The first automobile touched Philippine soil around the 1900s—a Richard Brasier Roadster 9-h 2 cyl engine built by French and Belgian manufacturers George Richard and Henri Brasier.
Since then, cars in all shapes and sizes have studded our streets, changed the lifestyle of the people, and transformed the country’s mercantile history.
Recently, the Circuit Makati parking grounds became the mecca for the country’s good-vibes car club, as it did last year, to congregate and reconnect, have a peek at the latest modifications and one-of-a-kind specs potential of a car. Now on its 4th year, the United Car Clubs of the Philippines through its founder and president Yuyu de Guzman, who has been in a perpetual drive when it comes to UCCP affairs, continues to whet the fascination for cars that the Richard Brasier Roadster had instated into the Filipino psyche.
What instantly draws you to the 2015 Chevrolet Duramax Pick up owned by Lucizo Cabrera, Jr. is its refreshed design elements, plus added innovative technologies on it like the off-road orientated tires that provide satisfactory traction to blunt jiggly rides when he goes fish farming all over town. It’s an eye-popping mammoth of a truck that had the crowd spending more than a few minutes hawking over it.
A purple Toyota owned by Eric Hermano of Los Arcos Resort and Events was easily the creampuff of the bunch. With a come-hither cutesy styling, you almost want to fall over it and give it a hug. There were some functional additions that complement its sleek design and a highly spirited zounds performance that assures its owner an intensely euphonic ride.
There is that Honda Civic that is a compact car with big-car sensibility yet it does not give up small-car goodness with its youthful spirit that makes it quite visually arresting. This Honda boasts easy-to-master controls and simpler maneuverability, zounds, and TV monitors in all places –enough reasons to hold its owner a tight attachment to this powerfully serious little missy.
The Kobe Bryant-themed blue Hyundai, a standout in last year’s UCCP reunion, never disappoints. The “Black Mamba”, gone from the NBA cheers and spotlight, like this blue car will definitely age well, proving once more that past glories like that of Kobe’s are always here and now, that they are never over and done.
The Honda Civic RS owned by Jophel Concepcion is a brilliant play of seven pink tints, executed by Don Euro which specializes in transforming the ho-hum to hoo-hah! The car captures the day’s sunlight and reflects the night’s dazzle from the moon and the neon’s iridescence. It’s a blur when this Honda goes past you but the glow of that whiz stays to awe.
In the four years since UCCP’s inception the club has attracted more buzz and participants than last year’s and has drawn up more copartners that can claim a well-earned repute for reliability. Names like Notorious Motor Sports, Lexianne Auto Car Services, Tagasouth Garage Auto Painting and Body Repair, Alver Sticker Works, and Team Zorwis Car Accessories with their inventory of high-quality auto components, engineering knowhow, furnishment kits that will upgrade the dependability and suitability of a motor vehicle, plus a substantial aftermarket support to get the unit ready for everything, notably a solid braking decisiveness (and tires to support it) to deflect an imminent kiss with an electric post or with an MMDA orange cone on the highway.
The UCCP beachhead has been certainly established and thus proved wrong cynics who claimed Yuyu de Guzman was all bluff during its formative years. It’s time to clink mugs and cheer. Time to rock again.
Photos by Diana Noche
