The race of the classics

MANILA, Philippines - For decades, a group of automobile enthusiasts from Manila and Cebu have quietly indulged in their passion for classic cars in private garages, breakfast meetings and occasional road trips across our islands.

For these passionate weekend drivers, nothing is more relaxing and fulfilling than to be cruising behind the wheel of a beautiful and timeless motorcar with the sound of dual carburetors sucking in air to propel raw engines over miles of road. Wrapped in a beautiful metal and leather cabin built decades ago, these drivers and their machines are the epitome of cool, recalling a bygone age of vintage motor racing and a life of glamor recently brought back by Hollywood.

When Cebu’s premiere car club, the Performance and Classics Enthusiasts (PACE), started planning to celebrate their first ten-year anniversary, they wanted to celebrate their love for this golden age of motor racing by starting a new event. With encouragement and support from the Philippine’s most prestigious and oldest club, the Manila Sports Car Club (MSCC), a touristic rally patterned after the most famous rally of all time, the Mille Miglia (1,000 miles), was launched on Dec. 5-7. The first Tour de Cebu was born.

For the last nine years, PACE has been doing regular vintage and classic car runs across many different islands in the Visayas as well as picturesque Cebu. It was only natural to plan a touristic rally in order to showcase the beauty of the these islands and emphasize the convenience and safety of the Nautical Highway.

Tour De Cebu is a historic rally open for classic sports cars 1975 and older, covering a distance of 1,000 kilometers across three key cities – Cebu, Dumaguete and Bacolod.

The Tour is patterned after a Regularity race, wherein participants are graded on how close to the ideal time they can manage. Participants are penalized for arriving too early and, of course, for taking too much time. One very important point – all participants are required to follow road safety as well as obey all traffic rules and regulations.

The event was professionally managed by Tradeshow International, Inc., the leading organizer of motor show events such as the Transport Show, Manila Auto Salon as well as the Manila Sports Car Club’s Concours d’Elegance. Sophie de los Santos of TSI not only brought her expertise and experience, but also brought in the services of champion racers and veteran rally organizers Pepon Marave and Charlie Cruz.

The first Tour De Cebu kicked off last Dec. 5 at the Mille Miglia-inspired stage at the Cebu I.T. Park, with no less than Cebu Governor Junjun Davide and Vice Governor Agnes Magpale on hand to cheer the racers. The flag off was well attended by many different car enthusiasts as well as the candidates for Miss Cebu 2014.

The lineup of participants and their cars were literally a car enthusiast’s dream, as the field was led by eventual champion Chris Aldeguer and his 1955 Porsche Spyder and the runner up team of Bobby Aboitiz and Tony Lozada in a pristine 1971 Mercedes Benz 280 SL. Tony, incidentally, also won a special award for the best period correct attire.

One fact of note – the driving performance done by Chris in the open-topped Porsche was an amazing achievement, considering the difficult elements and temperamental weather brought about by the coming of Typhoon Ruby. He truly exhibited the spirit of the 1st Tour De Cebu.

One of the side events was a special concours as well as a lecture on Vintage Car appreciation conducted by no less than two of the founders of the Manila Sports Car Club as well as past acting chairs, Andy Sta. Maria and Gonzalo “Nene” Syquia. 

The immaculate 1962 Porsche 356B of Jay Aldeguer won top prize, closely followed by the 1956 Porsche 356A race car of Michael Aguilar, with third going to a very handsome 1961 Jaguar XKE driven by Cebu’s pride Kenneth Cobonpue.

Other participating cars of note are the 1956 MGA, 1961 Jaguar XKE, 1963 Kougar, 1964  Karmann Ghia, 1965 Shelby Cobra, 1966 Corvette Stingray, 1969 MGB GT, 1967 Alfa Romeo Duetto, 1971 and 1972 Porsche 911, 1969 and 1973  BMW 2002 and 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Yenko SS.

One of the most popular participants was actor Dominic Ochoa, who not only frantically prepared his car, a 1969 MGB GT, and rushed it to Cebu but also had to rearrange all his tapings and showbiz commitments in order to participate. It was a very special event for him as it was a promise fulfilled to his late father, veteran racer Boy Ochoa, whose dream was to organize and participate in a Mille Miglia-inspired rally in the Philippines.

Sponsors for the 1st Tour de Cebu are Petron (Heritage and Top Sponsor),  Sunlife Financial (Provident Sponsor) and the Classic Sponsors. namely Nissan Cebu which provided the lead car and sweeper vehicles, G-Star Raw, Nature Spring, The Reef, Cebu I.T. Park, Soundballoon, Crimson Resort and Azure Beach Club, Suarez and Sons, Johnny Air Plus, Maya, Irie Gastropubliko, Exist Exhibit Systems, Eastpacific Motors and Tradeshow International, Inc.

The 2nd Tour de Cebu will be held on Aug. 29-31 and is open to interested participants whose cars comply with the parameters set by the organizers.

For those without such sublime wheels and can’t join the rally, there are several events held during the event to celebrate the theme of classic motor racing like restoration seminars, a car show, vintage memorabilia and fashion booths where you can go channel your inner Steve McQueen or Grace Kelly, or simply bring home a piece from the past.