The business of dressing up cars is now a booming multimillion-dollar industry in Singapore

And as the trend catches on among Singaporeans, industry insiders expect it to expand further over the next few years. 38-year-old Steve Tan is an auto-fashionista.

He has spent more than C$10,000 making his Chrysler stand out from the rest – with 22-inch tyres imported from Canada, rims from the United States and a Japanese body kit. Steve is proud that his car is the only one of its kind in Southeast Asia.

“I can’t afford a Ferrari; I can’t afford a Lamborghini so I buy a cheap car and do it up. Everybody will stare at me. Well, money well-spent. So that’s the way to go,” he says.

At the recent Big Boyz Toys exhibition, this trend was everywhere – from Harley motorbikes to cars of all shapes and sizes.

Some add a dash of pink and feathers for that feminine touch, while others bling it up for a little more glamour.

S.S. Jong from GenConcept Ptd Ltd, says: “Every customer comes with his own requirements. They want things to be different; they don’t want the same design as the next car across the road. On average per month, we install probably more than 50 cars.” William Ong from Dress Up Karz Enthusiasts expounds on the motivation to personalise cars.

“It’s just like fashion, you know. Women like dress-up. Guys need their attention – they need women’s attention so they dress up their cars. They may not have big bucks to buy expensive cars but you know, buying a Japanese car or probably a cheaper Korean car, doing it up and getting their attention is what they want.”

Many of these auto-fashionistas are in their 20s or their 30s, and they are willing to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars to stand out from the rest. Industry players expect the market to grow further over the next few years as car prices hit new lows.