FEATURE – 1951 Cadillac Superior hearse
Words & Photos: Mike Ryan
It’s not often a classic hearse like this comes on the market, so when one does, it’s worth a closer look. And a closer look at this particular example uncovered a lot of interesting features and an intriguing history.
A Passion for Classics
The 1951 Cadillac Superior hearse presented here is not the first Cadillac owned by Les Smith, nor is it his first American classic, but it’s certainly the most interesting vehicle he’s owned.
That back catalogue includes a ’23 Ford T-bucket, ’74 Lincoln Continental MkIV, ’66 Cadillac Brougham and a ’61 Cadillac Fleetwood. That latter car was RHD converted from new, used by the American ambassador in Canberra and even pressed into service for US President Lyndon Johnson’s visit to Australia in 1966.
The hearse is something different entirely, though, and Les originally had a unique plan for it.
“We were going to put a coffee machine in the back and take it around to shows and food truck events – and call it ‘Dying for a Coffee’ or something like that!”
The red tape involved in getting such a business up and running meant the idea never went ahead, but the passion for a classic hearse remained. It had to be a particular era of classic, too.
“I love the shape of the ‘50s hearses,” Les explained. “Most later hearses are flat and square, but the ’50s have character and that’s what I like.”
A car broker was enlisted to track down the right vehicle and initially came up with a 1972 Cadillac hearse, then a 1965 example. Les wasn’t interested in either of them.
“When he started presenting hearses from the 1953 and 1954 era, I knew we were getting close,” Les recalled. “Then this one came up.”
Located in Sydney, this ’51 Cadillac Superior hearse had a patchy history, but subsequent investigation by Les and this writer uncovered a more detailed picture of its background, including an interesting origin story that unites Les with this vehicle.
In the Navy
As a young man, Les served in the Royal Australian Navy, and this hearse’s first duty may have been with the US Navy.
Built in 1951 by Superior Coach Corporation of Lima, Ohio, it’s believed the first customer for this hearse was the US Navy (USN). A subsequent owner bases this, in part, on its original paint scheme of mid-grey, which is a highly unusual colour for a hearse of this era, but common to USN shore transport, like trucks, jeeps and motorcycles. Backing this up are known cases of US Air Force hearses from the same era ordered in mid-blue and US Army examples in olive green.
While the hearse-building business was never huge, building hearses for the armed forces was a niche within a niche, making these ex-military examples even rarer.
What also makes this hearse rare is its unusual configuration – being a ‘rear-loader’ with dual suicide rear doors and a limousine body.
In hearse parlance, a ‘limousine’ usually means a vehicle with six side windows, while a ‘landaulet’ describes a body with blanked-off rear windows and faux landau irons.
At the time, ambulances and ‘combination cars’ (that could serve as both hearse and ambulance) were usually built with limousine bodies, while hearses were almost exclusively landaulets.
However, on this vehicle, despite its limousine body, it featured all the opulent interior trimmings of a hearse, including velour lining throughout that would be impractical for the sorts of spills and staining that happens in an ambulance.
This unusual combination may have been a USN request, but either way, it’s believed this vehicle is one of only five of its type built by Superior on a Cadillac chassis in 1951.
While the USN connection is unproven, this hearse’s subsequent history is better known. In the early 1960s, it was purchased by a fire department in Morrow County (a semi-rural area north of Columbus and less than 100km east of Lima), for ambulance use.
To convert the hearse, the fire department sent it back to Superior for fitting of a removable hospital gurney and attendant’s chair, as well as a heater for the rear area and a few other extras.
Repainted red, the ’51 Caddy served in the region for more than a decade, after which it was sold to a private collector, also located in Ohio, in 1973.
Whatever plans that owner had for the hearse are unknown, but it sat mostly unused and was still in ambulance-spec when he passed away in 2006.
Sold at an estate auction soon after, the hearse came into the possession of its next owner two years later, who found out most of its history, including the possible Navy connection.
Plans to part-restore and possibly even hot rod the hearse were mooted before it was put on the market at the start of 2009 with barely 30,000 miles on the odometer. That’s where the Australian connection begins…
Shipped, Sprayed, Seized
When posted on the US Cadillac La Salle Club forum, the hearse attracted immediate attention, not least for its remarkable ‘survivor’ condition, thanks to undercover storage for the past four decades.
While some of the identifying fire department signage had been removed, the red paint remained, as did the ambulance interior features. Some mechanical refurbishment was required, but the rest of the vehicle was just as Superior had built it in 1951.
Sold within weeks of its forum listing, the hearse was bought by an unknown Australian buyer and shipped here by mid-2009.
Evidence suggests the first Aussie owner was based in Queensland, as photos of it from this time carry QLD plates. A mild hot rod treatment by that owner included a full respray in satin black paint, custom exhaust, mag wheels and BF Goodrich white letter tyres. The brakes were rebuilt, linkages for the column-shift gear change refurbished and some of the side glass was replaced.
The hearse was still running its original drivetrain – a 331 V8 and 3-speed La Salle manual transmission – though, with the stock diff, drum brakes and suspension, too.
What happened next is unknown, but when Les purchased it in 2012, the hearse needed a LOT of work.
“When I got it, it wasn’t running and couldn’t even roll on its wheels. Those wheels weren’t authentic Cadillac, either. They looked like Holden wheels, and to make them fit, someone had just cut a stud off the hub!”
Worse was to come when the engine was pulled out.
Completely seized, including one piston that was virtually welded into the head, Les was advised to replace the engine entirely, but wanted to keep his new purchase as authentic and original as possible, so went down the rebuild route instead. That meant calling on a lot of specialty businesses in Geelong (Les’s home town) to handle everything from the radiator to the diff, and getting help from a few mates, too.
Some of the Cadillac-specific parts required were available within Australia, but most of the hard-to-find parts Les needed were sourced through Caddy Daddy, a US specialist that carries a remarkable inventory of Cadillac parts from 1936 to 1992 models.
To get a sense of the scale of the job involved in getting this hearse back on the road in running condition, it was more than three years after purchase that the engine was ready to be re-installed.
Other work was going on at this time, of course, including replacing the exhaust system, rebuilding the transmission, refurbishing the diff and brakes, replacing the starter motor, recoing the radiator, repairing the gauges and fitting all new hoses and rubbers throughout.
Surprisingly, the factory wiring was pretty good. Some wiring replacement was required, but not for the reasons you might think…
Seeing the Light and Enjoying the Ride
For fun and a bit of extra coin, Les plays country and western music, and uses the hearse as his “tour bus”, travelling to shows and events all over country Victoria. As you’d expect, the hearse is a very practical tour vehicle, with PLENTY of room for guitars and audio gear in the back.
After the hearse had finally been restored to running condition and registered in August of 2016, Les discovered one of its factory foibles.
“I was driving to Bendigo to do a gig, the battery was going flat and the lights were so weak I couldn’t see shit,” Les laughed.
The culprit, as you might have guessed, was the Cadillac’s factory 6-volt electrics. With more gigs and more miles planned, Les decided a 12-volt conversion was a practical upgrade, even though it deviated from stock. This was done in early 2017, with the vacuum wipers upgraded to electric operation at the same time.
Other practicalities included adding mirrors to the front wings, which were originally from a ’53 Cadillac but don’t look out of place. Even with these, reversing can be tricky, so Les added stick-on blind spot mirror enhancers.
The hearse body means this vehicle only carries a relatively small fuel tank – not a problem for city and suburban funeral work, but more of an issue when “on tour”. Les has got a pretty good handle on how long he can travel between refills, but carries a jerrycan - just in case.
Apparently, a larger fuel tank from a Statesman DeVille will fit the Cadillac, but Les is determined to keep his hearse factory, so the factory tank – and a watchful eye on the fuel gauge – remain.
“I’ve been taking it around to country and western shows so often now, and the vehicle’s become so familiar, that people know me as ‘the hearse driver’!” Les laughs.
As well as pubs, clubs and events, Les likes to entertain the residents at nursing homes and retirement villages, too. A hearse turning up at a nursing home - say what?!!!
Les laughs again as he says most people have the same reaction initially. “When I turn up in the hearse, the residents do a quick head count, thinking I’m there for a pick up!”
When Les pulls his guitar out of the coffin in the back, the residents have a good laugh themselves and get a real kick out of his visits.
While he’s never had to ‘multi-task’ on those nursing home visits, Les has used the hearse on the occasional funeral, but only for friends and by special request.
Car show appearances over the past few years have been minimal, but Les says it always attracts attention. That attention has increased since he put it on the market last year (see breakout).
“I get a lot of tyre kickers, but they all want to ‘change’ the vehicle. I’m really fussy about who I’ll sell it to. It’ll stay with me forever if I can’t find the right buyer.”
Since he got this hearse back on the road, Les has travelled just under 4,000 miles. He’s had a lot of fun with it, and adding the coffin in the back has enabled him to play a bunch of practical jokes, too.
“You do kind of fall in love with cars, and I did with this one.”
FOR SALE
As much as he’s enjoyed this hearse, the ravages of time (Les is talking about himself, not the car!) means it’s time to move it on.
Ideally, Les would like to see it returned to funeral service, in the vein of similar classic vehicles employed by some funeral homes.
Some cosmetic work would be required, but with refurbishment, particularly to the casket area, this vehicle could certainly be a popular addition to the fleet of any large funeral home.
With all the work that’s been put in, mainly undoing damage done by past owners, this vehicle needs nothing if all the new owner wants to do is jump in and cruise.
Subtle upgrades, like the 12-volt conversion and electric wipers, make it more practical for modern driving, too.
On full Victorian registration (expires 08/20), a full book of receipts for past work done is available for inspection, with a rare Superior Coach Co. factory parts and service manual included in the sale.
Asking price is $70,000 ono. Phone 0407 305 391 for more details.
View online with more photos at https://www.justcars.com.au/ using the ad code: JCM5064144.
