Restorer32 2,009 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 If they weren't meant to mimic folding landau bars why do they have the off center circular knob which hides the joint on real folding landaus? Link to post Share on other sites
Restorer32 2,009 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 I will admit to overstating my case. The majority of vintage hearse pics do show them mounted as you say but there are exceptions. You will not, however, convince me that these "dignified design clues" were not inspired by convertible top landaus. I agree the visual bulk goes down, no argument about that. My argument is with the circular bump in the center. If the original builders mounted them as you say then they are "right" of course. My point is that IF they were functioning folding irons and IF they were on a convertible they would be wrong. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Restorer32 2,009 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 (edited) What do you have to say about the "bustle" usually found on the rear of flower cars. Were they not meant to suggest a folded convertible top? Edited August 17, 2014 by R W Burgess (see edit history) Link to post Share on other sites
R W Burgess 268 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 (edited) I will caution everyone that personal attacks will not be allowed on the forums. Edited August 18, 2014 by R W Burgess (see edit history) Link to post Share on other sites
West Peterson 655 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 What appears to be a Packard is actually a Russian version built from the old Packard dies called the ZIS 110.Noooooooooooo!!! Not true. No Packard dies. Possibly a few trim pieces, plus parking and taillights, but that's all. No body panel on that car came from Packard, nor Cadillac (which, in my opinion, it looks more like than Packard other than the grille). 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Bleach 1,153 Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 That's correct West. I posted this when I still believed the old tales about them. I read the article in the May / June issue of Antique Automobile and I know better now. That was an excellent article. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Dave Mellor NJ 338 Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Is that platform on the front of the ZIS for the grim reaper? Link to post Share on other sites
Packard Don 12 Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Actually the German word is Leichenwagen - all nouns in German are capitalized.The German word for "hearse" is "leichenwagen'. A Google search with that word mostly yielded a lot of under styled Mercedes and this VW -- I won't Link to post Share on other sites
Packard Don 12 Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Here is a photo from the early '70s of my first Henney-Packard, a rough 1941 end-loader with extension table, that I bought in the '60s when I was a teenager. It was just being delivered from Washington state where I lived when I bought it to San Jose where I live now. The drivers of the carrier joked, "watch him start it and drive it off" as they were struggling to unload it. I waited until they left before starting it and parking it! It was rough but ran well with new tires and brakes. This photo was taken in Milpitas, CA and I sold it only about a decade ago.Also, a photo of my former 1960 Superior-Pontiac, which still had the Bonneville name on the dash. I had it for years and finally sold it to a neighborhood teenager, then lost touch with it after he moved away, though I heard reports of it from time to time from friends who saw it on the highway. The Pontiac coaches were always only end-loaders or combinations but this was the former in the landau style. If it were a Superior-Cadillac, it would have been in the Royal style but I'm not sure that Pontiac differentiated or used the same name. This photo was taken in an unincorporated area of Santa Clara County, CA where I lived for close to 30 years and had up to 22 cars.Finally is my 1952 Henney-Packard Nu-3-Way when I first bought it, before I even installed whitewalls. It was an all-original car in excellent, shiny condition, straight from a car museum in Emeryville, CA. Sitting on the side-loading table is one of my grandmothers who was not expecting my visit but just happened to be wearing all black - AND a cape! I do have an odd family. The photo was taken in my hometown of Vallejo, CA. Although I've owned a number of '40s and '50s Henney-Packards, this was always my favorite and is now in Australia but the owner is not intending on keeping it stock. It weighs 6200 pounds so I hate to think how much it must have cost for shipping! Link to post Share on other sites
superior1980 19 Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Actually the German word is Leichenwagen - all nouns in German are capitalized.Here's two German words for everyone, Leichenwagen anhänger, anhänger translating to mean trailer. For several decades, the German funeral industry had both motorized hearses and trailer hearses. I could give you a long story behind them, but the short version is that the trailer hearse allowed an undertaker to conduct a low cost service by towing the hearse behind whatever his ordinary car was. Attached is a vintage photo of such a rig, and then two photos of a 1954 model that I own here in the States and is currently under restoration by another AACA member's shop. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Packard Don 12 Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 Cool! I've never seen one. I found the word Leichenwagen to be interesting because, resurrecting my German from decades ago, Krankenwagen ("sick wagon/car") means ambulance but Totenwagen ("dead wagon/car") does not mean hearse.Here's two German words for everyone, Leichenwagen anhänger, anhänger translating to mean trailer. For several decades, the German funeral industry had both motorized hearses and trailer hearses. I could give you a long story behind them, but the short version is that the trailer hearse allowed an undertaker to conduct a low cost service by towing the hearse behind whatever his ordinary car was. Attached is a vintage photo of such a rig, and then two photos of a 1954 model that I own here in the States and is currently under restoration by another AACA member's shop.[ATTACH=CONFIG]283691[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]283692[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]283693[/ATTACH] Link to post Share on other sites
Packard Don 12 Posted December 1, 2014 Share Posted December 1, 2014 (edited) I've never seen nor heard of a side loader.......leave it to Henney.......Nearly every coachbuilder offered side loaders on their standard commercial chassis. Stretches like Superior-Pontiac and others did not because generally these were lower price coaches for less affluent funeral homes while side loaders were premium and very expensive vehicles. The mechanism itself was patented by coachbuilder Eureka, then licensed to others for their own coaches. On later coaches (late '50s and up), side-loaders stood out even from a distance because they needed to have suicide (reverse opening) rear side doors in order to allow room for the casket table to swing out. Before that, Henney-Packard at least had suicide rear doors whether side loader or not so it was difficult to tell. There is a slide show of Henney-Packard side loaders on my Packards / Imperials Page in the Photo Album section - see the link below. Edited January 3, 2015 by Packard Don (see edit history) Link to post Share on other sites
Dave Gelinas (XP-300) 792 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 (edited) From my Flickr album.35 mm Kodachrome Yellow Corner Slide1958 Cadillac Eureka Hearse - 1955 Cadillac Limousinehttps://www.flickr.com/photos/117891934@N07/with/15627998977/ Edited January 2, 2015 by xp-300 (see edit history) Link to post Share on other sites
Hudsy Wudsy 585 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Here's a photo I copied from another thread on this forum. This Essex has functioning landau bars. One might presume that imitation ones would be mounted in a manner that would reflect these. Link to post Share on other sites
Bleach 1,153 Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 1917 REO 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Bleach 1,153 Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 1923 Meteor Link to post Share on other sites
Bleach 1,153 Posted January 3, 2015 Author Share Posted January 3, 2015 Link to post Share on other sites
sambarn 11 Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 (edited) There had been some discussion of the use of Landau bars on Hearses and why they existed. I have discovered the answer.My 73 Superior Ladder Hauler and favorite car for the dogs. Big windows and large flat carpeted rear area make it their fave. Edited January 18, 2015 by sambarn (see edit history) Link to post Share on other sites
Dave Gelinas (XP-300) 792 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Note the flower cars are actually convertibles. Link to post Share on other sites
Packard Don 12 Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 (edited) Flower cars are not generally convertibles although some of the less expensive ones might have been converted from convertibles. Most were on the same commercial chassis as the hearses and ambulances with rear side doors opening under the flower deck and were purpose-built as flower cars. They often had stainless boots at the rear that were similar to the cover on a lowered convertible top but they were generally only decorative or possibly contained a cover to protect the flower deck when not in use. Edited May 17, 2015 by Packard Don (see edit history) Link to post Share on other sites
Colin Spong 116 Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 1937 Lincoln-Zephyr RHD 4 door sedan converted into a hearse with a chassis extension by Baico of Chiswick, London and coachwork by unknown builder. The photo shows it in a junkyard but it was rescued in a restoration attempt that failed. It went to another junk yard where it languished until rescued by me and dismantled for parts to aid the restoration of a Zephyr RHD Coupe. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Bleach 1,153 Posted July 31, 2020 Author Share Posted July 31, 2020 That hearse looks like it's too nice to be in a junk yard. At first I thought I thought the car was in a procession. Link to post Share on other sites
8E45E 1,110 Posted July 31, 2020 Share Posted July 31, 2020 A book for Studebaker professional vehicles by George Hamlin was released just last year: https://www.studebakermuseum.org/store/studebaker-books/studebaker-books-history/Studebaker-Professional-Cars Craig 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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