Last rides and last rites: The rise of the limousine hearse

IT IS now commonplace for the dead in Singapore to take their final trip in a vehicle that costs half a million dollars or more.

These are highly-customised limousine hearses made based on luxury cars from brands including Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Maserati.

“When we first introduced our limousine hearse, clients would say ‘No need for luxury.’ Now they will say ‘Har, you give me (a) van hearse?’ if I offer them one,” says Ang Ziqian, managing director of Ang Chin Moh Funeral Directors (ACM).