Home page

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 a little 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.

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

We have a selection of magnets that we (or you) can put on the hearse to make it your own, please ask for details. Our VW style roof rack in white with wooden slats as seen on many VW campers can be used 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 many crematoria have canopies so this needs to be taken into consideration for larger items. 

The inside of the hearse is a large area allowing us to carry the largest coffins and many floral tributes.

For those who love the Volkswagen Splitscreen we are currently building a lovely 1965 into a hearse. 'Ernie' as we have named him has two tone Silver coachwork and lots of chrome. We will add a page for this vehicle when he is completed. We hope to have him available spring 13 but please await details on this web site.

The hearse has a full size coffin bier that is able to carry the largest of coffins and floral tributes.

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.

Our slatted wooden roof rack can cater for extra tributes. Please advise if you prefer for the roof rack to be removed.

Our drivers wear traditional funeral attire, if you do not wish for us to wear any black please let us know.

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.

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.

   See our Personalising the Funeral page

Because our hearse is an original and based on a pickup it is large enough to cater for the largest caskets.  

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.

We were delighted and proud that the hearse won  "Best in show" at Van Fest in Malvern. 

This photo shows the roof rack carrying our music playing suitcase and a guitar as this gent loved music.

We tailor our service to your requirements. Its not all about the cars, we can help with lots of aspects of the planning, we understand and are here to support you too.

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 other unique vehicles, we are always happy to combine our cars with other companies vehicles. Aston Martin supplied by Care Funerals Birmingham.

We travel Nationwide.

Please note due to the age of our vehicles we will drive the hearse up to a maximum 40 miles from our base in Nuneaton CV10,  longer distances will require transport to carry the hearse as we need to keep them is the best condition possible. Volkswagen Funerals have our own licensed covered car transporter to carry the hearse. In some cases at long distance we may need to travel the night before and accommodation with suitable parking for the truck will be required. Contact us  with your requirements.  Any congestion charges will need to be covered by the hirer.

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 'Druse' (a tribute cruise) to church in a very fitting tribute to a fellow 'V Dubber' .

TAKEN FROM ALI's BLOG: by his Mum. "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.

Testimonial from Funeral Director.

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 at the grave side at Tithe Green natural burial ground, Nottingham.

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.

We will do all we can to cater for your requests where they are possible, you only need to ask.

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

Lichfield Cathedral.

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

See our hearse and other unique VW's in David Eccles and Michael Steinke new book VW Bus and Pick-Up: Special Models: SO (Sonderausfuhrungen) and Special Body Variants for the VW Transporter 1950-2010 CLICK TO GO TO AMAZON

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 some what basic and is now much improved with its plush burgundy interior, extra windows and coffin bier.

Our bay window hearse has 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. 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- 2013