An Automotive Artifact
January 13, 2012
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
The Hearse that transported the body of beloved President John F Kennedy in Dallas to Air Force One
Like the attack on Pearl Harbor and the more recent attacks of September 11, the fateful day of November 22, 1963, is one emblazoned in the minds of every man, woman and child who was alive to experience it. These three days evoke raw emotion, and every American knows exactly where he or she was the moment the news broke. In the case of the Kennedy Assassination, historians, researchers and collectors have available a single object that represents this significant piece of American history.
Offered Saturday as Lot #1293 is chassis 64Z000050, which was mated to body #64001; it was built by the Miller-Meteor Company in time for display at the National Funeral Home Directors Association Convention that took place in Dallas in October, 1963. At the close of the trade show, the hearse was purchased by the O’Neal Funeral Home in Dallas. A few weeks later on November 22, 1963, bullets believed to have been fired from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository fatally struck President John Fitzgerald Kennedy and seriously wounded Texas Governor John Connally. The mortally wounded President was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Meanwhile, the O’Neal Funeral Home was summoned to supply the finest casket it had available, as well as an appropriate conveyance.
In one of the smaller dramas of that horrendous and confusing day, a standoff ensued between Secret Service agents and Parkland Chief of Pathology, Dr. Earl Rose. Dr. Rose intended to follow state law by preserving the chain of evidence and performing an autopsy. The Secret Service intended otherwise and removed the casket from the hospital at gunpoint, and the body of President Kennedy proceeded toward the last trip on Air Force One.
O’Neal Funeral Home employee and driver Aubrey Rike was already at Parkland with the white Cadillac hearse to pick up a man who had suffered a fatal seizure in the plaza across from the Texas School Book Depository. Another black hearse also owned by O’Neal was sitting behind it, this car having been the one used to deliver the President’s casket. Mrs. Kennedy expressed an aversion to riding in the black car, and thus the course of history changed in the direction of 64Z000050. Mrs. Kennedy also insisted in riding in the white hearse that would carry her husband. Rike explained to the Secret Service agents that this arrangement would not be safe; due to the attendant seats being used, the casket would have to be loaded with the rollers down, and thus the bier pins normally used to secure a casket would not be in place to prevent it from shifting. There was a chance that speed or road conditions could cause the heavy casket to shift and crush Mrs. Kennedy. Being already fed up with the previous civilian interference, or possibly adhering to a strict script that had been planned in advance, Secret Service agents piled into the car with the First Lady and took off with the hearse and the body of President Kennedy.
Without question, the outcome of this day and the motorcade leaving Parkland Hospital were very different from what was originally planned. As the news spread, schools dismissed and businesses shut down. Gone forever was an era of innocence and the dreams of what had been considered to be the most brilliant presidency of all time. Unlike the assassination itself — which is documented only in the famous, or infamous, Zapruder film and the conflicting recollections of hundreds of eyewitnesses — the historic trip made by 64Z000050 carrying the President’s body as well as the First Lady from Parkland to Love Field is well documented by dozens of photographs and miles of footage that recorded every movement of the motorcade. Aside from still and motion pictures, the role of this 1964 Cadillac is preserved in the memories of that waning generation who played key roles on that day. Rike passed away in 2010, but his recollections of the journey in the Cadillac are codified in his book “At the Door of Memory.”
While the controversy surrounding the assassination of President Kennedy and the handling of the investigation has persisted since those dark days of late 1963, the provenance of 64Z000050 has never been disputed. The O’Neal Funeral Home retained the hearse until the late 1960s when it was purchased by Arrdeen Vaughan, who is believed to have been an employee of O’Neal. Vaughan owned the car for over four decades until it was sold privately to its current, third owner. As a hearse distributor and early collector, Vaughan is responsible for the preservation of this incredible piece of history. Save for one repaint in the original color of white, it is fully original including trim and interior.
Included with the hearse are copies of the titles from O’Neal and Vaughan. The current owner has also recently registered the car using the same plates it wore on November 22, 1963. He has invested hundreds of hours performing research and has added to the already significant file of documentation. His work has yielded every piece of photography and documentation that he could accumulate and add to the car’s file, including articles and first-person accounts that mention the use of the Cadillac. It is also of note that the history of this car has been verified by the Professional Car Society as well as the Sixth Floor Museum. As automotive artifacts of the Kennedy Assassination are concerned, this 1964 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Hearse is unquestionably the best-documented, most original piece with history and character that is impeccable and without question.
– — By Jonathan Sierakowski