Minneapolis Street Sighting: Cadillac Miller-Meteor Fleetwood Hearse

When Americans think of big, luxurious, rear-wheel drive sedan, thoughts of Cadillacs and Lincolns come to mind, right? Of course. But what about when the term "hearse" is brought up? Cadillacs still apply. And rightly so. Ever since the days of the car-based hearse, these big brutes have been the weapon of choice for hauling murder victims through the streets to their final resting place.
With added wheelbase along with rear "cargo" room, these purposely-built people haulers certainly stand out from a crowd, but it certainly raises a question. Would it have been feasible, cost-effective for Ford and GM to build wagon version of their respective luxury vehicles? Before the SUV went mainstream, station wagons were primarily used for family transport. And, like today's trend of luxury, loaded-to-the-hilt SUVs, many Cadillac and Lincoln sedans were bought loaded down with all the bells and whistles, too. If offered as wagons, I suspect sales would have been very not bad.
Proof of this comes with the station wagon conversions I see on eBay or craiglist from time-to-time. Mostly made from ex-funeral-home flower cars, these wagons are often well done and provide a glimpse of what could have been. While the Cadillacs are a relatively common platform for these conversions, I have yet to see a Lincoln-based wagon conversion. In fact, I don't think I've seen a Lincoln of this vintage made into a hearse.
The example Cadillac hearse shown below is a good idea of what many of the suriving hearse look like. Most are taken very good care of and are not left to rot, nor are they turned into rolling musichouses on ginormous wheels like their sedan brethren. Sadly enough, due to longer than usual life as a funeral coach, most of the hearses I see on a day-to-day basis are missing trim, particular the hood ornaments.
However, this particular example looks pretty clean. No rust, the paint is in near-perfect condition, and most of the badges are intact. Unfortunately, the only trim piece missing from this example was the one piece I cared a whole lot about. Some asshole stole the Cadillac crest!
I dare not look inside, but I assume the casket either isn't there, or does not contain a body. At least I would hope not. But, like I said, I didn't peek into the interior. i would imagine, save for the funeralcoach bits, it mirrors standard Cadillac Fleetwood fare. Rich, plush seats semi-lavish faux wood trim, and instantly recognizable as straight out of 1988. That said, I would still drive this beast. Or perhaps turn into the wagon clone I secretly lust after.