Look how car prices have gone up in recent years. But would you pay more than €26,000 (or $28,750, to be exact) for a coffin with a V8 engine? Someone has done it, perhaps worried that their spouse would follow through on a threat to “kill” them if they bought another car.
This vehicle has a clear inspiration, the Drag-U-La that appeared in the series The Munsters original in the 60s (specifically in the episode Hot Rod Herman from the first season). It was a fully functional car built by Barris Kustom in California under the watchful eye of George Barris, the most famous movie car creator in history.
That original Drag-U-La was made after buying the coffin illegally, since it was illegal to sell a coffin in California without a death certificate at the time. They bought it from a funeral home for cash, left the coffin in the back… and it disappeared into the night.
But let’s talk about the car you see here. It was built between 2008 and 2010 in Long Island, New York. They used a fiberglass coffin on a custom frame chassis. Power is provided by a Chevrolet V8 engine that sends power to the rear wheels through a TH350 automatic transmission. The fuel tank sits in front of the engine and has been painted gold.
With a New York license plate “2 Die 4″, it is legal to drive in New York (approved as a 1928 Ford pickup truck). A plaque on the front is framed by the headlights and the rear lights are matching. There is also a padded black bumper and 15-inch rims (with front disc brakes and rear drum brakes).
The V8 sits under the front of the coffin and the lid has been modified to serve as a bonnet (it opens forward to reveal the block). The driver sits in the back, with the differential between his legs and the pedals situated on either side of the drive shaft. The upholstery is velour-like and it has the gear-knob on the right, with a Momo steering wheel. And on top of all that, it was sold with more than 50 trophies and awards it has received at exhibitions and events since it was created.
