The hearse — or funeral coach, as the industry calls it — evolved from ornate horse-drawn carriages of the 19th century to motorized hearses in the early 1900s, and then to coachbuilt vehicles on Cadillac and Lincoln chassis that defined American funerals for most of the 20th century. Specialist coachbuilders such as Sayers & Scovill, Superior, Miller-Meteor and Eureka built hearses and “combination cars” that served as both hearse and ambulance. Alongside the hearse, funeral limousines carry the family, a role now often filled by modern sedans and SUVs.

At a glance
Word origin Old French herse, a frame for candles over a coffin
First motorized hearses Around 1909 in the U.S.
Classic chassis Cadillac Commercial Chassis; Lincoln
Famous builders Sayers & Scovill, Superior, Miller-Meteor, Eureka, S&S
Today Cadillac and Lincoln-based coaches; SUVs; family limousines

Horse-drawn beginnings

Victorian hearses were elaborate carriages with glass sides, carved woodwork, plumes and black horses. The grandeur reflected the formal mourning customs of the era.

Motorized hearses

Early motor hearses appeared around 1909, but many funeral directors initially preferred horses for their dignity. By the 1920s, motor hearses were standard, and coachbuilders offered ornate designs, including “carved” hearses with decorative panels.

The Cadillac era

For decades, Cadillac supplied a special Commercial Chassis — longer and stronger than its passenger cars — to coachbuilders who built hearses, ambulances and combination cars. The Cadillac hearse, with its landau bars and formal roof, became an American icon. A famous example is the 1959 Miller-Meteor combination car that became the Ghostbusters Ecto-1. Read Ghostbusters Ecto-1.

Modern funeral coaches

As Cadillac’s traditional big sedans ended, coachbuilders used the DTS, then the XTS, and today use other Cadillac and Lincoln platforms as well as SUVs. Read the Cadillac XTS and the Lincoln MKT.

Funeral limousines

Families traditionally ride behind the hearse in black limousines. Today, many families choose chauffeured sedans, SUVs or a Sprinter to keep relatives together and to handle travel between the funeral home, service, cemetery and reception. Read funeral transportation etiquette.