Fernando Aguerre discovered these fantastically carved, wooden-bodied, vintage Cadillac funeral cars while exploring an antique barn in Argentina.
The history of these rediscovered funeral cars is largely unknown, and the identity of the incredibly skilled craftsman who put chisel to wood remains a mystery. Regardless of their origin, these are clearly among the most amazing hand-built funeral cars in the world.
The hearse and flower-car pair were discovered in a barn with other old hearses. Aguerra immediately knew he had to have them. Both vehicles began life as 1942 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 60 Special four-door sedans, each with a 133-inch wheelbase and V8 power. They were then transformed into high-profile hearses by a little-known coach builder named Hermida y Nazzi.
Aguerra pulled the two cars from their resting place and gave them a good cleaning before rolling both into his roomy shop. As with all funeral cars, the two had lived relatively low-stress lives; though the paint was chipping off, the wood underneath was solid. Aguerra is restoring the flower car first, and has found a suitable artisan for the project:
For the restoration, I was very lucky and found a great body-shop owner, an older guy, that also restores furniture as a hobby, so a great combo for wooden cars like these.
The results speak for themselves. The flower car has been refinished and painted, and it manages to be both beautiful and intimidating at the same time. We can't wait to see how the hearse turns out. [Hemmings]