Vintage vroom Tour de Cebu 2015

MANILA, Philippines – They’re not old, they’re classic, and proof positive that true beauty is, indeed, ageless.

The much-awaited second Tour de Cebu held early this month was a feast of elegance, heritage and beauty. The country’s only 1,000-km historic sports car rally saw 26 participants taking to the road around Cebu and the Negros Island region (Bacolod and Dumaguete cities), highlighting scenic spots in the Visayas.

Kicking off Tour de Cebu 2015 was the Montebello Villa Hotel Concours d’Elegance last Oct. 2 to 3, presented by Cebu’s premier car club, Performance and Classics Enthusiasts Club (PACE), in celebration of their 10th anniversary. A Concours d’Elegance, which means “a competition of elegance,” is a gathering of prestigious cars. It was in 1996 that the Manila Sports Car Club (MSCC) first held a Concours d’Elegance, but it was the very first time that such an event was held in Cebu, completely free and open to everyone.

Spread out on the lawn of Montebello Villa Hotel, 18 classic cars were showcased and voted upon by visitors and judges Andy Sta. Maria, former chairman and co-founder of the MSCC and present chairman of the Ferrari Owners Club Philippines; Osamu Hasegawa, MSCC officer and director of Japan Classic Car Association; and Eddie Salonga, MSCC chief steward and co-founder of the Miata Club Philippines.

The winners were announced during the Great Gatsby-themed garden cocktail party. Jay Aldeguer’s 1964 Porsche 356C won best in show, as well as best in the historic category, which covers cars made in 1972 or before; while the post-historic category, which covers cars made in 1973 to 1989, saw a tie between Douglas Luym’s 1976 Lotus Esprit and Grand Benedicto’s 1987 Ferrari 328. The people’s choice award went to Kenneth Cobonpue’s 1955 Jaguar XK 140.

Car enthusiasts, friends from the media and the participants’ family and friends gathered in the morning of Oct. 3 at Cebu Business Park for the flag off. At exactly 8 a.m., Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale sent the first car, a 1971 Porsche 914/4 driven by Red Durano, on its way.

Celebrities such as Matteo Guidicelli and Dominic Ochoa, who drove a Porsche Spyder and a 1969 MGB GT respectively, joined in the fun.

The group parks for lunch at Moalboal (left). Tour de Cebu 2015 participants (below left). Ms. Cebu 2015 Wynonah Buot and Pepon Marave award overall grand champions Dean Bernal and Christopher Yu (below).

 

First stop was Moalboal, for lunch and refueling. They then proceeded to the port of Santander, which led them to Sibulan, where they got back on the road and drove to Dumaguete for an overnight stay. Converging at the famous Dumaguete Boulevard, the participants were given a warm welcome by Dumaguete’s local officials. While in Dumaguete, they visited Pepe’s Place Bayawan Boulevard, Kabankalan Government Center and Zaycoland.

The next day, they drove to Bacolod where they stopped over at the Bacolod Capitol Lagoon and the San Carlos Government Center. After spending the night there, they began their road trip back to Cebu City, heading straight to Chateau de Busay for the awarding ceremony.

The Tour de Cebu 2015 winners were presented by Ms. Cebu 2015 Wynonah Buot and rally organizer Pepon Marave. Overall grand champions were Christopher Yu and Dean Bernal in a 1971 MGB. Mike Jo and his 1964 Karmann Ghia bagged the non-sports car category.

Winning first place for the 4 cylinders and above category were Yong Larrazabal and Junjun So in a 1965 Shelby Cobra, while taking second place were Bobby Aboitiz and Tony Lozada in a Mercedes Benz 280SL.

For the third category covering 4-cylinder vehicles, first place went to Christopher Yu and Dean Bernal in a 1971 MGB; second place went to Dominic Ochoa and Ronald Mojica in a 1969 MGB GT.

Tour de Cebu 2015 was made possible by Petron Corporation, Sun Life Financial, Montebello Villa Hotel, Liqui Moly, PLDT SME Nation and Nissan Cebu Distributors, Inc.

Tour de Cebu 2015 was handled by Tradeshow International Inc. as event managers and ProDynamix Management Inc. as rally managers.