[AMC-List] Flower cars

[Arfon Griffiths <ArfonRG@xxxxxxx>]

 From Wikipedia:


A flower car is a type of <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle>vehicle 
used in the <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral>funeral industry, used to 
carry flowers for the burial service, or sometimes to carry the 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffin>coffin under a bed of flowers. Built 
on the same commercial <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chassis>chassis as a 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearse>hearse, the flower car has half-height 
rear bodywork on the rear similar to a 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickup_truck>pickup truck bed. The bed 
contains a liner to hold the flowers, normally built of 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel>stainless steel so that it 
does not rust from the water. Some flower cars have a raised, flat 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonneau_cover>tonneau cover across the bed at 
the top, upon which the flowers sit; the center portion sometimes is 
designed to raise and lower, hydraulically or by hand. If the flower car is 
designed to carry a casket, it will be stored under the tonneau cover in 
the space beneath, behind the opening rear gate.

In the early years of the 
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile>automobile, open-topped luxury 
cars were used for this purpose, but as enclosed vehicles became the norm, 
specially built vehicles began to be used for this purpose from 
approximately the <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1930s>1930s onward. Not 
every funeral provider owned a flower car; they were an added luxury item 
offered as an extra-cost option for extravagant funerals. The quantities 
built were low; it is estimated that less than a dozen were built each year 
by each <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coachbuilder>coachbuilder in the 
funeral market.

Flower cars are still built and used but in lesser numbers than previously. 
Old flower cars are considered quite collectible due to their rarity, 
especially by collectors of hearses and other 
"<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professional_car>professional cars".



Pictures: 
http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&q=%22Flower+Car%22&btnG=Search

A pretty nice Packard Flower Car: 
http://www.hearseclub.co.uk/images/members/george_hamlin_packard_flower_car.jpg


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