We just completed a week long study of hearses, their history and their evolution. Today we are going to discuss the major manufacturer of today’s hearses and some other facts about how they are created.
• Accubuilt, Inc. is the largest manufacturer of hearses in the nation today. It is located in Lima, Ohio.
• Several hearse makers have merged with Accubuilt, including Superior Coach, Miller-Meteor, Eureka and Sayers and Scovill.
• Accubuilt manufactures about 60 percent of the hearses you see at American funeral homes.
• Accubuilt built the hearse used for Ronald Reagan’s funeral as well as all of the limousines that followed in his procession.
• Brand new hearses can cost as much as $60,000. However, collectors and others are happy with used hearses for a fraction of the cost.
• The Professional Car Society was created more than 30 years ago to remind people and show how beautiful these cars are. A great deal of craftsmanship goes into their creation and many people forget about that when they see them. Instead, we usually associate hearses with morbidity rather than the “wonderful pieces of automotive memorabilia these vehicles truly are.”
Hopefully you have gained a new appreciation of Cadillac hearses in these last few posts. Feel free to leave us any comments you have below.
