Romero's Hearse


 * For the two-door sports car featured in Grand Theft Auto 2, see Hearse.

The Albany & Chariot Romero is a vehicle that first appeared in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Originally called Romero's Hearse, the name was then shortened to Romero in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto IV. In Grand Theft Auto V, it is called the Romero Hearse. It is called the Hearse in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

3D Universe
The design of the Romero's Hearse in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is as expected for a vehicle tailored to transport the deceased, appearing as a black station wagon-like car with a rear compartment designed to carry a coffin. It resembles an '80s Buick Superior Hearse (in turn based on a 1977–1984 Buick Electra). The car may come with a coffin at the back (appearing with one of two or three different designs).

In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, it resembles a late '70s Cadillac hearse, sporting a wider range of colors for the roof and body (although generally maintain dark tones). One of Carl Johnson's possible girlfriends, Katie Zhan, owns a white Romero, and will give Carl the keys to it if Carl gains her approval.

In GTA Liberty City Stories, the hearse is simply a modified GTA Liberty City Stories Perennial, but features a two-door design that allows the car to only carry the driver and a passenger in front as the rear has been adapted to hold the coffin. In addition, the Hearse in GTA Liberty City Stories may come with a coffin at the back (appearing with one of two different designs).

HD Universe
The Grand Theft Auto IV and V rendition of the Romero is a modified version of the Washington sedan, and as such, bears the Albany brand. However, the vehicle lacks a coffin, aside from one mission Undertaker.

3D Universe
The Romero's Hearse in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a car capable of high speeds, but suffers from poor steering due to its weight and long wheelbase. Performance of the Romero in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is even worse, as the car is only capable of mediocre top speeds, and features weak brakes, though it does have a good side, as its excellent grip on all surfaces, (except sand) combined with its low braking, allow it to brake and drift around corners a lot more easily than other cars. This ability significantly improves its bad turning, while retaining continous high speeds, thus making it a somewhat desirable car.

The performance of the Hearse in GTA Liberty City Stories is similar to the game's Perennial as both cars share the same body construction, thus possessing mediocre-to-average acceleration and top speed but responsive steering and braking.

All renditions of the hearse are only capable of carrying two occupants, despite featuring two back doors in most cases. The Grand Theft Auto: Vice City rendition is an exception, being capable of holding four occupants.

HD Universe
The Grand Theft Auto IV Romero retains the adequate handling of the Washington, but has inferior acceleration and top speed of 138 mph due to the added weight of the wagon body.

The GTA Chinatown Wars rendition, however, is improved (being superior even to the GTA IV Romero) with better (but still average) acceleration and top speed, above average cornering, and average braking.

Availability and appearances in missions
In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Romero's Hearse is only available in the mission "Two Bit Hit" but it can be spawned through cheats. In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, however, the Romero can be found outside missions, for example at the Blackfield Chapel in Las Venturas or at the Angel Pine Medical Center.

The Romero in Grand Theft Auto IV is only featured in the mission "Undertaker".It can be mostly found near the church located in Suffolk when the player is driving the car

Modifications (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas)

 * The Romero can be modified at the TransFenders.

Trivia

 * The Romero name is a reference to George A. Romero, the director of the Night of the Living Dead series of zombie movies.
 * While the car appears to have four doors, only two can be seated, except for in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, where four people can fit.
 * In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, when the Romero's left light is broken, it will still work, but the right (unbroken) light will not, and vice versa.
 * In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the Romero is the least durable vehicle in the game, though it does have significantly softer suspensions than even a Monster . But the suspensions are very short, sometimes leading to the cars chassis scraping the ground from a fall. (This problem can be fixed by modifying it with Hydraulics at any Transfender shop, and locking the hydraulics on 'High' mode, making it an acceptable off-roader, especially when equipped with Off Road Wheels.)
 * The vehicle can be sold in Grand Theft Auto IV for $2,200 at S&M Auto Sales following completion of Stevie's Car Thefts.
 * Despite its only regular Grand Theft Auto IV appearance being in the mission "Undertaker", more Romeros will spawn in traffic if the player retains that Romero and drives it around the city, particularly in Westdyke.
 * The Romero in Grand Theft Auto IV, just like the Washington, its base, features the "door ajar" chime which can be heard with the door open and volume turned up.
 * Romero is Spanish for "Rosemary."
 * The name 'Romero' is likely a reference to the famous horror movie director, George Romero, due to it being a hearse in all but its Grand Theft Auto 2 appearance.
 * In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, the Romero is the only vehicle that start with Radio Off.
 * The Romero in Grand Theft Auto IV is one of the four cars only to be called by their name in missions. The others are "The Silver Blista" in Clean Getaway, the "shitty beige Willard" from It's Your Call and Gracie Ancelotti's Pink Feltzer.
 * The Hearse in GTA Chinatown Wars has no door-opening animation if the player enters it.

The default radio station is The Journey in GTA IV except the one used in the mission Undertaker, which does not have a radio

GTA Vice City

 * It can only be obtained during the mission "Two Bit Hit", by stealing it from the Haitian funeral.
 * Via cheat - PC: THELASTRIDE, PS2 - down, R2, down, R1, L2, left, R1, L1, left, right.

GTA San Andreas

 * In the driveway of Drive-Thru Confessions Church, Palomino Creek, Red County.
 * Outside Katie Zhan's home in Juniper Hollow, San Fierro. (only when dating her, and locked until certain progress is made with her)
 * Near Fort Carson Medical Center, Fort Carson, Bone County
 * Two are located in Blackfield Chapel, Las Venturas.
 * Next to the Angel Pine Medical Center, Angel Pine, Whetstone.
 * Via cheat (PC): WHERESTHEFUNERAL

GTA Liberty City Stories

 * Only spawns in a car park behind Carson General Hospital in Rockford, Staunton Island.
 * Spawns on the western side of the Liberty City Cathedral in the mission Morgue Party Resurrection.

GTA IV
It can be obtained during "Undertaker", where you have to take the corpse of Derrick or Francis to Steinway or Colony Island.
 * Can also be obtained after the mission if you are lucky enough to find it in traffic.
 * Rarely Spawns in Colony Island, at the Cemetary's parking lot.
 * Some many spawn in traffic if already in one. Appearing in Steinway and Colony Island.

GTA Chinatown Wars

 * Parked in a car park on the western end of the cemetery in northwestern Steinway. Starts Graveyard Groove.
 * It is sold at the Auto Merchant for $300.

GTA V

 * Seen parked at Paleto Bay, near the Hen House property in the church parking lot.
 * Seen parked in front of the mortuary on Innocence Boulevard in Rancho.
 * Seen parked in the graveyard parking lot of the Hill Valley Church in Pacific Bluffs.