As an automotive and true crime fan – I am sure there are more than just me out there – I thought it would be a great idea to gather all the info there´s is about the Ghoul Car on one page. The Ghoul car was a 1949 Ford Sedan that was used by notorious murderer and grave robber, Ed Gein (Plainfield, Wisconsin) , to transfer dead bodies from graveyard. After Ed Gein was arrested, the car was auctioned off and shown at local State Fairs where visitors could see it for a fee. Nobody knows what happened to the car afterwards, but i am almost sure that someone has some information – or more photos from the auction, state fairs, etc., than what I have been able to find.
Who was Ed Gein?
Edward Gein was born on August 27, 1906 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He was suspected serial killer and grave robber. He was questioned in 1957 after the murder of hardware store owner Bernice Worden, in his hometown, Plainfield, Wisconsin. When police inspected his property they found Worden´s decapitated body in a shed. In the house authorities found human bones, wastebasket made of human skin, chairs covered with human skin, skulls on bedposts etc. you get the picture. He got the name “The Butcher of Plainfield”. He passed away at age 77 on July 26, 1984 at Mendota Mental Health Institute, Madison, Wisconsin. The movies Psycho, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho are based on Ed Gein story.
Edward Gein Auction
Edward Gain Auction sale was held on Sunday March 30, 1958 from 12pm to 4.00pm in Plainfield, Wisconsin. Entrance fee was 5 cents. There were multiple items offered for sale: Stoves, Kitchen Cupboard, Dishes, Beds, Sewing Machine (not sure who would like to buy this one), and all kinds of machinery and farm equipment etc. The poster also lists two vehicles: 1940 Chevrolet Pick-Up Truck and 1949 Ford 4 door Sedan. The 1949 Ford is said to be the vehicle that Ed used to haul the dead from the graves. According to article on the Wisconsin La Crosse Tribune Newspaper (March 31, 1958) the Chevrolet truck was purchased by Chet Scales, a Highland junk dealer for $210 as a souvenir. Ed Gein´s 1949 Ford Sedan sold for $740 according to same article. There´s a video by Joe Brown on youtube (LINK) from the auction that does have 1949 Ford Four Door Sedan and 1940 Chevrolet Truck. However, it´s impossible to say, if the Ford is the actual Ed Gein car. See photos below.
The Ghoul Car That Hauled The Dead From Their Graves
The 1949 Ford Four Door Sedan had 14 bids and highest bidder was funfair owner Bunny Gibbons from Rockford, Illinois. He purchased Ed Gein´s 1949 Ford Sedan to exhibit in State Fairs and named it “Ed Gein Ghoul Car”. He put mannequins in the car to represent Gein and his final victim, Bernice Worden.
The Ghoul Car was first displayed at Seymour, Wisconsin at Outagamie Country Fair and around 2,000 visitors saw the vehicle in first few days in July 1958 for a fee of 25 cents.
The exhibit caused a lot of controversy as Gibbons was trying to cash out with such a horrific crime. The officials from Mental Health America of Wisconsin fought to close down the exhibit.
The car made it’s final appearance in Slinger, Wisconsin at Washington County Fair, where the local sheriff shut down the display.
After that the state banned the Ghoul Car Exhibition for good.
Nobody knows what happened to Ed Gein´s 1949 Ford Sedan after the exhibitions ended. There are online rumours, that the car might still exist in Wisconsin.
Has anyone seen any other photos of the car at the Auction or State Fairs ? Or do you know what happened to them? Please, comment below or send a private message – CONTACT.
Sources:
https://www.wisconsinology.com/the-weird/ed-geins-car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb5O888V8JE
https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM2022
https://allthatsinteresting.com/ed-gein-house
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Gein
https://www.jsonline.com/picture-gallery/news/2023/09/15/images-from-the-strange-highly-disturbing-case-of-ed-gein/70863276007/
