American Funeral Vehicles 1883-2003: An Illustrated History [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Walter McCall (Author), Walter M.P. McCall (Author) "Of all the rituals observed by humankind, surely the most solemn is the slow, mournful journey to the grave..." (more)
Key Phrases: landau funeral coach, hearse conversions, professional car industry, International Meet, Lincoln Town Car, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The most complete, in-depth book on hearses and funeral cars ever! Beginning with horse drawn, highly ornate hearses up to today's motorized vehicles, this book takes you through the complete history of 20th Century hearses. Follow the overall style development from the early carved-panel columned and draped designs, through the limousine-styled Funeral Coach and side-loaders, through the sleek designs that have led to today's hearses.

Photos and History on Henney, Eureka, A.J. Miller, Superior, and history of other large and small hearse-builders like Barnette, Economy, Memphian, etc., and the growth and decline of many of these companies. Over 300 high quality photos combined with in-depth text present the most complete history and evolution of motorized hearses ever. A must have book for all automotive enthusiasts.

Includes an index of all the important past and present hearse and conversion builders in North America.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Iconografix; illustrated edition edition (November 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583881042
• ISBN-13: 978-1583881040
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,142,860 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book by a knowlegable auther, good job!, December 4, 2003

By A Customer

I also have two other funeral vehicle books. This newest book is a welcome addition to my collection. The only disappointing thing about the book is that besides the cover, it's in black and white, as are all my other books so I shouldn't be surprised. Damn! every other page describes the color of the car as "blue", or "gold", I'd love to see these in color. The text and photo quality of this book is outstanding. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in hearses. I especially liked seeing the newest 2003 models.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting subject matter., August 31, 2005

By	J. Forman (Maryland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book offers very good text and great photographs on a very little known part of american automotive history. I highly recomend this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Best example I've seen in years on these vehicles!!!, August 21, 2007

By	Night Train (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

As a history buff I am very critical of the books I get and this one is the best I have seen. The black and white photos are excellent and very crisp. The details are amazing. I can use this book as a reference for every conversation I have with my hearse collector club as I own a 1959 Superior Crown Royale. I take this book with me to all the car shows I attend so people can see the beauty of my favorite pasttime which is restoring and collecting classic funeral vehicles.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves these classic funeral vehicles.