Hearses aren’t the first type of vehicle that comes to mind when discussing classic cars. Nevertheless, compared to their counterparts from regular manufacture, these professional haulers are typically rarer and more precious. For instance, this 1954 Packard Patrician is a funeral vehicle that most of us won’t witness in person. because it is one of the most uncommon Packards ever made.
Packard, a well-known manufacturer of opulent and comfortable automobiles, did not produce any business cars. To add particular bodywork, the Detroit-based automaker created commercial chassis for coachbuilders. Henney was one of the companies at the time that produced vehicles for professionals.
Like most coachbuilding firms that ventured into the automotive realm, Henney started out by making carriages in the 1800s. The company joined the professional car business in the early 1900s and became an important name in the funeral car trade by the 1920s. Henney began using Packard chassis in 1937, two years before it became America’s largest manufacturer of hearses and ambulances, with more than 1,200 units per year.
Henney remained faithful to Packard commercial chassis for as long as they were available. The latter discontinued the long-wheelbase chassis in 1954. In addition to funeral cars and ambulances, Henney also experimented with station wagons and limousines based on the commercial chassis. The collaboration also spawned the Pan-American concept car displayed a the 1952 New York Auto Show.
This Patrician-based vehicle is one of the final cars to leave the Henney factory, which discontinued producing professional cars at the same time Packard and Studebaker united in 1954. Production had decreased to a few hundred vehicles annually at the time (not just Packards).
This hearse, which was discovered in Palos Heights, Illinois, is probably one of very few survivors from this particular model year. In addition, underneath that heavy layer of dust lies a body that is remarkably good and rust-free. And that’s an uncommon accomplishment for a vintage hearse considering that many of them were dismantled or left to rust in junkyards after they were no longer in use.
This one had a more fortunate fate. Even though it’s been sitting for decades and the engine hasn’t been started for 15 years (as of 2023), the hearse was stored in a garage. So why is the current owner parting ways with such a nice classic funeral car? Well, he claims he has too many projects on his hands, and the Packard has to go.
In 1951, the Packard Patrician was unveiled to take the role of the Super Eight. It was the final model made by “senior Packards” and was produced until 1956. Up until Packard’s first V8 engine was released in 1955, a few straight-eight engines were available for the full-size. A 359 cubic inch (5.9 liter) inline-eight engine with 212 horsepower was installed in this hearse at the factory.