1915 Studebaker Hearse
Ornate carvings depicting drapes, tassels, and Corinthian columns adorned the sides of Studebaker’s motorized hearses, bridging centuries of carriage-building tradition with early automotive engineering.
Founded in 1852 and once the world’s largest producer of wagons and carriages, Studebaker recognized that funeral parlors transitioning from horse-drawn equipment around World War I still valued elegance and refinement in their professional vehicles.
This largely original 1915 example retains its untouched interior, complete with rollers and posts for its solemn duties. Built on a Model SD-4 chassis, the hearse was powered by a 192-cubic-inch (3.1-liter) side-valve four-cylinder engine producing about 30 horsepower, paired with a three-speed manual transmission and two-wheel mechanical brakes.
Family records indicate that the vehicle was acquired directly from a Los Angeles funeral parlor, likely before the 1950s. It has since appeared in several Hollywood productions, including Mae West (1982) and Man with a Thousand Chains (1987).
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