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click for pic Description
Dig those tail fins.
This is a hearse conversion of a 1968 Doge Phoenix. It sure is long.
Looking at the back, it would appear that they started with a sedan since there is a bit of a trunk lid on the car. The back door opens like a hatch back as can be seen in the next photo.
This is an excellent view of the casket (or in the case of Australia, coffin) compartment of a typical Australian hearse. Much like their American counterparts, they have bier pins (seen in the left side of the coffin compartment on the floor near the back) that are put inplace adjacent to the coffin to prevent it from sliding side to side during transport. On the American cars, you generally see that on side-loading cars with casket tables, not in standard end-loading cars. The racks on the side cary flowers that can be seen through the huge side windows. And, as always, the righthand drive controls can be seen near the front of the car.
This is a 1958 FC Holden hearse. Compared to what we've seen and what was available in the U.S. at the time, this car seems tiny.
This was originally believed to be a 1965 HR Holden hearse but Chris Keating of Australia made the following notes: (This) appears to be a 1967 HR: the leading edges of the front fenders are different, and the centre of the hubcaps are white (HR) as opposed to black (HD). The registration number plates (JVD prefix) date from 1967, it'd be a very late HD indeed. No, I say it's an HR, just like the one in Gallery 33. Longer than the '58 and an ingeresting feature we haven't seen on other Australian hearses are the fender skirts on the rear quarter panels.
This was originally believed to be an example of a 1973 (XB) Ford Falcon hearse but Chris Keating also made notes about this car as follows: (This) is actually an XC, and therefore 1976-78. Why? Square headlights (as fitted to XC Fairmont and Fairmont GXL models), badging behind the wheel arches on the front fenders (the badge says 4.1, a reference to the engine displacement: 4.1 litres, or 250 cubic inches). This particular style of badge debuted on the XC model. Okay, possibly an XB with upgraded front sheet metal, but I'd still wager it's an XC.. As with most Australian hearses, it started out life as a station wagon. This car may look better to us yanks if the side door were more proportioned to the length of the rest of the car.
This isn't Australian but it's unique none the less. This is a 1963 Cadillac station wagon with what looks like a vista cruiser top on it. Builder unknown.
Brian DeWitt in front of his 1976 Cadilac Superior at the Drag Races in Pomona.
Chris Neiman is relaxing in his Superior side-loader

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