Something Different - Take a Look!

[Tony Karsnia]

Fresh off the NFDA convention floor in Boston is this brand new Federal Cadillac Renaissance hearse. Notice how Federal has freshened the appearance by offering a smooth, painted top on the exterior and a completely redesigned interior. While this interior "architecture" is destined to be a "love it or hate it" style, some credit must be given to Federal for creativity resulting in a "wow factor" along with attempts to brighten up the interior highlights.

What do you think?

Thanks to John Baines, Baines Professional Vehicles - Minnesota for sharing these images with us.

[Danny Ryder]

Interior ok, rear outside looks funny, don't like overall.

[Tim Cenowa]

I agree with Danny. Interior OK. Exterior, especially back, not good.

[Jonathan Murphy]

Nope, try again. I agree with everyone else regarding the rear end of the Federal Coach. Too tall and angled. And (I can't believe I'm saying this :eek:) it looks like it needs more chrome around the back door, etc.

[Josh Gentry]

Interior ok, rear outside looks funny, don't like overall.
The back doesn't fit the rest of the car. To boxy looking.:thumbsdown:

Josh

[Kent Dorsey]

I don't care for the non commercial glass cars with that area above the windshield that looks like a john boat turned upside down. Must be why I cling to the Victoria's...

[Doug House]

I won't be commenting on hearses much, because I'm very definately an "ambulance guy", but when I saw these pics, my first reaction was that the back looks like one of those new "Cube" cars....or a Honda Element.

[Charles E Snyder, II]

Ok, I am going to go against the grain here and say that for the most part, I like it.

I like the smooth painted roof. I do agree that it needs something around the back to set things off. Maybe a little chrome, but not much. Just a few little highlights. I do agree that I don't care for the non commercial glass cars, but I have grown to accept them. Not bad overall design on the outside.

Tha interior... I absolutely love it! I don't know why, but my first thought when I saw the pictures was wow (in a good way). It is just very appealing to me. The only thing that I wonder is how well all of that will hold up over time. Hopefully good.

Thanks for the pictures Tony. Something that I might be interested in picking up when it becomes a classic in a few years.

[David Martin]

I do like the rear area...nicer than I've seen in others.

I agree that the glossy black roof gives it a "van/ conversion" look.

I think a two tone color combo would do away with that problem.

[Kevin Lynch]

I thought the interior was great...the slope of the roof though...I like the john boat comment. We need some slope to the back door. I will say the Caddy rear end looks better on a hearse than the Lincoln. That's really strange in my opinion.
Kev

[John ED Renstrom]

I like the inside. I do wish they would go back to more of the shelf like what is in the older cars. maybe even taper it from the back to the spring tower the to the front not just have it jump out at you from the center. but over all I like the way they did the inside. the roof treatment is cheap looking plastic cap. if they don't want to match the slope of the windshield and why not it's just wasted space over the driver. why don't they do a completely different thing like rake it forward or step it up. from the side it looks like some one missed the angle or they were using one that fit something else and were to cheap to design one for this car.

[John Burchfield]

I think Federal was claiming to have the "largest hearse available" with their redesign a couple of years ago, which is a commendable goal, but their awkward styling again comes up short. I like the painted top, but as everyone above has said, the rear end is too boxy looking. Their rear (loading) door reminds me of a 50s refrigerator. It doesn't match the angled lines at the front end (or as Kent D. calls it "that s.a.w") :D I do like the analogy to a jon boat. Interior wise-the white and mirror finish trim looks kind of tacky (are them real flours in 'dem vases?) sort of like some bad 70s decor, and the odd shaped partition window is bizarre (what's the point?) I'm not being very charitable, but you asked, Tony!

[Daniel Scully]

It needs more cow bell.;)

I,ll take my 72 any day over this.

http://www.postimage.org/aVa0_Q9.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVa0_Q9)
http://www.postimage.org/aVa1oMA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVa1oMA)

[John Royark JR]

I dont like the outside, I have never liked the way Federal had the squared off back, and this one looks even worse than all the other years. The roof over the windshield looks cheap. As for the interior, I love it!! You do have to give them credit for trying to do something new with the interior.

[Steve Lichtman]

I think they could have done better with a slight curve in the top of the side windows. The reason it looks so boxy is the flat-top of that line, I think.

As for the interior, the "Roman" arches and vases are OK but do look a little "Vegas" to me. And I agree, what's the point of the hexagon-shaped front window?

That said, I wouldn't be upset if it were used in a funeral, it's OK, just not great.

[Richard Vyse]

It needs more cow bell.;)

I,ll take my 72 any day over this.

http://www.postimage.org/aVa0_Q9.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVa0_Q9)
http://www.postimage.org/aVa1oMA.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=aVa1oMA)

I love this one and on the fence about the new one.

[Paul Steinberg]

...................
That said, I wouldn't be upset if it were used in a funeral, it's OK, just not great.

It wouldn't upset me either, as long as it wasn't my own funeral. I don't want to take my last ride in one of those "cookie cutter" hearses. I would like something more vintage, like from the last century and a few decades old.

[Daniel Scully]

I would like something more vintage, like from the last century and a few decades old.
__________________

I,ll give a you ride in trade for the Chrysler. :)

[Tony Karsnia]

Paul,

I'm sure you will be going out in your sideloader...er...Corvair! :D

As for the new hearse, I have nicknamed this Federal Cadillac DTS the Federal Cadillac FPS. (Flower Pot Smoothie)

Personally, I like the interior, but it doesn't belong in a slab-sided Federal with thoughtlessly square rear end. This interior would be more fitting in S&S Masterpeice or Superior Crown Sovereign commercial glass cars.

[Dennis Goethe]

While I like the smooth top, it does need some sort of chrome trim piece to distinguish the top from the body, especially at the hind end! Federal's Coaches do lack something. Its hard to pinpoint what that "something" is, but we all know it when we see it (or don't see it, sometimes). Let's hope that Poindexter's joint ownership of Federal and Eagle doesn't influence Eagle's designers.

And those flower pots. I don't mind the arch alcoves so much, but I don't like the leaning vases. That accentuates the slant of the sides of the roof. Amazing that the roof sides lean in so much, but the back door is practially vertical!

Some poor apprentice is going to have to crawl into the back of that hearse every day and change those flowers in the pots. (pink flowers for the Primrose, wheat for the Sierra Bronze, roses for the Silver Rose...)

Did Andy Worhol design that divider window? Yech.

I guess, in short, I wouldn't be caught dead in this!:eek::p

dlg

PS - Dan Scully, loved the "more cow bell" comment!!!!!!
(Peggy's 88-year-old mother will sometimes just come up with something and say that it "needs more cow bell." I don't think the ladies in her bridge club get it though.)

[Paul Saether]

As an Eagle Ultimate Elite lover, my eye was caught by the chrome crown and the painted roof. The first pictures I saw were small, and I didn't notice that same old Federal roof line. I do like the interior, except the strange divider window.

Now that I look more carefully at the pictures Tony posted, that ugly roof line that Federal is famos for is really giving me trouble. I think Eagle has a much more graceful and beautiful roof line on their cars. That is why I love them so much.

I am anxious to find out what the price difference is between these cars and an Eagle Ultimate Elite. It was suggested to me that the difference might be as much as $25,000. If this is true, I might learn to get along with that roof line for $25,000! Maybe there would be a way of dressing it up a bit, or distracting your eye away from the "boxieness" with a little chrome strip or something.

Paul Saether

[Kevin Kocur]

Do away with that horrid rear door, please. And the interior is nothing short of fantastic.
YMMV.
-K

[Jeremy D. Ledford]

Nope, sorry, dosen't do anything for me. They should have continued the fender top trim going around the back door. It makes the rear door area look unfinished. And that interior! Dosen't look like anything that would be used here in the U.S. in my opinion. Looks like a overseas job to me.

[Paul Saether]

Yesterday the Baines dealership in the Chicago area held an open house with many spectacular cars on display, a lunch (hearse shaped sugar cookies!) and a few speakers. 2 or 3 Echelons, an Eagle Premier with the large rectangular rear side window, an oval-window Ultimate Elite with electric extend table and carpet floor, an Eagle Coupe De Fleur, and one or two others.

It was a very nice showing. This Federal was on site, so I got to touch and feel it! It still looks boxy to me compared to the Eagles. Besides the "boxieness" the outside looks very nice. I personally still like everything except the divider window treatment. That mirrored panel in the upper part of the divider window is just that, a mirrored panel. I thought it just might have some function, but nope.

My greatest disapointment was the price. As I said before, I had thought the price would be substantially less than a comperablly priced Eagle, but I was sorry to learn that you might save only a couple thousand when comparing identically equipped cars.

I have had such outstanding luck with my Eagles (two 2000 models, a 2004 and a 2005) and such great customer support directly from Eagle (despite my buying 3 of them used) that I would not venture away from Eagle for $2,000 if I were purchasing such an expensive car. My 2000 Eagles still stand up proud, in fantastic condition. One has 65,000 miles and the other 35,000 miles, so neither of them are very high mileage, but the 65,000 mile car is mid-life and it still looks almost like new. I also think you would get some, if not all of that $2,000 back at trade in time.

Paul Saether