A ride to die for: Cruising around Oamaru in a Cadillac hearse

John McLay at Oamaru Old Cemetery with his 1974 Cadillac hearse. Photo / ODT

Like most car enthusiasts, John McLay is proud of his vehicle.

Unlike most car enthusiasts, he has a hearse for a vehicle.

McLay recently purchased a black 1974 Cadillac from a New Plymouth dealer. It arrived in Oamaru on a truck on Monday.

"I wanted to buy a Cadillac or a Lincoln, or a hearse. I ended up with a Cadillac hearse. It's pretty cool, too, so I wasn't going to say no."

He said the appeal of owning a hearse was not some kind of morbid fascination with death, but more a practical way to maximise space.

"It's just a large American station wagon. It's got a V8 engine and they are good cruisers."

While delighted to have his latest acquisition, there was one problem - he had nowhere secure to park it.

He was keen to hear from anyone who might be able to help him out.

"I did have a storage shed lined up but the turning area was too small to get it in. I'm just going to have a look around for another retail storage shed. I want to get it out of the weather. I don't want it to rust away," McLay said.

Among other images, the front of the hearse is airbrushed with characters from horror movies The Exorcist and Hellraiser, and the back a cemetery scene.

It has its original rollers in the back, which made it easier to put in and remove caskets.

McLay had no plans to change any aspects of the vehicle, as he thought they suited it - particularly the artwork.

"It just adds to the style of the car. It's an old hearse so you put some creepy stuff on it. I didn't want a car that everyone else has really ... that's just boring, isn't it? It's just a unique piece of machinery really. No-one else has one."

It is not the first time he has owned such a vehicle either.

Until recently, McLay owned a 1974 Chevrolet Impala hearse.

"I just like the style of them."