1939 Packard Hearse Blends Luxury Engineering with Cultural History at Texas Museum
TL;DR
The DFW Car & Toy Museum's 1939 Packard Super Eight Hearse offers collectors a unique advantage with its rare pre-production elements and hybrid engineering from Packard's luxury lineup.
This 1939 Packard hearse combines a V12 frame with an eight-cylinder engine, features a hydraulic leveling system, and includes 15 unique dashboard differences from behind-mounted instruments.
This vehicle's journey from dignified funeral service to rock-and-roll touring preserves automotive history while showcasing craftsmanship that elevates cultural appreciation for industrial artistry.
A 1939 Packard hearse originally built for a Virginia funeral home was later used by a touring rock band, blending somber elegance with countercultural history.
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The DFW Car & Toy Museum in Fort Worth has unveiled a 1939 Packard Super Eight Hearse that represents both engineering innovation and unexpected cultural history. Commissioned by a Virginia funeral home, this vehicle combines Packard's Super Eight and Twelve components in a way that makes it mechanically unique among pre-war automobiles.
Built in March 1938, the hearse rides on a V12 frame with Twelve-series wheels, brakes, and suspension but is powered by an eight-cylinder engine. Its early construction date includes several rare pre-production elements, most notably a dashboard with 15 unique differences featuring instruments fitted from behind—a detail virtually unseen in other period Packards. The interior showcases fine woodworking with Madagascar ebony and Honduran mahogany, while a hydraulic leveling system in the rear ensured smooth transportation of caskets.
Costing over $10,000 in 1939—more than double the price of a fully-loaded production model—this vehicle served its original funeral purpose until the 1960s before being repurposed by a touring rock band. This transition from dignified service to countercultural use adds a layer of historical significance beyond its automotive rarity.
"This isn't just a funeral coach—it's a symbol of Packard's innovation and elegance at the height of America's automotive golden age," says Ron Sturgeon, founder of the DFW Car & Toy Museum. The vehicle is now part of The Ron Sturgeon Collection and can be viewed alongside over 200 rare vehicles at the museum's North Fort Worth location.
The museum's new facility at 2550 McMillan Parkway offers 150,000 square feet of exhibition space with free parking and admission. Visitors can find more information about hours and exhibits at https://dfwcarandtoymuseum.com. This hearse's display matters because it demonstrates how luxury automotive engineering intersected with both formal and informal American cultural practices, preserving a tangible piece of design history that reflects broader social transitions.
Curated from 24-7 Press Release
