Hearse
A hearse is a funeral vehicle, a conveyance for the coffin from e.g. a church to a cemetery, a similar burial site, or a crematorium. In the funeral trade, they are often called funeral coaches.
The name is supposed coming from the Anglo-Saxon word harrow, describing the temporary framework on which candles were placed above the bier. This also held banners and armorial bearings and other heraldic devices. Complimentary verses or epitaphs were often attached to the hearse.
Specialised vehicles have been produced for this purpose for a long time; hearses were horse-drawn for a long time, while motorised examples began to be produced from 1909 in the United States at least, and becoming more widely accepted in the 1920s. The vast majority of hearses since then have been based on larger, more powerful car chassis, generally retaining the front end up to and possibly including the front doors but with custom bodywork to the rear to contain the coffin.
Two styles of hearse bodywork are common. The older style is the limousine style; these have narrow pillars and lots of glass. These are more popular in the United Kingdom, among others. More popular in the United States is the landau style, with a heavily-padded leather or (later) vinyl roof, and long blind rear quarters, similarly covered, and decorated with large metal S-shaped bars designed to resemble those used to lower the tops on some horse-drawn coaches. It is common practise in the USA for the windows to be curtained, while in the UK the windows are normally left unobscured.
Until the late 1970s, it was common for hearses in the USA to be combination coaches which also could serve in the ambulance role; these were common in rural areas.
Hearse enthusiasts are a subset of auto buffs. The 'Dead Sled' also appeals to Goths, as a suitable alternative to a black stretch limo.