A Frankfurt funeral man

Coming from a family in the funeral directing business, I take more than a passing interest in how the work is done in other jurisdictions. So I couldn't help but stop to look at this hearse I came upon in a street in Frankfurt recently.





I think it was the 'World Wide Service' bit, and the overall advertising emphasis on the vehicle. Kind of over the top in our terms, but I suspect the particular hearse itself was not these days used for more than marking the funeral service premises.



But the undertaker himself, Peter Pirr, proved to be a bit of a character and a big showman. When he saw me photographing, he insisted on bringing me around the back to see his 'funeral cars'. Which turned out to be a high-powered pair indeed -- an Alfa Romeo GTA with a fire-breathing 3.2-litre engine (I've driven one, and know what it can do), and an even more punchy Porsche with some 480hp available from its V8 engine.



He said he could rent me either of the cars to drive down to, say, Monte Carlo, via Switzerland (to pick up petrol funding from the pocket money account, don't y'know?), from where I could do the Corniche Grand Tour at my leisure, and -- being a pilot as well -- he could pick me up from any point and fly me home to Ireland.



And, of course, if I did anything terminally stupid with all those horses, he could do the full final job too!



Amazing what you might see when you take a wrong turning in a strange city ...

Brian Byrne.