# How Long Do Hearses Last? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 29, 2011, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354 "2011-01-29T00:54:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/1 "2011-01-29T00:54:16Z")
I ask because I was at a funeral last week. It seems to me that hearses usually are not driven very far-I wonder how many miles they clock in an average year? The don’t go too fast, and I doubt that many of them are involved in collisions/accidents. Plus, they are usually big cars, with large V-8 engines. So I would expect that they would have very long lifespans-perhaps 30-40 years? Their passengers (the dead) don’t care about up-to-date styling details, so older ones are probably quite acceptable. At any rate, I see quite a few old hearses in ruarl areas-some of them get used by low-budget rock bands (lots of room in back for instruments, amplifiers, etc.) Anyone know how long these vehicles susally stay in service? ---
**Author:** ![C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@C.Montgomery\_Burns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C.Montgomery_Burns)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/2 "2011-01-29T01:56:12Z")
The ones used by the funeral home in my area uses hearses that look to be early to mid-1990s models. They look to be in excellent condition, and will probably be in service for quite some time. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/3 "2011-01-29T02:14:56Z")
I don’t have a direct answer to your question but some of your premises are off. Automotive longevity isn’t simply a function of miles driven. Some parts just break down over time like rubber and plastic. All vehicles require maintenance because of that yet most vehicles could maintain an indefinite lifespan without a major accident and continued maintenance. The funeral business is based on ceremony and appearances so the lifespan is exactly equal to the time that the preferred clients thinks it has gone out of style and the paint has started to fade. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/4 "2011-01-29T02:17:14Z")
I worked in a (now-defunct) funeral home off Piedmont Ave. in Oakland, and the hearse was about 20 years old _at that time_. When the business (and its assets, accounts, etc.) was bought by another funeral home, the hearse went to their “fleet.” It was still operational about 5 years later, but that’s the last I know. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/5 "2011-01-29T03:13:24Z")
I would suspect the lifespan of an average hearse has gone up quite a lot because of the demise of the full-size car. During the 50’s 60’s and 70’s, you would have had to buy a new hearse every couple of years to keep looking current. But since full-size cars have stopped being big sellers, the car makers have been going a decade or more between major styling updates. The Town Car went from 1998 to 2011 without a major update and the current DTS looks pretty similar to the old DeVille going back to 2000. Plus since hardly anyone buys full-size cars these days they don’t really notice how dated older ones look, especially when it’s something like the Fleetwood or the Roadmaster that didn’t really get replaced. Also, it used to be common for a funeral home to retire an older hearse as the “b” hearse that mostly got used to go get incoming bodies, but was still nice enough to be used in a pinch. But these days they don’t like pulling up to nursing homes and the like in a hearse so they’re more likely to have a van for their utility vehicle. A sort of interesting sideline is that since the Town Car is going away after 2011, Ford has been trying to move the livery vehicles over to the Ford Flex-based MKT (which is a front-drive unibody crossover). They even commissioned a prototype hearse: [Lincoln MKT Hearse: The Full Story](http://jalopnik.com/5707533/lincoln-mkt-hearse-the-full-story) ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/6 "2011-01-29T06:58:20Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > … All vehicles require maintenance because of that yet most vehicles could maintain an indefinite lifespan without a major accident and continued maintenance… What?..please cite AND explain. > [@Shagnasty](#): > > The funeral business is based on ceremony and appearances so the lifespan is exactly equal to the time that the preferred clients thinks it has gone out of style and the paint has started to fade. Again…please cite. ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/7 "2011-01-29T07:06:56Z")
that Lincoln is coyote ugly, and the recent Cadillac hearses look obese as well. I don’t remember seeing a hearse/ambulance that wasn’t a GM vehicle. Up until the mid Eighties I thought they were good looking vehicles. Since they’ve full sized cars were downsized they just look ungainly. Let me amend that first sentence. I don’t remember a non-van ambulance that wasn’t GM. The same can be said of the Presidential limo, though I think there are other things that contribute to it looking like something Kruschev used. I have a few brochures from the “service vehicle” industry. In the late 50s/early 60s, they displayed their hearses with typical two-tone paint jobs or wood side trim. I doubt they ever sold one that way, but it wouldn’t be a bad way to go. So to speak. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/8 "2011-01-29T07:09:38Z")
I have to admit another plus is that I have never seen a hearse speeding. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/9 "2011-01-29T08:06:49Z")
What license plate should I get for my hearse (If I get one)? CYA SOON U NEXT ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/10 "2011-01-29T08:13:07Z")
They are usually driven until they die. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/11 "2011-01-29T13:38:32Z")
You know, the ones that seem to be in use in towns in maine (Stephen King)? I like the look of the old ones…especially in those lavish funerals that Mafia guys used to throw for eachother. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/12 "2011-01-29T16:11:57Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > You know, the ones that seem to be in use in towns in maine (Stephen King)? I like the look of the old ones..especially in those lavish funerals that Mafia guys used to throw for eachother. [http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/](http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/) Try keyword “hearse” and see what you get. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Surb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Surb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Surb)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/13 "2011-01-29T17:08:41Z")
> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#): > > What?..please cite AND explain.. Are you saying you need a cite for this? ANY vehicle can be kept running indefinitely as long as you are willing to spend money on it. It’s all a function of perceived value vs. cost. I can take almost any piece of crap out of a junkyard and turn it into a running vehicle. It’s a matter of how much I want to spend. You haven’t seen vehicles from the early 1900’s still running? Am I missing something? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/14 "2011-01-29T17:50:20Z")
> [@](#): > > How Long Do Hearses Last? Long than their contents. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/15 "2011-01-29T18:34:56Z")
> [@The\_Surb](#): > > Are you saying you need a cite for this? > > ANY vehicle can be kept running indefinitely as long as you are willing to spend money on it. It’s all a function of perceived value vs. cost. I can take almost any piece of crap out of a junkyard and turn it into a running vehicle. It’s a matter of how much I want to spend… A hearse by nature of its function in a funeral business receives ongoing (presumably professional) mechanical attention, but minimal use. It’s not like it’s sitting in a junk yard rusting away. It’s the “little-old-lady-from-Pasadena” situation, but probably better. ---
**Author:** ![automagic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a698b9/32.png) [@automagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/automagic)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/16 "2011-01-30T21:37:19Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > A hearse by nature of its function in a funeral business receives ongoing (presumably professional) mechanical attention, but minimal use. It’s not like it’s sitting in a junk yard rusting away. It’s the “little-old-lady-from-Pasadena” situation, but probably better. The point, I believe, that The Surb is trying to make is that no matter where you store your vehicle, even if it is barely driven, parts will wear out. Usually rubber seals will dry rot as will vacuum lines, belts etc. That can cause a whole host or problems. If you live near the ocean then rust can be a big problem even if you barely drive it. Of course a low mileage hearse parked in a garage driven a 1000 miles a year will be better off than in a junk yard but that does not mean that the little old lady from Pasadena will not need to replace a belt or tire every one in a while. Of course with regular maintenance any car can last indefinitely. Heres your cite. [http://www.worldamazingrecords.com/2010/07/worlds-highest-mileage-car-2010-world.html](http://www.worldamazingrecords.com/2010/07/worlds-highest-mileage-car-2010-world.html) ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/17 "2011-02-02T03:53:00Z")
> [@johnny l.a.](#): > > what license plate should i get for my hearse (if i get one)? > > Cya soon > > u next lst rde ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/18 "2011-02-02T13:22:22Z")
> [@GreasyJack](#): > > I would suspect the lifespan of an average hearse has gone up quite a lot because of the demise of the full-size car. > … > They even commissioned a prototype hearse: [Lincoln MKT Hearse: The Full Story](http://jalopnik.com/5707533/lincoln-mkt-hearse-the-full-story) Great post **GreasyJack**. The best part of that article was this gem > [@](#): > > … the photos that have been available for free for two months on Flickr (and any number of [funeral director enthusiast sites](http://www.hearseandlimo.com/stock-list/sc11-001/)) … “funeral director enthusiast sites” … Hmm, the WWW does indeed have everything. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/19 "2011-02-02T14:45:20Z")
I just wanted to weigh in on the ‘not very far’ thing - I guess the assumption there is that hearses only make short trips, and not many of them in a given day. Well, this is anecdotal, but I’ve ridden in a hearse for a considerable distance, maybe 35 kilometers. When my grandmother on my mother’s side passed away, the memorial service was held about that far from the place where she was buried. I have no idea if that happens often enough to really affect the number of miles on your average hearse. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354/20 "2011-02-02T15:09:48Z")
> [@automagic](#): > > Of course with regular maintenance any car can last indefinitely. Heres your cite. > > [http://www.worldamazingrecords.com/2010/07/worlds-highest-mileage-car-2010-world.html](http://www.worldamazingrecords.com/2010/07/worlds-highest-mileage-car-2010-world.html) I think it was Pawn Stars that said…Other than 6 new handles and 4 new heads, it’s the same hatchet Geo Washington chopped down the cherry tree with. Same thing with cars. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-do-hearses-last/569354.md?page=2)