This 1919 REO Speedwagon is unique in the British Isles, having been imported into the country from Ohio by Greg Lawson in 2005. Whilst there are other Speedwagons in this country, this is the only motorised panel hearse. The American hearse was somewhat different to the English variety, where the coffin was usually on display behind etched glass side panels, often surrounded by flowers as is the current practice. The Americans seemed to prefer to hide the coffin behind elaborate carved panels producing something akin to a temple on wheels. This particular example stands something like eight feet high, and consists of a framework of wood pillars similar to staircase balustrades, with the space in between filled with zinc coated steel panels (as used in the UK for washing/scrubbing boards) pressed in such a way as to look like draped curtains hiding the coffin. Originally the hearses were painted either black,white or grey, black ones being for elderly people, white ones for children and grey ones for those not in the above categories. This particular one had been a grey one, but on acquisition much of the paintwork had been stripped off and it was thought that it would look better in varnished wood with black "curtains" The engine is an example of the simplicity of early internal combustion engines and the early eample of rack and pinion steering has to be seen to be believed though it does mean that the vehicle does not wander about on the road as some later vehicles do!. The oldest motorised hearse in the country, it is available for hire.