Classic DREAMCARS Mount Dora, Fla. (352) 385-1945 www.classicdreamcars.com

(TOUCH MOUSE ON PIX TO ENLARGE)

1977 CADILLAC SAYERS & SCOVILL ( S &S ) VICTORIA LANDAU 'ENDLOADER' HEARSE

WE PURCHASED THIS CAR AS "BOOKENDS" TO OUR BLACK 1938 CADILLAC - LASALLE S & S HEARSE. A GREAT 31 YEAR OLD ANTIQUE HEARSE DIRECT FROM THE SECOND OWNER'S GARAGE. THIS GREAT VINTAGE COACH IS MADE BY THE OLDEST AND MOST RESPECTED CUSTOM COACH BUILDER IN THE BUSINESS.....S & S ( SAYERS AND SCOVILL) COACH BUILDERS OF LIMA, OHIO (CIRCA: 1890) WHO WERE THEN ACQUIRED BY HESS & EISENHARDT. IT WAS PURCHASED NEW IN NOV. 1976 WHILE ACTUALLY BEING DISPLAYED IN THE HESS AND EISENHARDT COACHBUILDER'S BOOTH : AT THE WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA "FUNERAL DIRECTORS" CONVENTION. NO REASON IS KNOWN BUT, OUR RECORDS SHOW IT WAS THEN DELIVERED JUNE 1977 TO THE LEONARD E. BURANOVSKY FUNERAL HOME IN THE SMALL PENNSYLVANIA BOROUGH OF MADERA IN CLEARFIELD COUNTY (POPULATION: 79,000 / 1,088 RESPECTIVELY) WHERE IT SAW VERY LIMITED USE. WE ARE TOLD THIS TINY FUNERAL PARLOR ASSIGNED ONE, SPECIFIC DRIVER FOR THE ENTIRE LIFE OF THE CAR AND HE BABIED, MAINTAINED AND STORED THE CAR IN A CLIMATE CONTROLLED GARAGE. UPON THE SALE OF THE CAR THE KEYS WERE MYSTERIOUSLY "LOST". THIS FUNERAL HOME WAS BOUGHT OUT BY ANOTHER "F.D." (KRUISE FUNERAL HOMES) AND THE CAR WAS USED UNTIL 1997, WHEN IT WAS RESPECTFULLY RETIRED TO THE OWNERS PERSONAL GARAGE. THIS IS ONE OF ONLY 1,299 CARS WERE BUILT ON THIS COMMERCIAL CHASSIS IN '77 IN ALL BODY STYLES , ( HEARSE, AMBULANCE, SERVICE CARS & COMMERCIAL LIMOUSINE ), BY ALL FOUR OF THE TOP COACH BUILDERS). SOURCES SAY IT IS ONE OF APPROX. 416 'ENDLOADERS' BY S & S . THE FACT IT WAS A VERY POPULAR YEAR AND THAT CADILLAC BUILT 369,254 CARS IN 1977 MAKES THIS A VERY LIMITED BUILD CAR.

AMAZINGLY, IT STILL RETAINS IT'S MINT ORIGINAL BROCADE INTERIOR. THE EXTERIOR IS FINISHED IN IT'S ORIGINAL TRADITIONAL HEARSE COLOR "SABLE BLACK" WITH THE "MEDIUM BLUE" D'ELEGANCE BROCADE INTERIOR. THIS COACH HAS ALL THE ORIGINAL S & S / CADILLAC BOOKS AND RECORDS INCLUDING THE ORIGINAL BILL OF SALE. IT CARRIES THE 425 CUBIC INCH 7.0 LITER V8 WITH 4-BARREL CARBURETOR (NOT THE TROUBLESOME FUEL INJECTION) WITH THE 3-SPEED HYDRAMATIC TRANSMISSION. ALL OF THESE S & S COACHES WERE BUILT ON THE NEW 8680-S COMMERCIAL, LADDER -TYPE, FRAME, CONSTRUCTED ON A MASTER JIG WITH A ONE-PIECE, CONTOURED STEEL ROOF FOR LASTING DEPENDABILITY. THE FRONT SUSPENSION IS INDEPENDENT COIL SPRING WHILE THE REAR IS DESIGNED WITH COIL SPRINGS AND ANTI-SQUAT GEOMETRY. POWER DISC BRAKES AND (17.5:1) STEERING MAKE THIS DREAMBOAT A JOY TO DRIVE WHILE THE 3:08 REAR AXLE / TRANSMISSION COMBINATION GIVES IMPROVED GAS MILEAGE - A WELCOME CHANGE FROM THE EARLIER COACHES. THIS IS THE FANCY "VICTORIA" MODEL WITH THE OPTIONAL SWAG DRAPERIES, COLOR-MATCHED BLACK HUBCAPS WITH S & S BADGES, POSITRACTION, DOOR EDGE GUARDS, UNDERCOATING, THE TRADITIONAL S & S CHROME TRIANGLE HOOD ORNAMENT, TILT WHEEL, DUAL REMOTE MIRRORS, COACH LAMPS, CHROME WREATH / FUNERAL SHIELD PACKAGE, OLD-SCHOOL STROBE EMERGENCY LIGHTS (NOT LED), CUSTOM DOOR INITIALS, AM/ FM RADIO W/ POWER ANTENNA, WALNUT REAR CASKET TABLE AND EVEN THE S & S FRONT LICENSE PLATE. ALL S & S MODELS IN 1977 OFFERED DEEP-CUSHIONED SPLIT SEAT BACK WITH CENTER FOLD-DOWN ARMREST, SHADED COMMERCIAL WINDSHIELDS, TINTED GLASS, PARTITION GLASS W/ SLIDING WINDOW, ELECTRIC POWER WINDOWS, PERMANENT SET REAR GLASS, SPARE TIRE COMPARTMENT, BUILT-IN CHURCH TRUCK WELL, TWO -WAY MANUAL SEATS, (3) DOME LIGHTS , ELEVEN CASKET ROLLERS, SKID PLATES, AND BIER PINS, HEAVY DUTY DEFROSTER / HEATER, CHOICE OF ANY CADILLAC COLOR, DAY-NIGHT MIRRORS, AND OVERSIZED DUAL PADDED SUNVISORS. THIS CUSTOM MADE COACH IS IN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION, READY FOR WHATEVER THE NEED MAY BE....CURRENT SERVICE, OR COLLECTOR CAR.

THE STORY:

Probably the most often used 'catch phrase' in 1977 was "May The Force Be With You".... when 'Star Wars' helped the Movie Industry reach a staggering $2.3 billion in ticket sales. Though, "Star Wars" can't take all the credit- "Saturday Night Fever", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", and "Annie Hall" also had great Box Office grosses. The Boob Tube was loaded with entertaining shows like "Laverne and Shirley", "Happy Days","Charlie's Angels". "m*a*s*h* and "Three's Company. Plenty of reasons to put a smile on your face. While Gary Gilmore wasn't smiling when he was shot by a STATE ORDERED Firing Squad for the cold-blooded killing of a Utah gas station owner.... the first person to receive the death penalty since 1967. Jimmy Carter was inaugurated President and immediately Pardoned all Viet Nam Draft Resisters, King Tut's Tomb would be displayed all across America in an impressive Exhibition and August 16 would see America's own King; Elvis Presley die of an overdose of 14 drugs ( IN FACT, ' ELVIS' WENT TO HIS GRAVE IN A COACH EXACTLY LIKE THIS, FINISHED IN COTILLION WHITE.) Believe it or not 'Beer Can Collecting" would become a very popular hobby, topped by the President's own Brother's Brand, "Billy Beer" (had to be a Nation caught in boredom). This year "Lynryrd Skynyrd" a great Southern Rock Band would suffer the loss of 3 of their band mates on Oct 20th when their outdated / underserviced DC7 Prop Jet would crash killing 3 of the group including Ronnie Van Zant, Lead Singer. Other great artists would carry on The Torch with albums by Fleetwood Mac "Rumors", The Eagles "Hotel California", Linda Ronstadt's "Simple Dreams" and (get ready to gag) Barry Manilow's "Live". In Sports, you might remember Mohammed Ali came out of retirement to beat (up) Ernie Shavers but, most of us will Remember Best the Dallas Cheerleaders...almost more famous then the Dallas Cowboys themselves....as they reached peak popularity this year.

It was a new ball game for Funeral Directors in 1977 when the Custom Coach Houses were handed an 'all new' Cadillac plus, fresh EPA Guidelines and tighter emissions restrictions on Professional Service Vehicles. Gone were the giant 22 foot long+ Hearses of the past. 1977 ushered in a whole 'new era' of vehicles 21 inches shorter. Even on First Impression, the new bodystyles were more crisp, offered more detailing and "a new take on traditional design". The larger roof- line offered a clean sweep of the body contours, a huge new rear door with hidden latches (unlike some body builders, ex: Memphian on the Chrysler Chassis). Once you opened those doors, gone were the marble-ized look of the old coffin materials replaced by the new d' Elegance Brocade or Crushed Velvet Interiors.... so popular... it soon became an option with all the Coach Houses. Rich Colors and Fabrics that had never been seen before abounded. Amazingly, these Custom Coaches cost over double the price of what a new 1977 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham cost ( Cadillac Factory base price was $11,546) . It was called " a new era of coach styling" with good reason....... every manufacturer copied this body design and stuck with it well into the 90's. Today it gives this coach a Modern Appeal - despite the fact, it is 31 years old. Watching Vintage Hearses take-off as a Collectible, this Funeral Car deserves special attention because of the mileage and original condition. Another great, Hand-Built, Custom Made Car ... THE CADILLAC S & S 'VICTORIA' LANDAU FUNERAL COACH.