Cadillac - Hearse - Brochure - 1959 - 1959

1959 Cadillac Hearse Informative Brochure 56 Onepu Road, Kilbirnie Phone: 387 8301 665 High Street, Lower Hutt Phone: 570 0111 674 Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt Phone: 528 8924 300 Kāpiti Road, Paraparaumu Phone: 298 4888 www.harbourcityfunerals.co.nz 1959 Cadillac Hearse In June 2013 we purchased our 1959 Cadillac Hearse from the USA, via eBay. Since arriving in New Zealand the hearse has been at Bristol Motors in Upper Hutt undergoing full restoration, this was completed in 2021 – it has certainly been a labour of love by all those involved. Arriving in New Zealand the Cadillac hearse was a light blue colour and as part of the restoration process we have changed the colour to a traditional black. The restoration has seen the Cadillac fully stripped down to History of Cadillac Hearses Design overview The Cadillac Commercial Chassis is a chassis that was built D-body specifically developed for professional car use; by the Cadillac division of General Motors. Produced from most applications included funeral coaches (hearses), 1931 to 1979, the Commercial Chassis was constructed as ambulances and combination cars. In contrast to the an incomplete vehicle intended for use by coachbuilders Cadillac 75 (a factory-built limousine), the Commercial for final assembly and fitting of the bodywork. Produced on Chassis was designed with a heavier-duty frame to the D platform (exclusive to Cadillac) throughout its entire improve access to the rear cargo area, the rear frame has received attention - down to every nut and screw. It is production, the Commercial Chassis was initially derived from rails were positioned lower than a standard D-body. certainly a work of art, and we are proud to have been able the Series 355, shifting to the Series 75 from 1936 onward. the chassis, ensuring that every aspect has been completed to the highest possible standard. Like all vehicles over 60 years old, the chrome mouldings had many small dents, these have been painstakingly removed and all chrome restored to the standard it was when it was first delivered from the body builders to the original funeral home. All linings inside the vehicle, and every part of the Cadillac to restore this Cadillac ensuring its classic beauty can live on for future generations. The 1959 Cadillac was seen by most in the funeral profession as the most beautiful hearse ever produced by Cadillac. I am sure for all the car lovers in the world, you will appreciate the time and effort it has taken to restore this hearse to its former glory. Coinciding with a change in design regulations and the downsizing of Cadillac sedans, the Commercial Chassis was phased out as a distinct product line. The professional car chassis would be continued by the Series 75 and successor flagship Cadillac sedans to current production. The Cadillac Commercial Chassis is a variant of the GM Produced by Cadillac as an ‘incomplete vehicle’, the rolling chassis was fitted with no bodywork aft of the dashboard. While fitted with all road controls and front body trim (and air conditioning, if specified), all bodywork from the dashboard rearward was completed by coachbuilders using the chassis as a basis for a completed vehicle; to aid body fabrication, front door shells and rear quarter panels were shipped to the coachbuilders (separate from the chassis). Before World War II, the Commercial Chassis used the longest wheelbase of any GM sedan-based vehicle. During the 1950s and 1960s, the chassis used a 156-inch wheelbase.