DTS on the way out

With the advance in emergency medical care the natural ambulance evolution was to a truck chassis. It did meet a lot of public resistance until the TV program “Emergency”.

With so much federal regulation what will the funeral coach of tomorrow be like, a dressed up SUV? What will the public accept is another question?

Just my thoughts.

Jack Pinner
 
Jack Pinner said:
With the advance in emergency medical care the natural ambulance evolution was to a truck chassis. It did meet a lot of public resistance until the TV program “Emergency”.

With so much federal regulation what will the funeral coach of tomorrow be like, a dressed up SUV? What will the public accept is another question?

Just my thoughts.

Jack Pinner
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if that all that is left it's what your stuck with same as a numbe of things now days. but I for one think the time is ripe for a co to start building cop cars, taxie cabs and Hearses. we need more checkers on the road.
 
From everything I've read on some of the other sites I hang around on, that Carbon Motors car is going to be just ungodly expensive. Very few options, this is what we're building, kind of a "take it or leave it" proposition.
 
Truthfully, the XTS is not a bad looking car. I could see it transformed into a pretty decent looking coach, especially a-la the S&S Imperial. According to the write-up, the car is only 4 inches shorter than the DTS but actually taller. Only time will tell if it makes it to the coachbuilder's plants.
 
Russell Street said:
From everything I've read on some of the other sites I hang around on, that Carbon Motors car is going to be just ungodly expensive. Very few options, this is what we're building, kind of a "take it or leave it" proposition.
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I've been monitoring the Carbon Motors news for well over a year. The "theory" behind the project is to build a pupose built unit that will last quite awhile. Since it's been promoted as a economic incentive in my home state of Indiana by use of a closed plant in a City with high unemployment the approval process has jumped quite a few hurdles that has landed it at the latest/last hurdle in Washington.

My history in the towing industry has shown me that all too often end-of-use vehicles are too often put out to pasture. Arizona is awash in used Crown Victorias that are resold for use in the Taxi industry. My own Daughter drives an Crown Vic that I purchased for $1700 at a auction because it had been struck in the rear door. $300.00 a the salvage yard for a matching door and about an hour's worth of labor and she was riding. :thumb:
 
Assuming that Fiat-Chrysler keeps producing the Chrysler 300, the coachbuilders could use that as their platform. Krystal has already done a few I believe.
 
300

A couple of thoughts about the Chrysler 300, or as a dear friend/fellow PCS member lovingly refers to it, the "Crisis 300." He's not too far off.

We own a '95 Chrysler 300C, Motor Trend's car of the year that year. Without a doubt, it is the most thirsty daily driver I've ever had. I get better mileage driving the '95 CG Superior Limo than the 300. And, despite flawless maintenance, there's always -- ALWAYS -- something going wrong. I'm thankful for Chrysler's extended service contract. It has paid for itself about twice over in 2 years.

A couple of the limousine operators in town have had 300 limousines for a brief time. There's not an upgraded version of the 300 for coachbuilders, so the limousines are built on a stock 300. There's no heavier suspension, no heavier wheels, no larger brakes. Although they look pretty cool, the livery operators I talked to have had serious suspension, brake and tire issues with them, not to mention ride smoothness and driving issues.

Now, about the Krystal 300 hearse. I've been up close and personal with one. I would say that its about equal in quality to Krystal's Kadillac Koaches. Unfortunately, that's not a compliment. :my2cents:

If another coachbuilder produced a 300 hearse, perhaps the quality results would be better. However Fiat-Chrysler would need to produce a 300 (or 300C) that is structurally sound for stretching and carries a warranty through an authorized coachbuilder, like Cadillac's Master Coachbuilder or Lincoln's QVM.

But, as I said before, this is just ....:my2cents:

dlg
 
If GM goes down the tubes,it will be the end of funeral coaches as we know them.All the years of mismanagement have finially caught up with them.working in the automotive transport industry over almost 20 years I have seen a lot of their bad decisions, and I say hooray for ford-lincoln/mercury.they took not one cent from the feds and are doing just fine!
 
I,m going with the posts that jeremy, tony and rick posted , jeremy was the refurbishing, tony about cadillac and rick about the 300 platform.i myself don't see cadillac going away but the new general motor's still has the buick , and chevy line up along with there truck's . havn't seen a 300 hearse in michigan but have seen the black jaguar done by bennett coach's that is owned by andrew's or anderson funeral home in detroit and 2 of there cadillac's rolling around. one a floral coach in white the second a 2 tone silver and black state coach i think.
 
Cadillac Future

I had an opportunity to visit personally with one of the V.P.'s of Cadillac at the National Funeral Director's Convention in Boston and he assured me that Cadillac was NOT going to give up their interest in the funeral profession. They place a very high value on our profession and the recognition they receive by being our primary supplier of funeral coaches and limosines. They also see that as a direct tie to the secret service and other government cars they provide. I believe that Cadillac will fight to retain that market whether it be with a new platform vehicle or something different altogether. Naturally, all of this speculation depends on how the future of General Motors goes..and a lot of this depends on how the economy goes...etc.
 
That looks like a simple OWB conversion. Original doors and roof line with a top and upper rear quarter added. Side and rear photo would help in understanding the conversion. With Fiat and the feds now in control of Chrysler who know what will happen to them.
Jack Pinner
 
Jack Pinner said:
That looks like a simple OWB conversion. Original doors and roof line with a top and upper rear quarter added. Side and rear photo would help in understanding the conversion.
Jack Pinner
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Cant help with more shots of the car posted, but here is a pic of the Krystal, and three from Blaugam (a coachbuilder in Spain), that shows their landau, 2 door limo style and 4 door limo style.
2008 Krystal Chrysler 2.jpg

2007 Blaugam Chrysler (Spain).jpg

2007 Blaugam Chrysler (Spain) 2 door.jpg

2007 Blaugam Chrysler (Spain) Limo style 2.jpg
 
I don't think it will matter to companies like Accubuilt whether or not Cadillac continues to have a coachbuilder program. History has shown that plenty of beautiful coaches have been made without a manufacturer provided "special" chassis or package.

GM is not going to drop Cadillac. Cadillac popularity is rising with it's new CTS. The CTS wagon and coupe are already getting rave reviews in the press. As Ken pointed out, Cadillac will not want to give up its prestige image in the Funeral and limousine market. Having a celebrity or politician arrive in a Cadillac is good publicity. Dead or alive.

The new 2012 XTS may not be "coach ready" but I think Cadillacs priority right now is to get a new model into market that will catch that wave of popularity. Cadillac needs to keep a "wow" factor in their styling and if that means to give the XTS the edgy looks from a CTS so be it.

The industy adapted when the 1959 models arrived, they'll adapt when the 2012 XTS arrives too. As for 2011? The bigger question is: Will funeral directors want to order a 2010 leftover or wait for an all-new 2012 model?

You just know that some designer somewhere is already sketching out a design from the photos of the XTS at the Detroit show.
 
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