They will never beep: the most curious hearses, from a Tesla to a Ferrari

On All Souls’ Day, which is celebrated worldwide today, we are going to give prominence to one of the main actors in the act of saying goodbye to a loved one: hearses. Powered by physical horses for centuries, the advent of the automobile at the end of the 19th century also marked a ‘black revolution’, when cars dressed in mourning, in their finery, and became a very important part of the transport protocol of the recently deceased to their last resting place. Today we are talking about 50 of the most curious hearses that we have had the opportunity to contemplate in the last 120 years.

Although many will be surprised, in the following gallery of 100 funeral vehicles there will be no shortage of the main brands of cars and motorcycles, which at some point and in some place have seen their bodies modified to be protagonists at funerals and burials.

A ‘blackened’ Audi 80 in the middle of the race… at the Nurburgring circuit. An Austin Princess that exudes beauty even in the toughest moments. Just like on this Buick Roadmaster, black doesn’t have to be our final color. A tuned 72 Cadillac, for those who don’t want to stop laughing even dead. The Cadillac that transported the body of John Fitzgerald Kennedy after his assassination on November 22, 1963. The Cadillac Miller Meteor, which was a hearse and ambulance, and which belonged to Elvis Presley. A Chilean mortician transformed a Chevrolet Camaro into a jolly hearse. For a very classy funeral, an entire Citroën DS ‘Shark’ transformed for the occasion. The ‘familiar’ of the mythical Munster family could not be missing. The wonderful aesthetics of those years in this converted ’59 Dodge Corronet. The Ecto-1 hearse/ambulance from the mythical “Ghostbusters” couldn’t be missing either. Yes, they are not dreaming. Someone turned a Ferrari into a hearse. One of the first minivans, the Fiat 600 Múltipla, in a duel version. Another beauty dressed in black, the Fiat 1900. The ‘hot rod’ aesthetic in a Ford from no less than 1922. A practical coffin-trailer to take our deceased for a walk. You take a ’66 Ford Mustang and team it up with a Volvo 240DL to get this wonder. Another wonderful vintage design of the 1938 Ford Steibert. The best way to take the last ride for a Harley Davidson fan. The ‘Hummer fever’ of the turn of the century also carried over into the funeral business. Asians, always so different, like this funeral Isuzu. Even dressing him in mourning does not detract one iota of beauty from the Jaguar E-Type. The last ride of Fidel Castro’s ashes was towed by a Jeep. It’s not real, but this is what a Lamborghini Gallardo would look like as a hearse. The recently deceased Philip of Edinburgh tuned up this Land Rover Defender for his funeral 16 years ago. About tastes there is nothing written; and less about tastes of hearses bodies. Yes, it is a Maserati Ghibli suitably tuned for the last rides. A British company pimps its funeral Mercedes to the taste of the dead consumer. In deep America there are people who make their last trip up there in a Monster Truck. Funeral Nissan Leaf, the most sustainable way to go to the cemetery. A wonderful turn of the century Norfolk with its matching hearse sidecar. If a car isn’t enough for you, here’s a Packard hearse from 1916. Although some would prefer to take their last ride in a 911, a Porsche Panamera doesn’t look bad either. Here at Iberialand we also have our retro funeral jewels, like this Renault 25 GTS. Passionate about classic luxury? Die and feel alive in this Rolls-Royce Phantom IV. But if you like modernity, you can also choose this most current Rolls-Royce Phantom. There are many who get hold of an old hearse, like this Seat 124, and feel more ‘alive’ than ever. Pure seventies aesthetics of this funeral Seat 132. Going back to the early 20th century, this wonderful 1929 Studebaker, for children’s burials. Yes, it’s not a nightmare: you can also go bury yourself aboard a tank. As we already saw in the headline of this gallery, there is a Tesla Model S tuned for a funeral home. Triumph also has a very fitting hearse sidecar. The very long Volvos of two decades ago are perfect for funeral vehicles. The Volkswagen T1 offers both dimensions and glamor for a very ‘cool’ burial. Anything can happen in China. Until this. In Savannah (Georgia, USA) this is the best vehicle to get to know the city.