- For the extreme metal band, see Hearse (band)
A hearse is a funeral vehicle, a conveyance for the coffin from e. The 40th President of the United States, Ronald Wilson Reagan, died on June 5 2004 after suffering from Alzheimer's disease for nearly a decade Hearse is a Swedish Melodic death metal band founded by vocalist Johan Liiva (ex- Arch Enemy) and drummer Max Thornell in 2001 A funeral is a Ceremony marking a person's Death. Funerary customs comprise the complex of Beliefs and practices used by a Culture to remember Vehicles, derived from the Latin word vehiculum, are non-living Means of transport. A coffin (also known as a casket in North American English) is a funerary Box used in the display and containment of deceased remains – either for g. a church to a cemetery, a similar burial site, or a crematorium. A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. Cremation is the act of reducing a Corpse by burning, generally in a crematorium furnace or crematory fire In the funeral trade, they are often called funeral coaches.
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Name
The name derives from the Old French herce "rake, harrow", describing the temporary framework on which candles were placed above the bier. In Agriculture, a set of harrows is an implement for cultivating the surface of the Soil. A bier is a stand on which a corpse, or Coffin containing a corpse is placed to Lie in state or to be carried to the Grave. This also held banners and armorial bearings and other heraldic devices. Verses or epitaphs were often attached to the hearse. Applied to vehicles since the 17th century.
History
Hearses were originally horse-drawn, but silent electric motorised examples that were used in Paris were reported in the pages of Scientific American May 1907 and petrol-driven hearses began to be produced from 1909 in the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Motorised hearses became more widely accepted in the 1920s. The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada The vast majority of hearses since then have been based on larger, more powerful car chassis, generally retaining the front end up to and possibly including the front doors but with custom bodywork to the rear to contain the coffin. Some early hearses also served as ambulances. An ambulance is a Vehicle for transporting sick or injured people to from or between places of treatment for an Illness or Injury. A few cities experimented with funeral trolley cars and/or subway cars to carry both the casket and mourners to cemeteries, but these were not popular.
North America and Europe
Normally more luxurious brands of car are used as a base; the vast majority of hearses in the United States are Cadillacs and Lincolns. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Cadillac is a Brand of Luxury vehicles owned by General Motors. Lincoln is an American Luxury car manufacturer operated under the Ford Motor Company. In Europe, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Opel, Ford and Volvo are common contemporary bases, and in the past, Daimler and even Rolls-Royce limousines were converted, though their cost is generally considered prohibitive. Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury Automobiles Buses coaches and Trucks It is currently a division of the Jaguar Cars Limited is a luxury car manufacturer based in Coventry, England, now operated as part of the Jaguar Land Rover business Adam Opel GmbH (commonly known as Opel) is a German automaker part of General Motors. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following This article is about Volvo Group - AB Volvo Volvo Cars is the passenger vehicle maker owned by Ford Motor Company, using the Volvo Trademark This article is about the British automobile manufacturer See Daimler for other uses derived from the German engineer and inventor Gottlieb Daimler. A Rolls-Royce car may refer to vehicles produced by Rolls-Royce Limited (1906-1973 Rolls-Royce Motors (1973-2003 which was owned
Cadillac produced what it termed a "commercial chassis". This was a strengthened version of the long-wheelbase Fleetwood limousine frame to carry the extra weight of bodywork, rear deck and cargo. Designed for professional car use, the rear of the Cadillac commercial chassis was considerably lower than the passenger car frame, thereby lowering the rear deck height as well for ease of loading and unloading. A professional car in modern times is an Automobile that has been modified with extensive coachwork for service in Livery Transportation (i They were shipped as incomplete cars to coachbuilders for final assembly. Bus manufacturingA coachbuilder is a manufacturer of bodies for Carriages or Automobiles The trade dates back several centuries A commercial chassis Cadillac was little more than a complete rolling chassis, front end sheet metal with lighting and trim, dashboard and controls. Rear quarter panels and sometimes the front door shells were shipped with the chassis for use in the finished coachwork. Today, most hearses are made from converted sedans on stretched wheelbases. The fleet division of Ford Motor Company sells a Lincoln Town Car with a special "hearse package" strictly to coachbuilders. Ford Motor Company is an American Multinational corporation and the world's fourth largest automaker based on Worldwide vehicle sales, following The Lincoln Town Car is a Full-size, Rear-wheel drive luxury sedan sold by Ford's upscale Lincoln brand Shipped without rear seat, rear interior trim, rear window or decklid, the hearse package also features a heavy-duty suspension, brakes, charging system and tires and was once offered on a modified Ford Expedition SUV chassis with the Triton V10 truck engine. A sport utility vehicle ( SUV) is a generic marketing description for a rugged automotive vehicle similar to a Station wagon but built on a light-truck chassis A V10 engine is a V engine with 10 cylinders in two banks of five Hearses and other funeral service vehicles are often equipped with light bars and other flashing lights similar to those found in emergency vehicles in order to increase the visibility of the vehicle while in processions. A procession (via Middle English processioun, French procession, derived from Latin processio, itself from procedere, to go forth advance
Since the working life of a hearse is generally one of light duty and short, sedate drives, hearses remain serviceable for a long time; hearses 30 years old or more may still be in service, although some funeral homes replace them at least once a decade. As of 2004, a new hearse in the USA usually costs in the range of $40,000 to $65,000. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "
Two styles of hearse bodywork are common. Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. Some are still in production while others are of historical interest only The older style is the limousine style; these have narrow pillars and lots of glass. A limousine (or limo) is a longer than normal Luxury car. The chassis may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coach builder traditionally These are more popular in the United Kingdom, among others. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located More popular in the United States is the landau style, with a heavily-padded leather or (later) vinyl roof, and long blind rear quarters, similarly covered, and decorated with large metal S-shaped bars designed to resemble those used to lower the tops on some horse-drawn coaches. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Landau, when used in referencing an Automobile, generally means a simulated Convertible. It is common practise in the USA for the windows to be curtained, while in the UK the windows are normally left unobscured. Hearses resemble station wagons strictly because of the shape of the rear ends of conventional ones. A station wagon (or simply wagon) in American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand usage and an estate car (or just estate
Until the late 1970s, it was common for hearses in the USA to be combination coaches which also could serve in the ambulance role; these were common in rural areas. This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. For the railroad vehicle see Combine car. A combination car was a vehicle built upon a (usually Cadillac) " Professional car " chassis which An ambulance is a Vehicle for transporting sick or injured people to from or between places of treatment for an Illness or Injury. Car-based ambulances and combination coaches were unable to meet stricter Federal specifications for such vehicles and were discontinued after 1979.
Due to the costs of owning an expense custom vehicle that sits idle "80 to 90 percent of the week" [1], individual funeral homes reduce costs by renting [2] or utilizing a shared motor pool.
Japan
In Japan, hearses can come in two styles: "Foreign" style, which is similar in build and style to an American hearse, or a "Japanese" style, in which the rear area of the vehicle is modified to resemble a small, ornate Buddhist temple. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. This generally requires the rear of the vehicle to be extensively altered; commonly, the rear roof is cut away from the front windows back and all interior parts are removed from the rear as well. The ornate Buddhist-style rear area, generally constructed of wood and in which the casket or urn is placed, is built on top of this empty cavity and most often is wider than the base of the vehicle, so that it sticks out on the sides, over the rear body panels. An urn is a Vase, ordinarily covered and without handles that usually has a narrowed neck above a footed Pedestal. Popular bases for these are not limited to large sedans, but also minivans and even pickup trucks by companies like Nissan and Toyota. (pronounced) is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Japan, and is currently the world's largest Automaker.
There are regional differences of ornaments. Nagoya style decorates not only the upper half of the body, but the lower half as well. sometimes called the Chūkyō region (中京地方 Chūkyō-chihō) is the name of a major Metropolitan area in Japan that is centered on the city of [3] Kansai style has a relatively modest decorations unpainted [4]. The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan 's main island Honshū. Kanazawa style is known for having a red body (other styles mostly have black bodies) with gilded ornaments. is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan. Geography climate and population Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan, bordered [5] Tokyo style, found anywhere else in Japan, features painted/gilded ornaments on the upper half of the body, like in a photograph on right. officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. [6]
"Foreign" style hearses are mostly similar in appearance to their US counterparts, although their exterior dimensions and interiors reflect the Japanese preference for smaller, less ornate caskets (this in light of the national preference for cremation). A coffin (also known as a casket in North American English) is a funerary Box used in the display and containment of deceased remains – either for This means that, in contrast to American hearses, the rear quarter panels require less, and sometimes no, alteration. These are generally built from station wagons such as the Nissan Stagea, or from executive sedans such as the Toyota Celsior (Lexus LS430 in the US) and Nissan Cima (Infiniti Q45 in the US). A station wagon (or simply wagon) in American, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand usage and an estate car (or just estate The Nissan Stagea commonly referred to as the Skyline wagon (although it is based on the similar C34 Laurel platform is a Station wagon originally produced by Nissan in 1996 The Lexus LS is a Full-size luxury sedan that serves as the flagship of Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota. The Lexus LS is a Full-size luxury sedan that serves as the flagship of Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota. The Nissan Cima is a large luxury sedan produced by Nissan Motor Co The Infiniti Q45 is a Full-size Luxury car that served as the flagship of Nissan 's Infiniti Marque from 1990 until 2006 when Interestingly, American market vehicles such as the Lincoln Town Car and Cadillac DeVille, which are otherwise fairly uncommon in Japan, are often converted to hearses in both styles. The Lincoln Town Car is a Full-size, Rear-wheel drive luxury sedan sold by Ford's upscale Lincoln brand "DeVille" and "De Ville" redirect here For other uses see Deville.
Side-hearses
In recent times, the Motorcycle plus side-hearse has become more popular. MotorCycle is the title of a 1993 album by Rock band Daniel Amos, released on BAI Records. MotorCycle is the title of a 1993 album by Rock band Daniel Amos, released on BAI Records. This type of hearse is a motorcycle with a special side-vehicle built to carry a casket or an urn. These hearses are often used during the funeral of motorcycle enthusiasts. [7]
Hearse enthusiasts
Perhaps owing to the morbid nature of the hearse, its luxurious accommodations for the driver, or both, the hearse has a number of enthusiasts who own and drive retired hearses. There are several hearse clubs
Amongst enthusiasts, the 1959 Cadillac Miller Meteor hearse is considered one of the most desirable due to its especially ornate styling and appearances in feature films, notably the Ecto-1 in the Ghostbusters. Ghostbusters is a comedy film franchise created in 1984 The two films center around a group of eccentric New York City parapsychologists who investigate and capture ghosts Zuul redirects here For the videogame see Zool. Ghostbusters (titled on-screen as Ghost Busters) is The famed Harold and Maude car was a 1959 Cadillac Superior hearse. Harold and Maude is a Cult classic movie directed by Hal Ashby in 1971. Superior Coach was once a School bus body and Professional car manufacturer but today it focuses on building Hearses and is located in Lima in People who make hearses include; Coleman Milne, Binz, Duffy and Fearghas Quinn of Ireland. They are based on Mercedes and GM Vauxhall/Opel.
Celebrity hearse enthusiasts include rock singer Neil Young and two-time NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion Tony Stewart, who had his hearse customised for a television show. A celebrity is a widely-recognized or famous person who commands a high degree of public and media attention Neil Percival Young OM (born November 12, 1945, Toronto Ontario) is a Canadian Singer-songwriter, Musician The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ( NASCAR) is the largest sanctioning body of Stock cars in the United States. Nextel Communications, styled NEXTEL, (Former NASDAQ: NXTL) now known as the Sprint Nextel Corporation, was a telecommunications firm based Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971 in Columbus Indiana) is an American race car driver/car owner/entrepreneur in NASCAR 's
Images
 A horse-drawn hearse with driver, circa 1900. Courtesy Neil Regan Funeral Home |
 Funeral carriage, Museum of Funeral Customs |
 Cadillac hearse |
 An antique limousine style hearse from Volvo |
 Horse hearse pulled by two Lipizzaner stallions |
 Retired Mercury hearse used as commuter car with trailer hitch |
See also
External links
- The National Hearse and Ambulance Association - Uniting hearse and ambulance owners across the world
- The Professional Car Society hearses, flower cars, car-based ambulances, limousines
- Australian and other funeral cars Website showing hearses from around the world and their different styles
- Last Ride Hearse Society Hearses, ambulances, limos etc Yorkshire based but worldwide club
- Grim Rides, a hearse enthusiasts' website
- Nilsson Special Vehicles
- The Classic Hearse Register UK based club for owners and enthusiasts of funeral vehicles. The Museum of Funeral Customs is located at 1440 Monument Ave This article is about Volvo Group - AB Volvo Volvo Cars is the passenger vehicle maker owned by Ford Motor Company, using the Volvo Trademark The Lipizzan or Lipizzaner ( Slovene Lipicanec) is a breed of Horse closely associated with the Spanish Riding School Mercury is an Automobile Marque of the Ford Motor Company founded in 1939 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level-luxury Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. Some are still in production while others are of historical interest only The First Call vehicle is a Vehicle used in the Funeral service industry A flower car is a type of Vehicle used in the Funeral industry used to carry flowers for the burial service or sometimes to carry the Coffin under a bed
Dictionary
hearse
-noun
- A hind in the year of its age.
- A framework of wood or metal placed over the coffin or tomb of a deceased person, and covered with a pall; also, a temporary canopy bearing wax lights and set up in a church, under which the coffin was placed during the funeral ceremonies.
- A grave, coffin, tomb, or sepulchral monument.
- A bier or handbarrow for conveying the dead to the grave.
- A carriage specially adapted or used for conveying the dead to the grave.
-verb
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