1938 Packard Formal Town Car Hearse
| March 17, 2008
A.J. Miller of Bellefontaine, Ohio created this hearse autobody on a 1938 straight-eight Packard chassis to illustrate to executives at Packard what he could do for them in terms of custom body building. This one-off beauty features brilliant bright work and a luxurious open driver compartment designed to highlight Packard’s style and elegance – even on a funeral car. The cathedral paneled exterior as well as the cathedral interior was all hand crafted.
This hearse was sold to a funeral home in Oklahoma City and used throughout the late 30’s and 1940s. It was then sold to a funeral home in Mexico where it was used extensively for another 15 years. When it had worn out its usefulness there, the car was sold to a Mexican chicken ranch where it was used to haul chickens.
In the early 80’s the hearse was spotted on the ranch by a collector from California who bought the car and had it restored. In 1988, the car was bought by its present owner, Peoples Funeral Home of Marietta, Ohio. It is currently on loan to the National Packard Museum.