Flower Cars in the Pacific NW

The one we had spent some time in the midwest. Not sure if it was used as a flower car there, but here is a pic of the last inspection sticker on the windshield. Car was originally bought new and used by a funeral home in central PA.
 

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Most high top ambulances have better visibility the my Coupe DeFluer, with the exception of a Criterion, 54XL, or S&S Professional. These ambulances have equally bad visibility in the rear. Like Pat said the rear window in the Coupe DeFluer would have been better as a sun roof, The rear stainless trim protrudes so the factory Cadillac rear rearview mirror is limited. A practical addition that would help immensely is west coast mirrors, but they would look bad on a flower car, so forward is better.
 
I agree with the comments after my post about visibility, but in my case I don't look out the side rear windows, and very rarely out the loading door window, (not even in my 49 S&S limo style) after all when there is a casket in it, you cant see out it anyway, so I learned to back up by side mirrors only, which is how you would have to do with a flower car. I guess it all depends on how well you can back up using side mirrors alone. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't do it the first time either, it took awhile to learn and get efficient at it.
Now don't ask me to park a small car, I cant park one in a bigger spot that I can whip a full size coach in. No idea why.
 
Thanks everyone for your input. Not really having seen flower cars in person, I guess I just imagined them being shorter wheel base than their hearse counterparts. Even though I think the mid-70s flower cars like Ken's and Bruce's are probably some of the best looking cars ever, I think what I would like would be a newer standard wheel base flower car. I really like the S&S Victoria Florale's look, but I'm sure I'm just dreaming- don't think I could ever afford one. But does anyone know the overall length of those?

Steve, regarding vandalism. When I owned a hearse, I felt like I was often made a target of harassment. I had eggs thrown all over it once. Another time someone pull into my oncoming lane, parked, and wouldn't let me pass. One time someone followed me around honking at me and wouldn't pass when I pulled over. I feel like with a hearse, a lot people want to hassle you, whereas I imagine with a flower car, most of the general public would have no idea what it was and would just assume it was a Cadillac pick-up.
 
Noah, flower cars are available in different configurations. There is no one type of flower car. There are full size flower cars that are built on the long hearse and ambulance chassis, and there are standard wheelbase flower cars that are converted from coupes and sedans. There are high-deck casket-capable flower cars that have awful rearward visibility, and there are open-well flower cars that have an El Camino-like bed with great visibility. You can get what you are looking for, just be aware that there are different flower car styles and construction methods. Flower cars can be found, but they are among the most rare of the professional car body styles. There were few made when new, and being a very rust-prone vehicle, even fewer have survived.

In answer to your question about the S&S Florale, it is a full-size, hearse-length flower car. I do not know the actual dimensions of it, but the Florales are such a very low volume vehicle that they are largely built by hand by modifying a hearse body shell.
 
photo of my 1999 Eagle Coupe De Fleur maybe a bit easier to handle
 

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Several years ago, ex PCS member Walter Sharpe in Tacoma had 2 flower cars for sale at his collector car dealership. One was converted from a standard wheel base car and the other was converted from an Armbruster Stageway stretch limo. It was a long car, even longer than a "normal" flower car. I believe both were sold though.
 
mine is for sale

My '70 Superior (all-white) flower car is for sale.........send a private message for details..........(the car is all restored......
 
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