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Little is known about the Automobile Coach Co., Inc. of Kansas City,
Missouri other than the firm was founded in the teens by Carl Butterfield to
produce commercial vehicle bodies for metropolitan Kansas City businesses.
In 1924 William L. Fessler, the firm's vice-president, left to start his
own business, the Fessler Auto Top Co., which was located at 1943 Broadway,
Kansas City. The firm was reorganized as the Fessler Auto Body Corp. on June
17, 1927. At that time Fessler Auto Body's officers were as follows: Wm. K.
Fessler, pres.; Harold H. Fessler, secy-treas.; Wm. L. Fessler, mgr. On June
28, 1932, the Fesslers filed for bankruptcy.
However, Fessler's former employer remained in business, producing
commercial vehicle and professional car bodies into the mid-thirties.
One of the firm's coaches remains today and was
recently offered for sale at a number of collector car auctions. The
survivor, which shows only 30,200 miles on the odometer, was built on a 1932
Ford V-8 chassis in July of 1932 and because of unbelievably good luck and
caring owners, has been preserved in “The best original condition of any 32
Ford I’ve seen in over 50 years,” according to the auction catalog. The
coaches' original blue mohair is in excellent condition with minor wear and
normal aging. The original 6-volt siren works perfectly. The wood body frame
is original and appears to need absolutely nothing.
Converted when new by the Automobile Coach Co., Inc.,
its combination hearse/ambulance coachwork is the only vehicle built by the
firm currently known to exist. Automobile Coach extended the Model 40 Ford
commercial car chassis to a wheelbase of 146 using a Reeves cut-frame
extension unit, the finest available at that time.
The pillar-less combination coachwork includes jump
seating for emergency personnel as well as small rollers inlaid into the
floor that allowed bearers to slide the casket
from either side of the vehicle allowing for easy loading and unloading of the casket. A
large side-hinged rear door also allowed access to the rear compartment from
the rear.
© 2004 Mark Theobald - Coachbuilt.com
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