What a test-drive weekend!

Summer’s hot temperature and blistering sun didn’t come as deterrent for car enthusiasts and those in the market for their first or next automobile as they came in droves for the first staging of the Auto Focus Summer Test Drive Festival (STDF), this year presented by Caltex with Techron.

Organized by STV (Sunshine Television), the highly successful and well-attended event now stands side by side with STV’s other long-running events like the Auto Focus People’s Choice / Media’s Choice Awards, Auto Focus Motor Show & Auto Expo and the STV Auto Rally Corporate Challenge (ARCC), which are all conceived to help further perk-up the presently rapidly developing local automobile sector.  

The top executives of major industry players showed their full support and confidence in the newly conceived endeavor of their common interest by coming in full force during the event’s opening day cocktails.

Despite just coming from a grueling 2-day media test-drive of their newly launched All-new City in La Union that ended a few hours earlier, the newly appointed president of Honda Cars Philippines, Inc., Mr. Toshio Kuwahara made true his promise to be present.

Then there’s Mr. Nobuo Izumina, the president of Isuzu Philippines Corporation who came with executive vice president Takashi Tomita and senior vice president Art Balmadrid although an early wake up call is required of them the next day for an eco run event in Pampanga with DMax owners where their presence is vitally required.

The top executives of the newly formed Nissan Philippines, Inc., lead by its president Mr. Kenji Naito joined by marketing top honchos SJ Huh and Lee Junia who are all still deep into getting their brand where it rightfully belongs in the Philippine market set their work aside that evening.

The president and managing director of The Car Covenant Company, the exclusive importers of Chevrolet in the country, Atty. Albert Arcilla, who has always been known as very discerning in attending industry socials was graciously present and was joined by his very efficient “woman of substance” vice president, Ms. Lyn Buena.

The very young top executive of the “new kid on the block”, industry newcomer Solar Transport and Automotive Resources Corp., importers of exceptional China-brand automobile, BYD, Mark Tieng attended the casual gathering to express his support for STV’s new brainchild.   

Asian Carmakers, the exclusive importers of BMW vehicles in the country, was aptly represented by its lovely lady president, Ms. Maricar Parco and joined by its still very active retired president, Bobby Rosales and marketing director, the dapper Glen Dasig.

And of course there was Mr. Danny “Sir John” Isla, president of Lexus-Manila, ever supportive of STV events with evp Toshihiko Hiranuma.

Ford Philippines had its avp for corporate communications, Joseph Ayllon representing its country manager, Kay Hart while Columbian Autocar’s business development manager Chut Velasquez lead the Kia team while Dong Magsajo, marketing director of Peugeot Philippines and Sherwin Chua Lim of Toyota Motor Philippines complete the cast of top auto industry executives who took the time to demonstrate their strong belief in the concept and unqualified support for the event, all participants in the first ever staging of the Summer Test Drive Festival. Although Volkswagen Philippines, although not a participant had its top marketing honcho, our ever supportive friend Arnel Doria present during the industry-bonding event marking the opening day of the Caltex Auto Focus Summer Test drive Festival. And like other STV-conceived industry-oriented events, it is also projected to be an institutional yearly gathering of the industry.

And the members of the motoring media, mostly those who matter, were present to show their support for STV lead by veteran sports and motoring columnist, Al “Sir Paul” Mendoza with top-notched motoring editors Vernon Sarne of Top Gear, Brian Afuang of The Manila Times, Anjo Perez and Inigo Roces of the Bulletin, Ira Panganiban of Auto Car, Dino Directo of Manila Standard Today, Neil Pagulayan and Lester & Shawie Dizon of Power Wheels, James Deakin of the Star and his website, jamesdeakin.ph, Ulysses Ang of Philippine Star, Brent Co of Autoindustriya.com, Fhort Manahan of The Manila Times, brothers Paulo and Enrico Subido of Top Gear and The Expat respectively.

Test drive events are commonplace for automobile companies considering that it is unarguable that a test drive indeed is the best way to sell cars. All are done though individually by each brand unlike the Summer Test Drive Festival where almost all in the industry are represented and uniquely present in one venue where car-buyers can conveniently test-drive all of the models and compare them before making a better-educated choice.

The other unique feature of the event is the option to drive through a test drive course within the event area, where it is specially designed to bring out the best or the worse of an automobile being test-driven.

Watching an array of brand-new cars of various models in a line with their drivers patiently but eagerly waiting for their turn in the test drive course was a sight to behold. And judging from the number of test drives that were made in the 4-day event at the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds this weekend, this may be the first staging but its definitely not going to be the last—especially not if the happy automobile importers and manufacturers who participated in the event and had their models extensively promoted to the market would have their way.

Time to log on!

We launched Auto Focus Online, inarguably “the country’s first all-video auto news and features online magazine” during the STV cocktails last Thursday at the SM Mall of Asia.

If you have been missing or probably haven’t had the chance to watch Auto Focus, the premier news and features TV magazine exclusively dedicated to the automobile and its industry, which is broadcast every Thursday evening at 10 o’clock on the Home Shopping Network (Channel 13, Sky Cable Network), then miss it no more, just log on to www.autofocus.com.ph any time of the day.

Auto Focus Online features the latest production models, customized car show winners, head-to-head of automobile models belonging to the same category, exclusive interviews of top executives of car companies by the motoring media, coverage of car launches, special features of out-of-town test drives, the latest auto industry news and everything about the automobile and its industry.

Happy Motoring!!!

For comments email motoringtoday-star@stv.com.ph/sunshine.television@yahoo.com.