Queen Elizabeth II: The Mercedes E-Class hearse that carried the coffin

The late Queen Elizabeth II's coffin was carried from Balmoral to Edinburgh in a five-door Mercedes-Benz E-Class hearse built by coachbuilder, Binz. The hearse used in the Queen's cortege is the Mercedes-Benz E-Class-based Binz H4, Drive Team reported. The coffin draped in the Scottish version of the Royal Standard with wreath of seasonal flowers was places in an oak casket at the back of the Mercedes hearse.

The coffin was placed inside the Mercedes-Benz hearse in private, away from the lens of photographers or television cameras. The Mercedes vehicle was followed by a burgundy-coloured Bentley, the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.

The model features an extended wheelbase and rear deck making for an overall length of 5,999 mm or 1,104 mm longer than the 'S212' E-Class station wagon.

Thanks to the extended wheelbase, the car is able to maintain room for both front and back seat passengers as well as a 2,800 mm casket deck. The windows on the rear bodywork are 750mm tall, with the vehicle's overall height now 1920mm, or 446mm higher than the factory wagon.

Binz modifies the base vehicles that are supplied to it in a specific pre-production form directly from the Mercedes-Benz factory. The Binz factory is also referred to as ‘Building 42’ in the Sindelfingen manufacturing complex in Germany where the Mercedes E-Class is also built.

Binz then finishes construction by using metal pressings that are provided by the same supplier as in the Mercedes-Benz factory. The publication reported that Binz started working with Mercedes-Benz in the 1950s, first creating four-door estate versions of the 'W191' 170S of the early 1950s and ambulance conversions of the 'W136' delivery van.

Gradually, the relationship between Binz and Mercedes-Benz stepped up and today, Binz is the foremost coachbuilder of Mercedes-Benz-based limousines, ambulances and funeral vehicles.