'88 Eureka Towncar

[Keith Snyder]

Tony's right. According to Tom, that first car was sold in Ohio and through Burgess Hearse & Ambulance Sales in Loudonville. He said that an Ohio funeral director began pleading to buy the car right on the show floor. He was so insistant that they funally agreed to sell him the car but, took it back to Canada for a complete repaint. I was given to understand that the pearlescent paint of the era that was applied to the car for the show would not last like regular paint. That's the reason it was repainted with laquer at the factory before it was sold. The story related by Brady is also somewhat correct. Tom told me that when delivering one of these cars to a Black mortuary at the conclusion of an NFDA, the proud new owner asked him if the roof leaked. "Guaranteed" he replied. He says he then sent his sales manager, Gene Burgess, over to a funeral supply display to buy them some umbrellas!

 

[Attila Bethlenfalvy]

Original location:

Burthey Funeral Home

More tidbits~ Funeral home sold this Eureka off to a biker, who liked the open air option. He planned on cutting the rest of the roof off to haul motorcycles. Luckily, current owner caught wind of this before that plan was enacted and "over-payed" to talk the biker out of the coach, about 2 years ago.

Only has 21k showing. No rust - although the hood was damaged from "inner city hoodlums jumping on it" and has been replaced with another in a slightly lighter shade of blue. He does plan to restore - although a couple are ahead in line.

 

[Scott Crittenden]

As Tony said, there was one limousine-style Eureka Concours Town Car built. Tom McPherson told me that this car was ordered in the summer of 1985 by a Boston funeral director who was taking delivery of a new Concours Classic flower car at the plant and saw a finished Town Car there. He ordered a limousine version of the car on the spot. According to what Tom told me, the car was delivered just before Christmas of 1985 and the owner removed the roof and placed it into a special velvet bag he had made for it. The car was never used for services with the top on. The car was silver to match the guy's flower car. It was used for the Rickard Dreyfus movie "Once Around" in the final scenes. If I remember what I was told, the same guy later ordered a '87 FWD Eureka Concours Classic Flower car to replace the '85 RWD model. I'm sure McPherson has photos of this one-of-a-kind Town Car somewhere. He also has quite a few stories about how these cars came about and his experiences with selling and delivering them to customers.

Got the movie from netflix today. The roof cap is in place but the car looks great, what little you can see. There is also a FWD flower car too. Thanx for the tip!

 

[Dan Brintlinger]

true

Everything you heard about the roofs leaking, etc., is true. The roof rattled also. We found out that the coach only worked best when we had a morning funeral home service which was going to a nearby cemetery. Otherwise, the interior got too warm in the afternoon, and you took a chance with the weather when you went too far out to a country cemetery. Plus, with the top off, traffic going by the churches downtown would make the driver compartment pretty dusty, and no one wanted to drive it when the front was all dust.............

 

[Peter Jennings]

What a GREAT find. Thanx for sharing all the photos and history!!

 

[Attila Bethlenfalvy]

9 Eureka Town Car examples made...and I've managed to track one location of the couple remaining with unknown whereabouts. (Still need to find that sole limo style.) 62k miles, never spent a night outdoors, and only used in sunny weather. Can't believe it was pulled out of hibernation for me to shoot!

 

[Mike Boyer]

I have NEVER seen this thread before ! this is the time I just bought my 87 Eureka Concours and my first Pro-car.

thanks Attila for posting this last post

 

[Mike Boyer]

here is the factory Photo of the 1985 Eureka Cadillac Concours Town car Limousine Style Funeral Coach.

A Tom McPherson photo

 

[Ronald Lee King II - Deceased - 1979 - 2022]

I have heard there is another one in Southern Illinois, with the snow on the ground I assume that the picture is not of that car.

 

[Mike Boyer]

these two pictures above, were factory pictures when it was first built

 

[Ronald Lee King II - Deceased - 1979 - 2022]

I meant the one Attila posted

 

[Danny Ryder - Deceased - 1962 - 2021]

About summer of 2004 or 2005 there was one on ebay and I was second high bidder. I don't remember bid but around $7000? Don't remember color. I have always wanted one of those. The limo style would be the one for me if I had a choice.

 

[Attila Bethlenfalvy]

FD did mention considering passing along black over white '85 (w/ extend table) posted. No price mentioned and there was another coach I had more interest in also available. Stayed in area for a couple days, then met with his partner, cash in hand, on Friday.

Unfortunately it will not be going anywhere for a long time. FD values at "over $55,000". Literally unbelievable.

 

[Kurt Arends]

Not sure if this one had been mentioned yet, but I am sure most of you are aware of it. HORRIBLE photo, but the only one that I took with the lousy digital camera that I had at the time while there. Belongs to Mike Riefer in Owensville, MO.