Is this the vehicle for your last journey?
This hearse was spotted on the highway and we have to say, its probably one of the best looking that we have seen in Malaysia.
Before this, the best looking hearse was a Toyota Alphard or a Mercedes Vito conversion which was rather nice. But this one looks like what European nations and North American undertakers use.
Further, being in white, it has some class added to it. Then there is the expensive very lucky number plate of 8888 which will have all the ‘feng shui’ Malaysians wanting to be driven in it to their final destination.
From our knowledge there is no automotive manufacturer that has a hearse in their showroom lineup. Not even American car manufacturers produce a hearse and so these vehicles have been specially made by coach builders of tuners.
The easiest way to start with a hearse is to take a statiowagon car. A Mercedes will be the most common choice in Europe and for the North American market, any stationwagon from Ford, Buick, Cadillac, Lincoln or Chrysler will fit the bill easily.
According to www.howstuffworks.com the largest manufacturer of hearses in the United States today is Accubuilt, Inc., of Lima, Ohio. Over the years a number of major hearse makers have merged and are now part of Accubuilt. These include Superior Coach, Eureka, Miller-Meteor, and Sayers and Scovill, names that will be instantly recognizable to anyone interested in funeral coaches.
Accubuilt currently builds 60 percent of the hearses used at American funerals. In fact, Accubuilt supplied the hearse for the 2004 funeral of former President Ronald Reagan as well as the limousines for his funeral procession. Other hearse makers include Wolfington Body Company and Binz Hearses. The latter builds hearses on the Mercedes-Benz chassis.
So, how much do handcrafted hearses cost? Well, if you must know, they are in the neighborhood of about USD60,000. This hearse pictured here probably cost more than its lucky number plate 8888.
