1938 Packard Formal Town Car Art-Carved Hearse

A Miller Custom Art-Carved Hearse

Towncar Hearse by A.J. Miller Co.

It's difficult to believe this unique Packard hearse was a last-ditch attempt by the A.J. Miller Co. to convince Packard to continue their business relationship - and it failed.

In 1938, Packard Motor Co. signed a new, exclusive agreement with Henney Motor Co. to provide chassis for hearses, effectively ending a decade-long agreement with Miller. In response. A.J. Miller Co. of Bellefontaine, Ohio, created an elegant, one-of-a-kind professional car on a 1938 Packard Eight chassis. The side panels were painstakingly hand-carved from wood and are perfectly matched. The interior is reminiscent of a cathedral, with arches lining the sides. A 4.6-liter straight-8 engine moves the 4,200-pound hearse with ease. The Packard is rear-wheel drive and the driver uses a three-speed manual transmission on the floor. The 282 cubic-inch engine produces 120 horsepower.

Miller presented the hearse to Packard officials to demonstrate what they could create in custom body building but Packard chose to end its relationship with Miller. Miller continued to produce professional cars for years on General Motors' bodies. Packard went out of business in 1958.

The one-and-only 1938 Miller-Packard hearse is owned by William C. Peoples of Marietta, Ohio, who owns Cawley and Peoples Funeral Home. The hearse is still used on special occasions, perhaps carrying a car enthusiast to a final rest in style.

by National Packard Museum

The Packard Twelve was produced from 1933 to 1939 with over 35,000 examples produced. It is considered by many to be one of the finest automobiles produced by Packard and one of the most significant creations of the classic car era. The long and flowing front hood hid a 445 cubic-inch side-valve twelve-cylinder engine that was refined, powerful, smooth, and quiet.

The engine was originally destined for a front-wheel drive project which eventually proved to have weaknesses. That and the anticipated development cost were too much to be practical so Packard decided to scrap the idea. Cadillac had introduced their 16-cylinder engine and other marques such as Pierce-Arrow were improving the performance of their offerings. Packard was feeling the pressure and decided to place the engine into the Deluxe Eight Chassis and dubbed it the Twin Six. The name was in honor of Packard's achievement fifteen years earlier when they introduced their first 12-cylinder engine. By 1933 the name was changed to Twelve to be in line with the rest of the Packard models.

Most of the Packard production Twelve's received factory bodies. Only a handful received custom coachwork by such greats as LeBaron and Dietrich.

In 1935 Packard introduced more horsepower and mechanical improvements. The suspension became more plush and comfortable while the steering became easier to operate. The cars were designed and built as one unit including the fenders, running boards, hood, and body.

1936 was the final year for 17-inch wire wheels and double-blade bumpers with hydraulic dampers.

by Dan Vaughan