Together Forever: Some Love Their Cars So Much They’ll Take Them to the Grave

The topic verges on the morbid, I’ll give you that. At the same time, it does have a funny side, in that people – actual grown ups, some of them with an education and probably some common sense – will willingly choose to sink a small (or less small) fortune into the ground just because they want not to part with it. Above all, though, it’s ridiculous, as it speaks of a desire to show off even when all traces of life have left their bodies.

In recent years, we’ve had plenty of viral stories of people incorporating their beloved vehicles into their funeral services. Some asked to be buried with their fave cars or motorcycles, some had expensive coffins made out to look just like their favorite car, and some even had ginormous and quite ugly statues of them built on-site.

Some of these people were millionaires and lived their life accustomed to getting everything they wanted, but others were poor. Many were connected to the drug industry or had led a life of crime, so you could argue that their choices hadn’t always been the smartest.

If anything, this “trend” speaks of the deep bond between man and personal vehicle. We may laugh or even frown upon such an outrageous gesture, but at the end of the day, these people probably only want to believe, if only for seconds before passing on, that they will – some day – be able to drive again their private car. And they want to show off, too, did I mention that?

Speaking of showing off, the practice seems to have been inspired by one drug kingpin by the name Richard “Maserati Rick” Carter Sr., who ruled the crack scene in the ‘80s in Detroit. Rick was 29 when he took a bullet to the face in 1988, so his family made sure he got a send-off that he would have been proud of: a $16,000 silver coffin shaped like a Mercedes-Benz, complete with spinning tires and the trademark grille.

Despite his street moniker, Maserati Rick had a soft spot for Bimmers, hence the strange send-off. The idea proved a hit with the crowds, who gathered to catch one last glimpse of the kingpin and his final resting place. Rick also owned a Maserati, and it is said he was the first African-American of his generation to own such a car in the Detroit area.

Another “classic” story features a real car – and a classic, at it. Hollywood socialite Sandra West crashed one of her Ferraris in L.A. and would die in 1977 from a drug overdose, having never recovered from the injuries sustained. Her will mentioned that she would be moved to Texas for the burial, and that, instead of a coffin, they would use her beloved, powder blue 1964 Ferrari 330 America, of which only 50 units were ever made.

Her brother tried to get a court to ban the burial, but eventually gave up because West had mentioned in her will that if he interfered, he would lose his cut of the inheritance money. The Ferrari was placed in a cement box and lowered into the ground, and wet concrete was poured over it, to make sure no one ever came digging it up.

Another strange request of Sandra’s: she was buried in a lace negligee, sat in the driver’s seat, which was slightly lowered back for “comfort.” You can’t argue with a girl who knows what she wants and makes sure she gets it.

It’s not just rich people who turn to this strange method of being sent-off: in 2009, a 90-year-old man from South Carolina was buried in the driver’s seat of his 1973 Pontiac Catalina, with his collection of guns in the passenger seat. More recently, a Nigerian man made headlines after he bought a first-generation BMW X6 to use instead of a coffin at his father’s funeral, because he had promised the old man he would, one day, buy him a fancy car.

Another recent example is that of a Spanish truck pirate hilariously named El Tonto (The Fool) who died last year. His family made sure he would be remembered for his lavish tastes by building a life-size statue of himself (complete with a Rolex watch in bronze and a pack of Marlboros) and a disproportionately-sized Audi SQ7, which was his favorite ride.

Burying cars is a thing, regardless of what we might think of it. Businessman Chiquinho Scarpa, the richest man in Brazil, made sure he capitalized on that for a stunt that earns him a spot in history for one of the smartest and most mediated ad campaigns, and on our list of car-related funeral services: in 2014, he said he would bury his $500,000 Bentley on the grounds of his vast estate, to make sure that he would drive it in the afterlife.

The idea seems stupid and Carpa counted on people perceiving it that way. He rode the wave on infamy until the scheduled day of the burial and then, as the Bentley was being lowered into the ground, he stopped the proceedings to say that those who didn’t sign up for organ donations buried something more valuable than his car. Bravo, Mr. Carpa, bravo.