Rubén Cano, a 26-year-old resident of Petrer, has been driving around the streets of his municipality and nearby towns for months at the wheel of a mortuary Mercedes that he has labeled with the motto “Funeraria El Fiambre. Express shipping for the stiff ones.” The vehicle, which he uses as a private car, has become a viral phenomenon in the province of Alicante, and has given rise to both very curious anecdotes and the occasional problem.
Three years searching your custom car. Just like share the Levante EMV medium, Rubén has been an automotive aesthetics enthusiast since he was a teenager, and had been looking for a hearse “at an affordable price” for a few years. He bought it second-hand at Wallapop and moved it from Barcelona. It is a Mercedes Benz W124 Sedan 300 D, bodywork for funeral homes, with 200 horsepower and 3,000 cubic centimeters.
Cano assures that he has all the documentation in order: ITV, insurance and driving license. Its only practical drawback is its size: at 5.1 meters long, it needs to take up two parking spaces.
Image: Rafa Petrer (Facebook)
Between humor and controversy. The vehicle does not go unnoticed, far from it. While many neighbors stop to take photos with him or even joke by asking Rubén to be the one to take them to the cemetery when his time comes, others have not taken the joke too well.
Some of the complaints arose when the car appeared parked near a well-known school in Petrer or in front of private homes. On Facebook you can find messages like “get that car off my street”, reflecting a certain discomfort on the part of the neighborhood at what they consider an inappropriate presence on public roads.
The Local Police he was about to fine him. The protests led the Petrer Local Police to contact Rubén and his mother to warn them of a possible sanction for disturbance of public order and usurpation of powers of funeral staff. “I don’t understand why they wanted to report me if I don’t dedicate myself to transporting dead people. The only ones I transport are my friends and some may be glanders but not dead,” Rubén explained to the aforementioned media with humor.
After consulting the police headquarters, it was clarified that there was no violation and the matter was resolved without a fine.
Future plans with the mortuary Mercedes. Passionate about the world of motors and considered a tinkerer in bodywork and painting by his friends, Rubén has very specific plans for his peculiar acquisition. He wants to camperize the cabin, which measures 2.2 meters, so he can sleep in it during his trips. He comments that the changes will be subtle because, as he admits, he is satisfied with his four-wheeled “jewel” as it is.
The young man account that even during a police stop at dawn in the Port of Alicante area, the National Police officers laughed when they read the car sign.
Living using a hearse. Like Rubén’s example, we find several people who have become accustomed to using a car designed for funeral homes in their daily lives. Our colleague Javier Lacort was lucky enough to interview some owners of Seat 124, 131, Opel Kadett and Citroën BX in Motorpasión, all of them bodywork models for funeral homes. Due to the length that these vehicles offer, their owners are delighted because in the end you can fit everything, even a dead person.
Cover image | Ruben Cano (instagram)
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings