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Oh, that´s OK. I´m used to this question and I don´t get it wrong. 
I love old cars, I love big cars, I love elegant/ dignified cars, I love spacious cars, I love coachbuilt/ handbuilt/ converted cars, I love special vehicles (= out of the ordinary) and my favourite color is black. The only conclusion for me is a funeral vehicle.
On the other hand I describe myself as an automotive historian, who likes to research and gather information. There is very little history written about this special automotive field, for most funeral vehicles are one-offs or very small series, often lacking a special brochure or something comparable. Hearses are quite often "forgotten" by the classic car enthusiasts, as well as magazines. In books you find 1 or 2 pictures in the section "what they else made out of the cars being shown in this book", and that´s it in most cases.
I wanted to know more about this very special field of commercial vehicles, that appeared to be quite unknown by most enthusiasts.
Additionally, you can say that funeral vehicles are the last category of mainly coachbuilt passenger cars. Ambulances etc. turned into vans, special body conversions (convertibles, station wagons) are quite seldom nowadays, but the hearses continue being modified passenger cars.
Well, and I´m of course really fascinated by these vehicles, and I think you agree with me if I say: "You can´t totally explain a fascination."
I don´t consider this macabre or ghoulish and it never was my aim to shock people or something like that. Sure, there were many deceased inside, but there´s no reason to be afraid or disgusted by that fact. For many people, death is a scaring matter and so is it for me in some way. But on the other hand, let´s face it: It´s the truth and it belongs to our daily life.
Some like fire engines (and not fire), some other have a soft spot for taxicabs or police cars (and not for the passengers or criminals inside) - and I have a passion for funeral vehicles (not for corpses).
P.S.: I forgot to mention, that I´m impressed by so many different styles of hearses used in so many different cultures. Have a look at my website and you can see a heap of completely varying conversions, each one due to the culture it was used in. Conventional landau coaches in the US, much glass and no drapes in the UK, rolling shrines in Japan, pagoda roofs in Argentina etc.
(Edit: Changed the 2nd smily, for a liplicking one might be slightly misleading in that context... )
I love old cars, I love big cars, I love elegant/ dignified cars, I love spacious cars, I love coachbuilt/ handbuilt/ converted cars, I love special vehicles (= out of the ordinary) and my favourite color is black. The only conclusion for me is a funeral vehicle.
On the other hand I describe myself as an automotive historian, who likes to research and gather information. There is very little history written about this special automotive field, for most funeral vehicles are one-offs or very small series, often lacking a special brochure or something comparable. Hearses are quite often "forgotten" by the classic car enthusiasts, as well as magazines. In books you find 1 or 2 pictures in the section "what they else made out of the cars being shown in this book", and that´s it in most cases.
I wanted to know more about this very special field of commercial vehicles, that appeared to be quite unknown by most enthusiasts.
Additionally, you can say that funeral vehicles are the last category of mainly coachbuilt passenger cars. Ambulances etc. turned into vans, special body conversions (convertibles, station wagons) are quite seldom nowadays, but the hearses continue being modified passenger cars.
Well, and I´m of course really fascinated by these vehicles, and I think you agree with me if I say: "You can´t totally explain a fascination."
I don´t consider this macabre or ghoulish and it never was my aim to shock people or something like that. Sure, there were many deceased inside, but there´s no reason to be afraid or disgusted by that fact. For many people, death is a scaring matter and so is it for me in some way. But on the other hand, let´s face it: It´s the truth and it belongs to our daily life.
Some like fire engines (and not fire), some other have a soft spot for taxicabs or police cars (and not for the passengers or criminals inside) - and I have a passion for funeral vehicles (not for corpses).
P.S.: I forgot to mention, that I´m impressed by so many different styles of hearses used in so many different cultures. Have a look at my website and you can see a heap of completely varying conversions, each one due to the culture it was used in. Conventional landau coaches in the US, much glass and no drapes in the UK, rolling shrines in Japan, pagoda roofs in Argentina etc.
(Edit: Changed the 2nd smily, for a liplicking one might be slightly misleading in that context...
)