proves that his car is the one from the film. The letter that the current owner received from the Department of Motor Vehicles, giving the car’s history, is posted on the club’s website.

How Did He Get the Car?
The owner’s account of the story is also available on Grim Rides’ website. According to that account, some scenes from the film were shot in his hometown. He had the opportunity to view the funeral car up close on several occasions. After the film was released, he became an enormous fan. In 1974, he decided to track down the vehicle. He read the license plate from the movie screen and had a friend’s police officer father locate the owner. He then called the owner.

As it turns out, the owner was also a major fan of the movie. The pair stayed in touch over the next months, and when the owner was ready to sell, he offered the car to the gentleman in question. He was not yet old enough to drive, nor did he have the money for the car. However, his father came through and purchased the vehicle for him.

He drove the car regularly until 1977, and has had it in storage since 1979. At last, the mystery has been solved. As for the Jag hearse that was driven off a cliff at the end of the film? It was destroyed during filming of that scene.

If you would like a funeral car of your own, we invite you to visit our friendly dealership to find new and used hearses for sale. We will be happy to help you find the car that is right for you.

If you are into funeral cars, the chances are good that you are also interested in Halloween and its associated events. Perhaps you have a favorite haunt that you make an annual trek to each year. Or maybe you prefer to do as my father and I did last year, making the rounds of a section of the country to visit as many different haunts as possible. Either way, have you ever wondered what goes into the behind the scenes creation of a haunted attraction? HAuNTcon is your chance to find out.

This annual event takes place each spring at a carefully selected location somewhere in the United States. Next year’s event will be in Milwaukee, WI. The convention takes place over a long weekend (4 days total plus optional add-on events) and is filled to the brim with owners, designers, actors, makeup artists and others who are dedicated to perfecting the art of the scare. Yet the general public is invited to attend for a rare behind the scenes look at the creation of these Halloween masterpieces.

A funeral car rally is always part of the festivities, allowing those who own hearses and other funeral cars the chance to show off their babies. Costume contests, dinners and both lights-on and lights-off tours of local haunted attraction are just a few of the regular events.

The convention also offers numerous classes on topics that are hard to find elsewhere. This year’s lineup included classes entitled “Monster Mouths Made Easy,” “Styrofoam Masonry IV,” and “Airbrush Makeup for Haunts,” among many others. No experience is required for these hands-on seminars, and you need not be affiliated with a haunt to attend.

If you are still in the market for the perfect funeral car, we invite you to visit our convenient dealership for hearse sales. We will be happy to help you select a car that you will be proud to take HAuNTcon.

Many cars today elicit strong emotional responses. Exotic car fans may stop in their tracks at the sight of a Ferrari or Lamborghini. Muscle car buffs feel a strong connection to the vehicles they restore. Funeral cars, however, elicit a decidedly mixed response.

Many people feel creeped out or afraid at the sight of a hearse or other funeral car. The connection to death, which is heavily feared by many, draws a strongly negative feeling from many people. However, to others it is just the opposite. Whether they are drawn to funeral cars precisely because of their morbid connections or because of their beauty and power, there is a large contingent of funeral car enthusiasts around the world.

Funeral car lovers, like those who enjoy any particular type of car, love to get together and show off their vehicles. While some of these meetings are private, most are open to the public. Public funeral car rallies are often held near Halloween, playing up the spookiness that many feel is associated with the vehicles.

A funeral car rally can be an exciting event. There may be music, games, movies, celebrity appearances and numerous other activities. Some of the cars have been customized and are nothing short of spectacular.

Whether you are a funeral car enthusiast or not, a funeral car rally is a great way to get the family together for some unusual entertainment that you are sure to remember for years to come. You can easily find a show in your area with a simple internet search. Should your rally experience inspire you to find a used hearse for sale, be sure to visit our friendly dealership, where we will help you find the car of your dreams.