This Japanese temple on wheels is for sale in the Netherlands. But what is it?

Most Autovisie readers can still tell this is a 1990’s Cadillac Fleetwood. But that’s where the confusion begins. Because why is there a Japanese temple on the back? We will explain it to you.

This older Cadillac is being auctioned by BVA Auctions. At the time of writing, the highest bid is 3000 euros. The car is a miyagata, a traditional Japanese hearse with a structure resembling a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine. What the structure looks like varies by region. Some are lavishly decorated, others are more modest.

The Japanese temple must be very heavy

We would like to describe this specimen as exuberant with its detailed wood carving and many copper details. The bail rests on the back of the Fleetwood and must be very heavy (the caddy hangs pretty far in the butt).

It is noticeable that the rear doors can still be opened, but have been sawn in half lengthways. The window sills are gone, only the lower part of the door is still there.

Cadillac Fleetwood naturally aspirated V8

According to the seller, the car comes with two protective covers for the body: one made of plastic and one made of canvas. The Fleetwood has almost 75,500 kilometers on the clock.

The steering wheel is on the left, which is remarkable in itself, because in Japan people drive “on the wrong side”: on the left. At the front of the Cadillac sits a naturally aspirated V8 mated to a sluggish four-speed automatic transmission.

Already 2100 kilograms of car weight without body

Don’t think it’s going to be smooth sailing miyagata. The Cadillac Fleetwood was delivered between 1993 and 1996 with a 5.7-liter eight-cylinder with either 185 hp or 260 hp. Without the wooden body, the American luxury sedan already weighed 2100 kilograms, so a new fire was not possible.