Classics that stretch your budget

There are some cars that are classics from the day they roll off the production line, some that become classics through motorsport or public fame, and others still that just fade away until they become classics by obscurity.

The one thing they all have in common is a price ticket that sends a shiver down the spine of the average buyer. Nowadays, if you are looking for a classic with a sporting heritage you will have to dig deep. If you are looking for a classic with a famous image you may be surprised by the hole it makes in your bank account, and if you take the obscure route expect the parts bills to exceed the cost of your initial purchase very rapidly.

However, all is not lost, there is one sector of the classics market that is still a backwater, but equally has a growing international following. That of the funeral market. Hearses or limousines used in the funeral business tend to be, in most European markets, based on traditional up-market cars – latterly, the Volvo 700, the Vauxhall Omega, Jaguar, Mercedes E-class and others. These are all vehicles that by definition are well looked after, when was the last time you saw a working hearse with a rusty wing or a smoky exhaust? Plus, they come with all the luxuries of the base vehicle.

Funeral cars get traded in for upgrades because they are out of fashion rather than because they are beyond economic repair. It may seem absurd, but the grieving family are unlikely to be happy about its late model Mercedes driving patriarch being carried to his final resting place in a 10 year old, twice superseded Omega hearse irrespective of its appearance and mechanical condition. When the funeral director changes his hearse he also usually changes his limousine, (often a pair of limousines).

So, who buys these ageing classic workhorses? There is a limited market for 10 year old operational hearses, and even shipping them to third world markets is restricted by transport costs and some very different funerary practices in those markets. That means that suppliers of new Hearses and Limousines often have a stock of no longer loved hearses and limousines offering well maintained classic car ownership at a price most enthusiasts can afford.

Binz UK, the UK distributor of the only Mercedes stretched E-class hearse and limousine with full European crash test certification and Mercedes Benz engineering approval always have a small stock of much cherished hearses and limousines available. Sales director Kevin Smith is always happy to discuss arrangements with enthusiasts looking for an unusual classic that gives excellent value for money. Binz is also able to supply service and spares for retired Volvo and Mercedes-based limousines and hearses.