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This unique funeral vehicle was factory commissioned 'Leichenwagen' (Hearse)and coach built by a firm called Fritz Freckinger in Augsberg Germany in 1972 and is one of very few still remaining in the world today and the only one to be in operation in the UK as a funeral vehicle if not the World.

This vehicle is known as a Volkswagen Type 26 Hearse conversion as used by undertakers as a private ambulance but never commissioned for actual funeral use! Until now.

Affectionately known as 'Hearseby' the friendly nature and look of the Volkswagen Hearse may help at the very sad event of a funeral. A fleet of formal looking black funeral vehicles can be quite frightening especially for children, the white paint work makes our fleet very approachable and easier for family and children to cope with. We are always happy for you to have time with the cars after the funeral for photographs.

If it helps to personalise the hearse then we are very happy for you to do this. The photo is of a funeral of a beautiful young girl who's family and friends drew flowers to stick on the hearse and local children were involved with placing them onto the vehicle. It looked beautiful.

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Click photo on left to download a PDF of hearse images.

We have a selection of magnets that we can put on the hearse, please ask for details.

You could also use the hearse as a flower car if there are a large amount of floral tributes, to go behind a traditional hearse.

We have a camper van style slatted wooden roof rack that can cater for tributes along with space inside the hearse along with the coffin. Please advise if the roof rack is required.

If your loved one was a 'VW enthusiast' it is a wonderful tribute to have a familiar VW or two following within the cortege for them. Our hearse has been followed by the family camper van on many occasions and other friends and club members. At funerals people are often unsure if it is appropriate to take photographs. This is entirely up to you and your family, we certainly have no objection to this and may at your request take appropriate photographs for you.

  We have a matching VW style roof rack in white with wooden slats as seen on many VW campers. This can be requested to carry flowers or equipment for example a surf board, ski's, sport equipment or other items on top of the hearse. Please let us know what you require and we will advise as to suitability. Please remember that most crematorium have a canopy so this needs to be taken into consideration for larger items. This can also be fitted to any of our VW buses if preferred as in the photo. See out Personalising the Funeral page

Our hearse is able to cater for very large caskets, this coffin was 7 foot X 30 inches.

Please let us know if the hearse is required to stay after the committal for your family and friends to see and if required to take photographs, we will not be in a hurry to leave. Our drivers wear traditional funeral attire, if you do not wish for us to wear any black please let us know.

Our new (1969) VW bay window bus (pictured far right on photo) is now available, this bus is also painted in candy white and looks identical to the exterior of the hearse for a matching pair. This brings our funeral fleet of cars to six however we have other cars available from our wedding car fleet if preferred see www.beetledriveuk.com for details.

We were delighted that the hearse won  "Best in show" at Van Fest in Malvern 2008. We are regularly told that the hearse looks amazing in the flesh and photos don't do him justice. Our hearse also won a trophy at Van Fest 2009!

Hearse and split screen bus at Malvern. This photo shows the roof rack that we use to carry extra flowers and for example relevant sports equipment in tribute. See also the spitfire carried on the roof in a photo below.

The hearse is available with or without the roof rack, just let us know your requirements. We tailor our service to your requirements.

If you are a Funeral Director or an individual considering using our vehicles we have an online photo album available www.vwfunerals.co.uk please contact us for a password.

The hearse can be hired on it's own or with a combination of our unique vehicles we are also happy to combine our cars with other companies vehicles. Other vehicles are available from our wedding car selection if required.  You can find other companies on our links page.

Please note due to it's age we will drive the hearse up to a maximum 80 miles from our base (CV9 area) longer distances will require transport to carry the hearse at extra cost. We now have our own covered car transporter to carry the hearse. In some cases we may need to travel the night before and accommodation with suitable parking for the truck will be required. Contact us for further details. For funerals in the London (inside M25) area we may need to hire a LES compliant transportation firm. Any congestion charges need to be covered by the hirer.

The hearse can be hired on it's own or with a combination of our unique vehicles.

A very sad day in St Helens, the young man who's funeral this was had an amazing turn out of Volkswagens from all over the country and brought Billinge to a standstill, approximately 20 of them followed the hearse in a 'Druise' (a tribute cruise) to church in a very fitting tribute to a fellow 'V Dubber' .

Sadly talented Ski tutor Ali Rainback passed away 22nd June 08, a remarkable person who is going to be sadly missed by all who knew him. The family and friends are doing an amazing job of raising funds for the hospice that looked after Ali during his last months. After Ali's diagnosis he wrote an inspiring blog which has had thousands and thousands of hits. Please click photo to go to Ali's blog. The family hope to raise £100,000 - enough to open a new bed in the hospice in-patient unit at the Hospice of St Francis in Berkhamsted. All information about donating can be found via Ali's Blog and you can click the image below to donate. We wish them all the best with their fund raising. An amazing family.

TAKEN FROM ALI's BLOG. "Friday 4th July will long be remembered for the very special send off for a very special man - our beloved Ali.The sun shone, the Churchyard sparkled, friends met, smiles exchanged, memories shared, the Church packed, the flowers beautiful, the music wonderful, the words powerful, the tears flowed, the singing emotional, the laughter spontaneous, the tributes moving, the love palpable, the VW camper van raised applause, the village gridlocked, the pubs busy, the wine flowed, the mountains of sandwiches and cakes eaten, the memories happy, the loss irreparable."

The family and friends clapped and cheered Ali as we drove him through the line up in the cemetery of those who loved him. A very emotional send off before he went for a private committal at the crematorium with his family.

See VW Camper and Commercials feature about our Hearse and 21 Window Samba in the June 08 issue. Our thanks to David Eccles. Feature also in October 08 edition of Volksworld Camper and Bus Magazine.

Testimonial from Funeral Director.

Our hearse carrying surf boards, pictured at the crematorium.

Working with the Co-op in Caister, Great Yarmouth.

Your Funeral Director will travel in the hearse (unless otherwise requested) if you are not using a Funeral Director then a family member may travel in the Hearse.

The black flag on the roof provides a mark of respect, as the vehicle is white this is also a signal to other road users that a funeral is in procession. If it is required we will apply a black ribbon to the front of the vehicles as seen in the photo above.

Hearse with our 21 window Split screen Bus.

We believe funerals should be as unique as the person who has died, incorporating the persons life interests within the funeral can be extremely emotionally rewarding and healing and a wonderful way for family and friends to remember them. We will do all we can to cater for your requests where they are possible, you only need to ask.

Our Hearse won the Dubfreeze Volkswagen Show Type 2 Choice Winner trophy in the February 2008 show and shine competition.

The Hearse in the show and shine hall gained much interest and crowds at Dubfreeze Feb 2008 in Staffordshire. Photo taken before halls opened to the public.

This hearse was newly restored in 2008 and is in immaculate condition and regularly wins awards at shows.

The hearse is able to cater for large coffins.

Where there are likely to be a large amount of floral tributes it would be worth considering a second hearse as a flower car.

The hearse working along side a funeral directors fleet of limousines in Alfretton Derbyshire.

Lichfield Cathedral.

'Hearseby' at Stanford Hall May 2009 with some of the Beetle Drive UK fleet.

Volksworld Camper & Bus magazine.

This unusual hearse was even featured in a Japanese VW Magazine, Street VW's. That's how rare this vehicle is! Watch out for the features appearing in our UK VW magazines.

The Bay Hearse before work was carried out for funeral use. This was an undertakers first response vehicle designed for removal of bodies as a private ambulance. It first started life in service in Germany during the 1970's and was then exported to Belgium and then we bought it from a collection and imported it to the UK October 2007.

You may agree that the interior was somewhat basic and is now much improved with its plush burgundy interior, extra windows and coffin bier.

  Funeral page on Beetle Drive UK Ltd web site.

See our hearse featured in VW Camper and Commercial Magazine and Volksworld Camper and Bus. Also Volkswagen Funerals were featured on ITV's Dead Strange presented by Richard O'Brien Summer 08. We have also appeared in most of the funeral trade magazines. The hearse also took part in the world record funeral vehicle event in Croydon 2008 where the longest funeral procession took place as part of the BIFD conference.

© Volkswagen Funerals 2006- 2010