Talk about an unexpected vehicle I’d never imagined: a CTS hearse. But Rivera Notario snapped this in Santiago, Chile, so it does exist. And if there’s one, there’s likely more, given how coachbuilders work. Anyone have a clue as to where and by whom this was built? Someone ndeeds to get one built on a CTS-V, for the world’s fastest hearse.
The “armpit” created by using the existing door frame demonstrates poor design at best. Hideous.
“Hideous.”
That was the exact word that came to mind.
Since about a decade, it’s the usual (European) way of building hearses. Extended wheelbase four doors with huge glassed glassfibre extensions.
Here’s a Jaguar XF:
http://lijkwagens.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/xf-anteprima.jpg
Here’s a Volvo S80:
http://limousines.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/volvo-main/volvo6.jpg
Funeral traditions are different around the world, but those combined limousine/hearses have become more popular in Europe, ferrying the pallbearers/immediate family of the deceased along with the coffin.
That Cadillac looks like the European hearses, though I don’t know if any European coachbuilder would build a hearse on a Cadillac. Perhaps some Europe-oriented Chilean coachbuilder?
The CTS conversion looks exactly like the Jag one you linked. I think we have a coachbuilder winner.
The Jaguar hearse is built by Pilato (the name is below the grille) from Italy.
For the (dead) Mopar-fans a Chrysler hearse built by Biemme, also from Italy.
The 300 hearse looks like a Caravan rear-ended it.
or mated with it.
Just the thing to get me to my funeral on time.
I’ve always wondered why European (and evidently South American) hearses have picture windows in back. It seems somewhat macabre to so prominently display the casket…
Different traditions. Sometimes, the pallbearers carry the coffin all the way from the church to the burial ground by hand. Talk about prominently displaying the coffin. It’s not macabre, it’s just different traditions. It’s just a way of showing love and respect and affection. Glassed hearses is just a continuation of ferrying the coffin on an open wheeled horse drawn carriege. Though, now there are cars, and the hearses are closed but glassed.
I’ve always wondered why the americans have to have a closed hearse without glass. I mean, everybody knows the coffin is in there, it’s not like it just magically appears and disappears. Or why they have to take the coffin out sideways out the side door. When it should be so evidently easier taking it out the back. It’s just different traditions, and nobody knows why…
I always thought our lack of windows was because the conversion companies would charge less. I don’t know what you mean by taking the coffin out sideways; all the funerals I’ve been to (which is, what, 6?) it gets hauled out the back.
Thought its not seen that often, many hearses used in big cities had the option of loading the casket from the curb instead of from the back, they were referred to as “side loaders”, they usually had a movable casket table that would swing to make it easier to load the casket.
Speaking of unique regional customs, there are those wild Japanese “pagoda-temple” style hearses with ornate roofs.
..bet The Stig would love to get his hands on one of these ..can just see all the balsa-wood and tassels and crap littering the track ..good fun
I believe in Japan where space is at such a premium the hapless stiff is merely hoisted straight up through the top via a small discreetly in-built crane device ..looks quite impressive ..kind of like the beginning of the journey on and upwards
I’m not that familiar with the customs used, though they seem to have a little rear door, the interiors of the “pagoda” section are as ornate as the exterior, very elaborate.
The “Landau” style hearse isn’t really that old, but the style did take off with American funeral directors and it quickly became the norm. In the last 10 years of so, the option of adding “ambulance” or “coach glass” in the rear landau area has started to become a more popular option.
For many years, here in the US there were Ambulances, hearses and combination cars which could serve as both ambulance and hearse depending on the situation. Combination coaches usually had windows in the rear area normally occupied by the Landau “S” on more formal hearse only cars.
For a while there was an interest in gothic style carved panel sides on hearses too, which were wild.
That immediately reminds me of the Precision Miniatures 1:18 diecast Cadillac hearses.
The hearse is the biggest, baddest, most broughamtastic car we have left. There is nothing else with as much vinyl roof, bigger landau bars or more in your face opera lamps.
I really hope the Euro-hearse style never catches on here. Yuck.
This looks like the spawn of the Pope Mobile and an entry level Cadillac. I would haunt the person who did this to me. A funeral with this and today’s stretch limousines would be humiliating for me.
And I thought the new XTS and MKT hearses were ugly. Sheesh!
Man and I thought modern car design on it’s own was ugly, the hearse brings it to another level. Now even hearses must suffer the tyranny of aerodynamics
Yep, ugly is the word. especially when you compare this with, say, a 67 Caddy Hearse. I know which one I’m going out in.
Damn, If a man ever needed a reason to go on living, the thought of riding in this thing is it. Here’s one with the right idea:
That’s a photoshop, the XTS hearse is actually pretty good looking in person, for a car that has a very specific purpose, the tall formal coachwork is a bit at odds with the aerodynamic XTS front end, but I’ll hand it to the coachbuilders, they do a pretty good job.
This is an Armbruster-Stageway, which is an old hearse-limo maker that seems to have returned from the dead…..he..he.
I like the wrap around rear window which sort of pays homage to the 1959-1960 Cadillac hearses.
Carmine, that production XTS is one fine looking funeral coach. If you share my interest in professional cars, you should visit http://www.coachbuilt.com, which is a great source of information. I also recommend Tom McCall’s “Classic American Funeral Vehicles” as a good read.
Imperialist, that is to die for.
I wonder how fast the Top Gear boys could get this around their track?
I can see it in a Tim Burton movie.
Screamin’ Jay’s tour bus, that’s what it is !
Just when I thought I knew something about cars….
My mind has been blown.
I would like a final ride in a CTS-V wagon, though…
Notice I said wagon. The hearse is cool, but the wagon is cooler.
The place where I work has one 2008 S&S Masterpiece with limousine windows…our other coaches have landau sides (vinyl covered with landau bars). Eagle Coach in Amelia OH makes several designs with not only side windows, but a big, non-opening sunroof/skylight. I’d be scared to death that it would leak once the car got a little older, but who knows?
That CTS is fugly…
Dodge minivan in the pic too…I don’t associate American cars with S. American markets like Chile.
I took the picture that originated this cohort, and I’m glad it made it to Curbside Classics. Doing a little Googling, based on the “Elegance” badge these hearses have on the sides (I have more pictures that highlight that detail), I reached the company that builds them. And to my surprise, it is located in Los Andes, Chile.
Carrozados Corona has a wide range of hearse conversions, from Mercedes-Benz, Dodge Magnum and Chrysler 300, to the ubiquitous 90’s Caprice wagons, to 5 different Korean cars: Old and new Sonata, Kia Opirus, Magentis and Renault Samsung SM5!
I’ll try to upload the picture I took of one of the new Sonatas. The swoopy rear body matches the Sonata design really well!