Words by Christopher Kho
It was only a little over six months ago when we got word that PGA Automobile Inc., the same guys behind Audi, Porsche, and Lamborghini, has been appointed as the sole authorized importer and distributor of Bentley in the Philippines. Kinda makes you doubt that the Philippines is indeed a third-world country, doesn't it? Well who cares when we'll have something this good cruising down our streets some day. And at last, these guys are ready to begin selling these beautiful winged “B's” as Bentley Manila officially opens for business.
Bentley Manila is the British luxury automaker's the first-ever showroom in the country. It's currently located on the 2nd floor of the PGA Building along EDSA.
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Industry Update
How the heck to they do it? Seriously?! Ever since the year started, Ford Philippines has been putting down record-breaking sales one month after the other. And last April 2013, overall sales reached 1,101 vehicles which is a 63% year-over-year jump from 2012, making it Ford's best-ever April performance in the Philippines. With a growth this big and this consistent, their competitors must feel jealous, if not threatened.
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Industry Update
These guys are really on a roll. Less than a month after the groundbreaking of Honda Cars Greenhills and the newly-transferred Honda Cars Cebu, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) is at it again. This time, they're opening a brand new dealership in Laguna.
Honda Cars Calamba will soon rise along Maharlika Highway, Brgy. Milagrosa, Calamba City. It's strategically located to be more accessible to customers going or coming from the city proper and nearby towns. Sitting on a 3,000 sq. meter land area, it will feature a showroom with Honda's product line-up. Honda Cars Calamba will also offer complete vehicle service facilities such as general repair, preventive maintenance, and body-and-paint.
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Industry Update
There's no denying that Porsche makes very beautiful, elegant, and powerful super cars. And whoever will represent the brand must have the same qualities, or better. So it's a no-brainer why Porsche AG chose the lovely 26-year-old professional tennis player Maria Sharapova as their new brand ambassador.
Currently ranked as the world's no. 2 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), not only is Sharapova one of the highest paid female athletes in the world, but she could also be the sexiest (Google photos of Maria Sharapova if you don't know what I mean). Again, you see why she's the perfect match for Porsche? Not even her Russian descent or 6' 2” stature mattered to the Germans.
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Industry Update
Effective June 1, 2013, New Zealander Kay Hart will take her new role as Ford Philippines' Managing Director. That's right, Kay is a she. And it's not the first time for a female exec to take the helm of a car brand in the Philippines. Both Asian Carmakers Corporation (BMW) and Columbian Autocar Corporation (CAC) also have lovely women currently seated as Presidents and they're doing a damn fine job at it. We're fully confident that Kay will do just as well.
Kay Heart effectively replaces current Ford Philippines President Randy Krieger who has lead the company since 2010. Yes, they've also replaced the official title of the company's top brass.
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Industry Update
As it stands, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) currently has 28 dealerships spread around Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. But recently, they did the groundbreaking for two new dealerships which will bring the total up to 29 when they open later this year. No, we're not bad at math. It's just that only one of them is totally new, while the other one is transferring to a bigger and better facility.
Honda Cars Greenhills will soon rise at Ortigas Avenue cor. Columbia St., Mandaluyong City, right across the La Salle Greenhills campus. This new dealership sits on a 2,500 sq. meter land area and offer Honda's full product line-up, as well as full after-sales service, general repair, and body-and-paint services.
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Industry Update
If you haven't yet noticed, there are two separate entities selling Nissans here in the Philippines. One is Nissan Motor Philippines, Inc. (NMPI) and the other is Universal Motors Corporation (UMC). While they're technically competitors in the market, these two have put their differences aside for a cause. Over the weekend, employees of NMPI and UMC teamed up with Habitat for Humanity Philippines to distribute repair kits to disaster-stricken communities in Brgy. Gatid, Sta. Cruz, Laguna.
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Industry Update
24 April 2013
AVID back on track with 8% sales growth in March 2013
Recovering from February's dismal 20% sales decline, the Association of Vehicle Importers and Distributors (AVID) bounced back in March 2013 by recording an 8% year-on-year growth. Tally from 7 out of its 11 members, who actually published sales figures, show that the group sold 3,027 units compared to last year's 2,792.
But what really strikes us is that, for the first time since AVID was formed, their monthly report now detail Passenger Car (PC) and Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) sales as separate figures. This gives us a better idea how well each of their model perform.
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Industry Update
