13-05-2025
A Bengals-themed hearse, dubbed Who Dead, is for sale. Its origin is a mystery
It's not uncommon to see Cincinnati Bengals gear go up for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
But what about a Bengals-themed hearse? (Yes, you read that correctly.)
Brian Robertson listed his classic 1986 Cadillac Hearse for sale in April. The orange vehicle, which is, of course, decked out in black Bengal tiger stripes, is accompanied by a Cincinnati football helmet decal.
"My daughter's getting ready to go to college, so I'm trying to make some extra money for her," Robertson, who also owns one other hearse and five coffins, said.
The Marion, Ohio, resident bought the hearse from Bud Stross, the owner of the haunting Dent Schoolhouse in Dent, Ohio, back in 2020.
Robertson and his daughter, Alexis, share a love for Halloween. The two have often traveled to HorrorHound Weekend in Sharonville and Hearse Fest in Fowlerville, Michigan. They were working for the Dent Schoolhouse one year when they first spotted the orange and black vehicle.
It was love at first sight.
"I asked him years ago, 'If you ever put it up for sale, sell it to me,'" Robertson said.
The hearse, which Stross dubbed "Who Dead," had been in his possession for at least five years before he sold it to Robertson.
Stross already owned two hearses when he found the listing for the Bengals-themed vehicle in Dayton. It was "just kind of sitting there," so he brought it back to Cincinnati.
"We didn't have Joe Burrow (at the time), so there wasn't that new fire that the Bengals have right now," Stross said. "I fell in love with the hearse and wanted to bring some life to it."
Who Dead was already prepped for tailgating when Stross picked it up. The inside had been converted to add a beer pong or flip-cup table (designed like a football field, of course). Stross, however, added a new sound system, strobe lights and a tailgate battery.
As for who originally converted the hearse? That seems to remain a mystery.
"Someone truly loved the Bengals, and obviously flipped (the hearse) to be this kind of weird tailgate vehicle. It's got some of the dated Bengals logos on it, so you can kind of tell the era of when someone flipped it to be a Bengals hearse," Stross said.
He ultimately sold it because he realized he couldn't give the vehicle the love it needed, and he wanted someone else to have fun with it.
Although he owns the Bengals-themed vehicle, Robertson admitted he didn't watch a lot of professional football before the purchase. He just thought the hearse was "neat."
"I don't really watch a lot of pro football, but my dad was a die-hard Bengals fan his whole life, and my mom was a die-hard Cleveland Browns fan," he said. "There was a lot of conflict when I brought it home. My mom was like, 'I can't believe you parked that in my driveway.'"
He's selling it for the same price he purchased it for, $4,500, and even if the hearse doesn't sell, he won't be heartbroken. He and his daughter enjoy the eyebrow-raising head turns that come with it.
Robertson has also toyed with the idea of changing the vehicle into something completely new, adding that a lot of people have told him to switch it to Ohio State. He, however, has thought of making it the "Grinch Mobile."
"I'm Marion's local Grinch. I've been dressing up as a Grinch for 17 years, so my daughter said if we ever change it, then it's going to be changed to Mountain Drew green so it could be the Grinch Mobile," he said.
As for Stross, when asked if he'd be willing to buy Who Dead back from Robertson, he simply said, "Never say never."
"Especially now that the Bengals are hot again," he said. "I do miss 'Who Dead.' It was a fun car. It would be nice to bring it back to Cincinnati, too."
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: This Bengals-themed hearse is for sale. Its origin is still a mystery
