Editing Hearse (section)

== Modern usage ==
Two styles of formal hearse [[car body style|bodywork]] are common. One style has opaque rear panels so the coffin is barely glimpsed. This American style is fitted with a heavily padded leather or vinyl roof and each side decorated with large mock [[landau bar]]s resembling the braces used for the folding leather tops on some horse-drawn carriages. The other has narrow [[Pillar (car)|pillars]] and large windows revealing the coffin.

<gallery mode="packed" caption="Modern hearses">
File:Malta - Mellieha - Misrah il-Parocca 02 ies.jpg|[[Mercedes-Benz]] hearse with large rear windows
File:Hearse Memphis TN 2013-03-10 003.jpg|American-style [[Cadillac]] hearse
File:Holden Hearse 03.JPG|[[Holden Caprice]] hearse
File:Chevrolet Silverado Hearse in Indianola, Mississippi.jpg|Chevrolet Silverado hearse in [[Indianola, Mississippi]]
</gallery>

Since the working life of a hearse is generally one of light duty and short, sedate drives, hearses often remain serviceable for a long time and hearses 30 years old or more may still be in service.<ref name="Sfectu">{{cite book |last1=Sfectu |first1=Nicolae |title=The Car Show |date=26 September 2011 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=9781447876359}}{{self-published source|date=November 2020}}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=February 2020}} Due to the costs of owning an expensive custom vehicle that sits idle "80 to 90 percent of the week", individual funeral homes reduce costs by renting or utilizing a shared motor pool.<ref>[http://www.pioneerlocal.com/evanston/business/194494,pp-bzofuneral-010407-s1.article] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090831053400/http://www.pioneerlocal.com/evanston/business/194494,pp-bzofuneral-010407-s1.article|date=31 August 2009}}</ref><ref>[http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/old/14038924.htm Providing advisory services to funeral directors] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616061556/http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/old/14038924.htm |date=16 June 2012 }} from ''The CPA Journal''</ref>

Perhaps owing to the morbid associations of the hearse, its luxurious accommodations for the driver, or both, the hearse has a number of enthusiasts who own and drive retired hearses. There are several hearse clubs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.grimrides.com/clubs.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121223154831/http://www.grimrides.com:80/clubs.htm |title=Grim Rides: Other Hearse Clubs |website=Grim Rides |archive-date=December 23, 2012 |access-date=December 26, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===North America===
{{More citations needed|section|date=March 2023}}
[[File:Hearse-r.jpg|thumb|right|A. E. E Roberts Carriage Works hearse, circa 1900]]
Usually, more luxurious automobile brands are used as a base for funeral cars; since the 1930s, the vast majority of hearses in the United States and Canada have been [[Cadillac]]s and less frequently, [[Lincoln Motor Company|Lincolns]].

The [[Cadillac Commercial Chassis]] was a longer and strengthened version of the long-wheelbase Fleetwood limousine frame to carry the extra weight of bodywork, rear deck and cargo. The rear of the Cadillac commercial chassis was considerably lower than the passenger car frame, thereby lowering the rear deck height as well for ease of loading and unloading. The Cadillac hearses were shipped as incomplete cars to [[coachbuilder]]s for final assembly. Since the late 1990s, most Cadillac based funeral cars have been constructed from modified Cadillac sedans, until late 2019; The XTS chassis was discontinued from General Motors, and as such any new Cadillac hearse will be built on the XT5 SUV chassis, with the S&S Coach Company now building certain models of hearse on the XT6 platform. 
 
The fleet division of [[Ford Motor Company]] sells a [[Lincoln Town Car]] with a special "hearse package" strictly to coachbuilders. Shipped without rear seat, rear interior trim, rear window or decklid, the hearse package also features upgraded suspension, brakes, charging system and tires. This was replaced with the Lincoln MKT, which has also been discontinued, followed by the Continental which also was discontinued after a short run. 

The limousine style of hearse is more popular in the United States. It is common practice in the US for the windows to be curtained, while in other countries the windows are normally left unobscured.

Until the 1970s, it was common for many hearses to also be used as [[ambulance]]s, due to the large cargo capacity in the rear of the vehicle.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hearses served as ambulances at one time|url=http://www.bgdailynews.com/special_sections/bicentennial/hearses-served-as-ambulances-at-one-time/article_aa3b7068-fde2-11e1-9f10-0019bb2963f4.html|website=www.bgdailynews.com|date=13 September 2012|access-date=12 May 2018|archive-date=27 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180427051505/http://www.bgdailynews.com/special_sections/bicentennial/hearses-served-as-ambulances-at-one-time/article_aa3b7068-fde2-11e1-9f10-0019bb2963f4.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Ambulance and EMS History|url=https://www.alamance-nc.com/ems/about-us/history/|website=www.alamance-nc.com|access-date=12 May 2018|archive-date=12 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512112628/https://www.alamance-nc.com/ems/about-us/history/|url-status=live}}</ref> These vehicles were called "[[combination car (hearse)|combination car]]s" and were especially used in small towns and rural areas. Car-based ambulances and combination coaches were unable to meet stricter Federal specifications for such vehicles and were discontinued after 1979.
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=== Europe ===
[[File:2013 Mercedes-Benz E250 BlueEFFICIENCY SE CDi Automatic Hearse 2.1.jpg|thumb|right|[[Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W212)|Mercedes-Benz E-Class]] hearse]]
Coachbuilders modify [[Mercedes-Benz]], [[Jaguar (car)|Jaguar]], [[Opel]], [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], [[Vauxhall Motors]] and [[Volvo]] products to hearses. Some second-hand [[Rolls-Royce car|Rolls-Royce]] cars have traditionally been used as hearses though the high cost of newer models is generally considered prohibitive.

In the United Kingdom it is possible to hire 'non-traditional' hearses that have usually been converted from various production vehicles such as vans or 'estate' style cars which may have held a particular memory for the deceased. An example of this is the [[Morris Minor|Morris Minor Traveller]], a popular and well-loved car in the United Kingdom. [[File:Morris Traveller Hearse.jpg|thumb|An example of a Morris Traveller converted for use as a hearse]]
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===Japan===
{{multiple image
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| image1            = Buddhist-Styled Hearse.jpg
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| caption1          = "Japanese"-style [[Lincoln Town Car]] hearse, with standard wheelbase
| image2            = Toyota Crown S170 002.JPG
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| caption2          = "Foreign"-style [[Toyota Crown]] Estate hearse, with stretched rear overhang
}}
In Japan, hearses, called {{nihongo||霊柩車|reikyūsha}}, can come in two styles: "Foreign" style, which is similar in build and style to an American hearse, or a "Japanese" style, in which the rear area of the vehicle is modified to resemble a small, ornate Buddhist temple.<ref name="funeralwise.com"/>

The Japanese-style hearse generally requires the rear of the vehicle to be extensively altered; commonly, the rear roof is cut away from the front windows back and all interior parts are removed from the rear as well. The ornate Buddhist-style rear area, generally constructed of wood and in which the [[coffin|casket]] or [[urn]] is placed, is built on top of this empty cavity and most often is wider than the base of the vehicle, so that it sticks out on the sides, over the rear body panels. Popular bases for these hearses are large sedans, minivans and pickup trucks.

The ornaments on a Japanese-style hearse vary by region. [[Chūkyō Metropolitan Area|Nagoya]] style decorates both the upper and lower halves of the car body.<ref>[http://www.09net.jp/syouhisya/car_preview/n2.html 全国霊柩自動車協会] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510093842/http://www.09net.jp/syouhisya/car_preview/n2.html |date=10 May 2007 }} (Nagoya type hearse house type) from 09net.jp {{in lang|ja}}</ref>
[[Kansai region|Kansai]] style has a relatively modest decorations unpainted.<ref>[http://www.09net.jp/syouhisya/car_preview/n3.html 全国霊柩自動車協会] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927193403/http://www.09net.jp/syouhisya/car_preview/n3.html |date=27 September 2007 }} (Kansai type hearse house type) from 09net.jp {{in lang|ja}}</ref>
[[Kanazawa, Ishikawa|Kanazawa]] style is known for having a red body (other styles mostly have black bodies) with gilded ornaments.<ref name="funeralwise.com"/><ref>[http://www.fukou.co.jp/car_4/p2-b.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829221611/http://www.fukou.co.jp/car_4/p2-b.html|date=29 August 2009}}</ref>
Tokyo style, found anywhere else in Japan, features painted/gilded ornaments on the upper half of the body.<ref>[http://www.09net.jp/syouhisya/car_preview/n1.html 全国霊柩自動車協会] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927193337/http://www.09net.jp/syouhisya/car_preview/n1.html |date=27 September 2007 }} (Kanto type hearse house type) from 09net.jp {{in lang|ja}}</ref>

"Foreign" style hearses are mostly similar in appearance to their US counterparts, although their exterior dimensions and interiors reflect the Japanese preference for smaller, less ornate caskets (this in light of the national preference for cremation). This means that, in contrast to American hearses, the rear quarter panels require less, and sometimes no, alteration. These are generally built from [[station wagons]] such as the [[Nissan Stagea]], or from executive sedans such as the [[Toyota Celsior]] ([[Lexus LS]] in the US) and [[Nissan Cima]] ([[Infiniti Q45]] in the US). American market vehicles such as the [[Lincoln Town Car]] and [[Cadillac DeVille]], which are otherwise fairly uncommon in Japan, are often converted to hearses in both styles.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

===Hong Kong===
[[File:HK HH Universal Funeral Parlour D.JPG|thumb|Typical Hong Kong hearse]]
In Hong Kong, light goods vehicles of Isuzu, Volkswagen and Ford are used as hearses by most of the privately operated funeral homes.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/ent/2006-09/15/content_5094741.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061109233355/http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/ent/2006-09/15/content_5094741.htm | archive-date=9 November 2006 | script-title=zh:關海山屍骨未寒遺囑掀罵戰 前妻子女攔車祭父 | publisher=Xinhua News Agency| date=15 September 2006 | trans-title=Guanhai Shan’s bones un-cold will lift the pre-war wife’s wife | language=zh | access-date=2 June 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://ent.163.com/06/0314/16/2C6H5EKD00031H2L.html| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060324053112/http://ent.163.com/06/0314/16/2C6H5EKD00031H2L.html| archive-date = 24 March 2006| title =   ͼ ־ΰ ѧ ѷ _        }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20120426/16283092|title=紅磡靈車司機醉駕撞欄|website=Apple Daily 蘋果日報|access-date=17 April 2013|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055034/http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20120426/16283092|url-status=live}}</ref>
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=== Singapore ===
In Singapore, most standard hearses are built on a commercial van chassis, such as the [[Toyota Hiace]], the [[Nissan Urvan]] and the [[Mercedes-Benz Vito]], while the grand/traditional Chinese/Indian hearses are built on a lorry chassis such as the [[Mitsubishi Fuso Canter]] and the [[Isuzu Elf]]. There are also some [[limousine]] hearses in Singapore that are built on a luxury car chassis, such as [[Mercedes-Benz]], [[Maserati]] and [[Jaguar Cars|Jaguar]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wong |first=Derryn |date=2024-05-03 |title=Last rides and last rites: The rise of the limousine hearse |url=https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion-features/last-rides-and-last-rites-rise-limousine-hearse |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=The Business Times |language=en |quote=These are highly-customised limousine hearses made based on luxury cars from brands including Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Maserati. |archive-date=10 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510165842/https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion-features/last-rides-and-last-rites-rise-limousine-hearse |url-status=live }}</ref>