1983 Hearse

1983 Superior Cadillac Crown Sovereign Hearse

This 1983 Superior Cadillac Crown Sovereign end-load funeral coach was delivered new in 1983 to Levingston Funeral Home on 39th Street in Groves, Texas, with 1,386 miles -- the approximate distance from Superior's factory in Lima, Ohio, to Groves, Texas. It served Levingston's until around 1993, when it was purchased by North's Funeral Home in Abiline, Texas. It was in service at North's Funeral Home until 2002, when it was traded in with 53,000 miles on the odometer.

The 1983 Cadillac hearses were built on Cadillac's commercial chassis platform, which would be discontinued after the 1984 model year. The commercial chassis had a wheelbase of 144.5 inches, and was a whopping 242 inches long. This hearse is one of only 450 Cadillac hearses produced by Superior Coach Company in 1983. This cost of this coach is estimated to have been about $47,000. Unlike other Cadillacs of this era, the commercial chassis cars were powered by Cadillac's 368 cubic inch V-8 engine, in use since the 1980 model year.

The color of this car is light cerulean blue (a 1977 Cadillac color) with a matching blue vinyl top, medium blue tapestry draperies, woodgrained flooring in the casket compartment, and a blue cloth interior. It has an AM/FM electronically-tuned radio, electronic climate control, tinted glass, two-way power seat, tilt steering wheel, power steering and brakes, and the upgraded heavy-duty chassis and suspension components that come with the commercial chassis from Cadillac.

The Crown Sovereign was Superior's top-of-the-line model for 1983, and features the brushed stainless steel crown band over the roof, special cast crown emblems on the landau bars and on the crown band, and upgraded interior appointments. I've added Firestone 721 wider whitewall tires and Fleetwood wire wheel wheel covers to enhance the exterior appearance of the coach.

I purchased this car in July, 2002 from my good friend, Carl Woerner at CW Coach Sales in Cincinnati, Ohio.