Update 3/10/20 – This morbid Mopar has resurfaced here on craigslist with a scary asking price of $18,500! Thanks go to Barn Finds reader Matt R for the tip!
From 5/15/19 – This 1962 Pontiac “Superior Coach” Hearse is something a bit different, and it appears to be nicely preserved. I’m really not sure what I would do with it so it will be very interesting to see what sorts of ideas our readers can come up with. Barn Finder local_sheriff referred the Pontiac to us, so thank you so much for that. It is located in Novato, California, and is listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding is currently sitting at $5,988, but the reserve hasn’t been met.
This hearse started out in life as a Pontiac Bonneville wagon but was then delivered to a company called “Superior Coach” where the hearse conversion took place. There is only one photo supplied that shows the complete vehicle in the listing, but there is a good selection of detailed shots like this, and they do paint a positive picture. The Pontiac looks to be nice and straight, with no obvious signs of rust or major damage. The owner purchased the vehicle back in 2007 and has performed a minimal restoration. This included a repaint, and this looks like it was completed to a high standard. The majority of the external trim and chrome looks to be quite good, although the owner does acknowledge that the bumpers will need to be re-chromed. The original vinyl top also seems to have held up really well. One aspect of the body of this vehicle that really stands out for me is the lack of side windows. The majority of hearses that you see have these, but due to the fact that this hearse didn’t see service as a funeral car, but was used to transport deceased people from the mortuary to the funeral director’s, windows would have been unnecessary.
When it comes to the interior, the only item that has been restored is the front seat. It has received a new cover of the correct material and color, and the owner even went to the trouble of using the original Superior Coach horse-hair padding to protect the hearse’s originality as much as possible. He also replaced the rubber floor mat, but the rest of the interior is not only original but is remarkably well preserved. Luxury appointments are few and far between, as the vehicle isn’t fitted with such niceties as a radio or air conditioning.
There are no photos of the engine, but we do know that it is a 389ci V8, while the car features a Hydra-Matic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. The owner says that the car drives nicely, and it appears that it has been well maintained. He is unsure whether the 41,800 miles showing on the odometer is correct, but it is certainly quite feasible with a car like this.
Now it’s over to our readers for some input and ideas. The condition of this Pontiac appears to be extremely good, and it also seems to be mechanically sound. If you bought it, what would your plans be? A more interesting question would be whether there are any of our readers who would be willing to bid on it?
Can’t say I’ve ever seen another. Somebody must have been a big Pontiac fan & I can’t blame them. A modern day fanatic will likely snap this up. Would be great for a period-correct movie car.
Just add a radio and Vintage Heat & Air,
and put it to work in the cadaver transport business. This is big business here in Florida, and a person with the right equipment could make a very good
living. Nice post. Haven’t seen one in
years.
Hi Ken, I agree on the big business down there. In Wisconsin, Florida is known as God’s waiting room. It looks like the new tablet is working good for you! Take care Bud!
God’s waiting room? Love it!! The stairway to heaven. The ICU soon house. From the movie and tv series call it the ” The Titanium Joint Collector.
First call vehicle.
There’s an upcharge at the funeral home for a Cadillac instead of a Pontiac for that final ride…
When my Dad passed away, my brother and brother-in-law picked up a handmade wooden casket for him and delivered it themselves to the funeral home. They used a brand new Dodge Dakota. On the way they got the munchies and hit a McDonalds. I was told the looks on the girls faces at the drive through was priceless. Dad would have got a kick out of that. Plus Dad was always a Chrysler Corp guy. The vehicle that picked him up after passing was a Dodge van, and the fact his casket was delivered in a Dodge was great too. Now if the hearse could have been a post war Plymouth, he would have been fulfilled. Unfortunately it was a Caddie, but Dad was also an understanding man. I really miss my him, I hope in Heaven he has a nice ride. God is a decent guy, bet he set him up with something with an L Head six and a three on the tree. Dad if so, is surely smiling.
Great comment
A radio is completely unneeded.
Maybe so. But a nice modern sound system playing Funeral for a Friend or whatever song were their favorite
One need to have no other noises when you’re carrying human cadavers! It can get really creepy especially at night when you come to the hospital morgue for the body and transport to the funeral home. Been there done that when I was in between jobs in greater L.A. A/C would help to remove any unpleasant odors!
Are you kidding me?? I love my tunes!! And I’ll have them…in this or any other vehicle I own. Yup, pump up the volume.
Very nice car, I’d love to have it but I’m almost out of room. It’s been repainted.
I seem to remember these were prone to developing leaking head caskets.
Hahahahahaha. Brilliant!!! Like Undertaking a complete nut and bolt resurrection.
When I was younger we had a 59 Cadillac hearse painted yellow as a pool work truck riding in style
Get a coffin, fill it up with beer and tailgate
Isnt it olds taillights?
Close, but no. 1962 Pontiac Safaris had this oval taillight. 1962 Oldsmobiles had similar taillights, but the lenses were peaked at the narrow ends.
Always liked those years of Pontiacs and would drive it but do not care to ride in it. At least for a long time!
Yes, better to be seen than viewed.
Both my brother and my mother took their last rides in a ’62 Pontiac hearse, three years apart (1979 and 1983). It looked exactly like this car, except it was all black. The small town funeral home had a matching ’62 Pontiac limousine I rode in twice. Ever the car nut, I peeked at the odometer. It had about 19,000 miles on it.
My brother would have understood. 😎
Can I ask where your brother and mother took there last ride? I purchased a 62 Pontiac hearse that was in service those years.
Prosser, Washington. Flint Funeral Home owned them.
I wouldn’t be caught dead in that thing
This thing is drop dead beautiful. I’d give up my last rights to own it. I’m dying to buy it if it’s the last thing I ever do. The Greatfull Dead Undertake a new album.
That would make a nice stable-mate for this Olds.
Nice looking Olds there Will. Appears to be a ’61 Starfire by seeing the side trim. This Pontiac is a nice looking ride and still wears its CA commercial Black plates. If I had the room I would like to ad this to my car stable, always had a big liking for the early sixties wide track Ponchos. Nice find!
Yes, it was a ’61, with the stainless side trim. I always liked those full-size GM cars from that era. Olds had the 394, Pontiac had the 389 and 421, and Buick had the 401 nailhead. They were all solid, comfortable cars for their era, and they had style, which seemed to go out of style shortly thereafter.
The first thing I did with my hearse was to get rid of the original commercial plates. California charges by weight with those and the fee per years was much higher than even the personalized plates I ordered.
My younger brother, RIP, created this advertising Hearse for his company. Instead of a slide-out for the casket, it was converted to a slide-out for a j-ski, the focus of his company. It’s always an attention getter, wherever it goes.
MikD; that was indeed a clever way of your brother to utilize a retired side-opening hearse, while still not ruining the vehicle!
Being based on the Bonneville it should have the 4spd Hydramatic. All 61-64 Pontiac wagons shared 119inch wheel base; I’m not sure whether Superior based the Consort on a wagon or sedan, but it’s the short WB version as opposed to the longer Criterion that got a more comprehensive conversion. Cotner-Bevington also made a combination vehicle based on the 62 Poncho.
In my world the 62 is the sexiest Pontiac ever. Only con is that Pontiac didn’t retain the ‘opposed C’ taillights on their wagons this year; a Pontiac trademark almost as strong as the split grill. Had it not been for just aquiring a 64 Bonneville Safari I’d SERIOUSLY consider bidding on this hearse. It’d be a perfect vehicle for my ‘Last Journey’ imagined future business of hauling deceased gear heads in-style with their beloved hobby!
This is one beautiful example. I’d put vintage air in the car and enjoy it.
Friend back in the late 60’s had a mid 50’s Caddy Hearse. Great party vehicle and a lot of room to paint it up on the outside. You’ve never seen a hearse till you’ve seen one with a Von Dutch Eyeball, an Ed Roth Rat Fink (none done by the original artists) and the rest of the psychedelic world of the day. Makes a wonderful party platform, it’s amazing how many beer kegs you can get into it and there’s little chance of it being abused in it’s prior life.
…and a good sound system.
I never seen a Pontiac hearse!! Nice ride!! But I’m in no hurry to try this one!!!!
Awesome vehicle. Looks a lot like mine, except mine is a ambulance/hearse combo. It has a Federal Signals light and siren. Mine was originally midnight blue with silver top. Great design by Superior Coach, great car from Pontiac. Super fun to drive!
Hey; another one! Is yours also a Consort (123 inch WB) version? Could you post a profile pic of it?
Nice. Was this once featured in a Hemmings Classic Cars ?
Oh wow, I used to have one of these but it was in deplorable shape and needed a total restoration
This was not a first call car.
This was used for transports. There is a difference.
A first call car would have a flat floor for a gurney, not rollers.
That thing is way cool. Outstanding condition considering it hasn’t even been restored. I suppose if I was a more serious collector with a large collection, I would want this! I wouldn’t change anything, but imagine it with a black top and no landau irons on the side and 8 lugs… pretty sweet!
Ever wonder why there’s no luggage racks on hearses? Can’t take it with you. President Kennedy was hauled away in a ’63 Pontiac. These cars still give me the creeps.
Would go well with my 65 , no room at the inn at this time.
Dan, that is a beautiful Cottner-Bevington!
I like this old Pontiac. In fact, I am hoping the insurance check to replace my Harley that got totaled out a month ago shows up & there is enough to be able to bid on this & hopefully buy it. I didn’t check the eBay ad yet. For all I know it could have sold already, but I hope not.
No need for “quotes” on Superior Coach. It was a major company back in the day. 1923-1981. In the 1950s and 1960s Superior Coach was the world’s largest school bus and professional vehicle (funeral) coach builder. Superior had two plants, Lima, Ohio and Kosciusko, Mississippi. I believe the Pontiac hearses were made at the Kosciusko, MS plant. As a footnote, Kosciusko is the birthplace of Oprah Winfrey. Both old Superior Coach plants are still standing. The former Kosciusko plant is now used for other business, but the Lima, OH plant is still used for limousine and other professional coach making.
Ended: May 19, 2019 , 9:39PM
Current bid:US $8,489.00
Reserve not met
[ 19 bids ]
Mopar?
Came here to ask the same question: What does “Mopar” have to do with this?????
Same here; I read the write-up 2x thinking I missed the Mopar connection to this Pontiac. I thought maybe an engine swap, but nope .. the article refers to the original 389, so that isn’t it. Maybe Adam can enlighten us as to the “Mopar” reference
I’m wondering the same thing!! LOL!
(Mopar) Hearst’s generally don’t go far. At least it wasn’t Deadly Dodge, DOA ( Dodge On Arrival)Embalming Buick, Passed Away Plymouth, Final Ride Ford, Cremated Chrysler.
I was scrolling down to post the same thing!
Yeah!! Said who?
Not a Mopar
I agree. A Pontiac is not a Mopar!
If it’s strictly for transporting the deceased from the mortuary to the funeral home, what’s with the tissue dispenser?
Seepage.
Sorry, I may have gone too far on that one. LOL
Mopar or no…wait, what?
I guess I would be morbid too if someone called my Pontiac a Mopar!
DOA/SUV !!!
Morbid Mopar? or Professional Poncho?
What the! Morbid Mopar???
Mary Only Passed Away Recently.
great drive-in car if you are lucky enough to still have one in your area . 48,000 mi is a lot of ‘ short ‘ hauls
Chic-fil-A has a drive thru and so do McD’s and Burger King’s. But, in this area, they are tight just getting a pick-up around the corners. I don’t think hearses would make the turn. Sad.
Mopar?
Sometimes, I wonder if the writers get paid according to the number of comments, regardless of whether the comments are positive or negative.
What does this have to do with Mopar?
Mopar in this case is the writer’s attempt to invite curiosity, but it only invites derision. Stupid move imho.
I clicked on this to see why he called this a Mopar as well. What the…?
I see this as purely click-bait from a desperate author. I have seen Clarke’s work on other websites as well, where he very often misses the mark too. Pretty sad.
Apparently I’m not the only one perplexed by the Mopar reference. Give us an answer please but a real answer.
thank you – that is driving me a bit crazy too…
He may be too embarrassed to explain “Morbid Mopar”.
Mopar: Move Over, Pontiac Arriving (with the) Reposed
Famed old-school mortician Digger O’Dell enthusiastically pumped his new hearse to male riveter Chester A. Riley: “It’s a Studebaker, with all that glass in the back”[comedy writers have always treated facts flexibly to boost the boff; may they always]—“all that glass in the back. The people can see where they’re going!”
Riley’s rejoinder if predictable was nonetheless necessary: “Can they?”
Posthumous Poncho maybe…..
Body-Bearing Bonneville? Or is that a Cadaver-Carrying Catalina?
This is the sister to my 62 Pontiac combo. Same color combination as well.
As we age we start to wonder what the last car we should buy is. This may answer that question.
like many others, I’m wondering?= morbid Mopar?, last I recall, Pontiac was made by G.M??
love the car, love your site, just can’t understand Why Adam called a PONTIAC A MOPAR???? Are you new to the car scene?
Pontiac was a Division of General Motors.