MOURNING Glory

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!”