Commercial Auto Dealers

Have you ever seen funeral cars mounted atop 44-inch tires with 18-inch suspension? If not, you missed an awesome sight last weekend in Carlisle Pennsylvania. This unique auto show brought in more than 2,000 vehicles and 35,000 spectators to the area’s fairgrounds for the All-Truck Nationals. Some of the cars in attendance were “pimped out” and “monsterfied” funeral cars.

One of those funeral cars was Chris Null’s 1972 Cadillac Victoria hearse. But this wasn’t like the other Cadillac hearses you see on the road. It has 44-inch tires and has the nickname “Final Ride.” But it also has more finishing touches like a graveyard paint job and a casket riding in the back.

A Gettysburg resident, Null purchased the hearse for $300 more than five years ago just before it appeared in a demolition derby. As soon as he bought it, he began modifying it with help from his friends. He was inspired by a hearse monster truck from the 1980s. It currently had 450 horsepower, but Null is still working on it to make it even better than it is.

Other vehicles at the event included monster truck rides for truck lovers and the entire family and monster truck crushes. The Grave Digger simulator was also there.

While watching the USA Network’s new hit original series, In Plain Sight, I noticed the main character driving a GMC 2008 Envoy. I always enjoy seeing product placement in the shows I watch, especially when I’m a fan of the actual product. Seeing the GMC 2008 Envoy is no different.

The show follows Mary Shannon, a U.S. Marshal that puts people in the witness protection program when their lives are in danger. Most people aren’t willing to go, though, since it means giving up their entire lives as they know them, at least until the people threatening their lives are put behind bars.

In addition to that, Mary has mother issues that she must deal with on a day-to-day basis. She also has a boyfriend that plays baseball, but he is on the disabled list due to a minor injury. Mary’s sister helps take care of him by taking him to his doctor’s appointments when Mary is unable to do so because of her demanding job.

Her family is often more demanding than her job. Her partner, Marshall Mann, also adds another degree of difficulty to her life as they go from place to place in her GMC 2008 Envoy. As her polar opposite, Marshall serves as a “common sense” guide to help Mary stay in control despite the demands in her life.

If you haven’t seen it yet, the season finale is on Sunday. But you can watch full episodes here. While you’re watching, see if you can point out the GMC 2008 Envoy and figure out how much screen time it gets. It might make you want to run to your nearest GMC dealer for a great deal on one of these SUVs. You can also see why I wouldn’t mind being hidden by Mary Shannon any day, too.

Have you ever heard about the concept of turning classic Cadillac hearses into a “Carthedral”? That’s exactly what Rebecca Caldwell did with her 1971 Cadillac hearse. But you won’t find a Carthedral at any of your local hearse dealerships. It’s a one-of-a-kind hearse that was welded on a Volkswagen Beetle with metal and fiberglass molded to create a gothic church-like structure atop the vehicle.

One neighbor had this to say about the Carthedral: “I watched Rebecca build Carthedral from across the street in another life and it transformed my understanding of what an artist is and how they contribute to society. I am elated and honored to begin a new life with such an amazing artist and share her contribution to the world.”

Can you imagine how the funeral and hearse industry would change if more Carthedrals were offered at hearse dealerships? Would the somberness of the traditional hearse be replaced with the showiness and artistry reminiscent of the Carthedral? Or would it add another element that mourners would respect as it drove their loved one to their final resting place? Either way, the traditional hearses that you find at today’s hearse dealerships aren’t going to change any time soon. But for people who own their personal hearse, creating something unique and artistic is just another way to express your personality.

A Cadillac hearse can be many things to many people. Surfers enjoy getting their hands on an old Cadillac hearse because it’s easy for carrying around their surfboards. A Cadillac hearse is also great for painters because they can carry their ladders in the back. But for true enthusiasts of Cadillac hearses and what they represent, there was a new and unique display taking place in New Jersey last week.

The Cadillac hearse exhibit brought together nearly 50 old hearses and funeral cars that have “been restored to their original condition.” In addition to that, several old-fashioned funeral limousines were brought in to round out the display.

The Professional Car Society’s annual event took place between Wednesday and Saturday of last week. One couple – Jon and Denise Powers - comes all the way from West Norfolk, England each year for the last two years to be a part of the event. They own four hearses themselves for two reasons – they are convenient and they are fascinated by the culture of death. They also care for these cars and what they represent. “We want to save the cars,” Denise Power said. They don’t understand why so many people are “creeped out” by these death coaches. “You don’t die in a hearse,” said Jon Power. But, he said, “You could die in an ambulance.”

What do you think the fascination with hearses is about? Do they give you an eerie feeling or do they represent something else for you? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

With gas prices staying around $4 a gallon and no drop anytime soon, new truck dealers like GM are focusing on stocking their lots with fuel-efficient trucks and SUVs. As a matter of fact, GMC is boosting the fuel economy of its truck and SUV lineup by as much as seven percent overall by making them more streamlined and lighter.

For the Chevrolet Silverado, for instance, GMC has improved the efficiency by about one mile to the gallon. That means it will get 15 mpg when driving around the city and about 21 mpg on the highway. These trucks will have a special XFE badge (extra fuel economy) when they arrive at your local GMC dealer and other new truck dealers as soon as next quarter.

The changing focus of the new truck dealers is in response to a 23 percent decline in truck and SUV sales through July of this year. But the automaker is trying to get the new efficient trucks and SUVs on dealer lots and in showrooms “as quickly as possible,” according to GM’s chief for full-size trucks Gary White.

In addition to the Silverado, the Sierra, Tahoe, and Yukon are also getting a number of changes to make them more efficient. GM is also working hybrid versions of the Silverado and Sierra to attract more customers to new truck dealers across the nation.

While the auto market in North America seems to be dwindling, GM sales across the world are helping to keep the automaker afloat. In India, GM sales have increased by 25 percent with total unit sales of 5.706 in July compared to only 4,570 in July 2007. As a result, GM is working on expanding its network until it reaches a total of 190 sales and service points across India.

Here’s the breakdown of the GM sales in India last month:
• 3,570 Chevrolet Spark units
• 921 Chevrolet Tavera units
• 501 Chevrolet Aveo units
• 344 Chevrolet Optra units
• 370 Chevrolet Captiva units

The GM India VP had this to say about the sales figures in the nation: “Despite a lethargic market, our positive monthly sales figure is a clear signal of the success of our car lines. Chevrolet Spark has made huge inroads in the Indian small car segment.”

Although GM sales have suffered as the result of an unstable economy, you can still visit your local GMC dealer for a great deal on a car for you or your family. Check one out today and you won’t go back to the car you’re driving now!

If you have a morbid curiosity like me, taking a tour of some of Hollywood’s most tragic places while riding around in a Cadillac hearse or some other funeral cars sounds exciting. Luckily, one person in Hollywood has created such a tour.

The Greg Smith Graveline Tours in Hollywood has been satisfying the thirst for death-related knowledge for more than 20 years. What started as a two hour tour in one of several funeral cars during the eighties has blossomed into a three hour, 100-stop tour in a large van, which he calls the “Tomb Buggy.”

The tour, which is now known as the Dearly Departed Tour, takes curious visitors to famous places like the spot where River Phoenix died and the places where Frank Sinatra, Rebecca Shaeffer and Mae West took their last breaths as well. In addition to that, the tour goes through the infamous spots where the Manson murders took place and other morbid Hollywood death-related places.

In addition to the macabre, the Dearly Departed Tour also drives by a number of stars’ homes and other infamous sites, including the place where Hugh Grant tried to pick up a hooker.

The fact that the tour has become so popular that funeral cars can no longer hold all of the people who want to experience it says something about our fascination with death. Either way, it sounds like a fascinating three hours that I’m definitely going to check out the next time I’m in Hollywood!

If you’re a fan of luxury SUVs, the GMC 2008 Envoy is ideal for you. It has a number of features that you can’t find on other SUVs in its class. Here are some exciting things you can expect to find on the GMC 2008 Envoy.

• Power Sunroof
This available feature has tilt-and-slide capabilities so you can have it fully opened or just slightly opened. The sunroof also has a built-in deflector that helps keep the cabin quiet and shielded from wind noise for listening to the radio or having normal conversations with passengers.
• OnStar
The world’s most comprehensive communications system is one of the features that sets the GMC 2008 Envoy apart from the rest. With the push of a button, you can connect directly to emergency professionals of an OnStar representative for other concerns.
• Headrest DVD Screen
A DVD screen is mounted on the back of the driver’s and passenger’s side headrest. This is great if you have kids and enjoy taking long trips. Wireless headphones make it even better.
• Chrome Accents
To give your GMC 2008 Envoy that extra special touch, you can get chrome door handles that make it really noticeable. You’ll get a bunch of looks as you go down the road with these!
• Cargo Tray
Spilling the groceries on the way home is no longer a problem with the cargo tray. This molded tray has a raised lip so anything that spills won’t get into the carpet of your Envoy.

With all of these and more fun features, why not check out one of these great vehicles at your local GMC dealer? You won’t be disappointed!

Have you ever wondered who makes the hearses that you see at hearse dealerships? Actually, there are several companies in the United States that manufacture these “last rides.” But the main company that produces about 70 percent of the Cadillac hearses you see at hearse dealerships is AccuBuilt.

Accubuilt is “The Leading Manufacturer of Specialty Vehicles,” according to the homepage on the company’s website. The company has branches in Lima, Ohio, Springfield, Missouri and Elkhart, Indiana. The main manufacturing branch, however, is in Lima.

The basic process for creating the funeral coaches you see at the hearse dealerships seems rather simple. The engineers take a luxury vehicle (most of them are Lincoln Town Cars or Cadillac Sevilles) and modify them. They dismantle everything from the dashboard to the back end and add a number of supports and other modifications that stretch the car without sacrificing safety. They then place a structured frame on the back of the vehicle to make it look like the vehicles at the hearse dealerships that we’ve all come to recognize.

Accubuilt’s Ohio plant has about 200 employees that manufacture more than 1,500 funeral coaches every year. They also produce six-door limousines that funeral homes use for transporting families. And since death is a certainty in life, they plan on staying in business and providing hearse dealerships with these funeral cars for many years to come.

Despite rising gas prices, new truck dealers can still offer great vehicles for consumers. During this time of lowered demand, new truck dealers like your local GMC dealer are offering huge incentives and rebates if you want to buy a full-size truck.

Although you can get $1,000 off of smaller vehicles through GM, you can get up to an $8,000 rebate if you want to purchase a large GM SUV, Envoy or Trailblazer. How’s that for a great deal?

According to GM Chief Operating Officer Fritz Henderson, the domestic automaker is going to continue using incentives to draw more people to the new and improved trucks that they have available at new truck dealers across the country. The incentives also help the company stay competitive.

Other companies are following GM’s example. New truck dealers are trying to compete in a market where fuel prices are driving consumers away. But with the rebates and incentives, the money you get to put back in your pocket is often worth the extra 30 or 40 cents per gallon you’re paying at the pump. And with all of the advantages of owning a truck, it’s sometimes worth the price without the incentives and rebates. Visit your local GMC dealer today and check out the prices and incentives and you may just find that it’s the right vehicle for you to purchase.