Thursday, October 31, 2013

Alameda Street Sighting - 1972 Cadillac Superior Crown Landaulet Funeral Coach

Second in my Halloween hearse double-feature is a 1972 Cadillac Funeral Coach, which looks to be a Superior Crown Landaulet. Unlike the 1970 Superior hearse featured previously, this one has the half-roof bordered by a stainless roof band. Interestingly, it appears that the roof is not covered in vinyl as I initially thought, but it is actually a textured finish called a crinkle top. It's a 3-way hearse, meaning a casket can be loaded via the rear door or either of the rear-hinged suicide doors on the sides. It is in remarkably good condition and clearly shows pride of ownership. In fact, it's owned by a lady known as Miss Lynda, described by Grimrides.com as "hearse owner and burlesque star" and "Grim Rides Poster Girl". The site gives her credit for doing everything right in finding the perfect hearse, and it shows.


The car was a little dirty when I found it, but under the typical summer crud the paintwork is very nice and the body straight. The hearse once served a funeral parlor in South San Francisco and was still doing regular funeral duty until around 2000 when Miss Lynda purchased it. It has an electric extending casket table which apparently is a rare option. It's by far the cleanest classic hearse I've come across on the street, and one of a precious few Cadillacs of this era I've felt the need to photograph in depth.

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