5 things about TOUR DE CEBU 2015: The 1000km Historic Sports Car Rally

Hear ye, car enthusiasts, machine junkies, and lovers of all things beautiful and historic! This October 3 to 5, 2015, Cebu’s premier car club, the Performance and Classics Enthusiasts of Cebu (PACE), with the Manila Sports Car Club (MSCC), will be staging the much awaited 2nd Tour de Cebu, the country’s only 1,000-km historic sports car rally inspired by the notable Mille Miglia event in Italy.

 1. ) OLDIE BUT A GOODIE: FOR THE 43 YRS OLDS AND UP

Tour de Cebu is open to sports cars manufactured in 1972 or older. All entries are subject to technical scrutiny led by a committee. Major factors for passing include authenticity, period correctness, mechanical soundness, and safety.

The official list for eligible sports cars shall be based on a list compiled by the MSCC. PACE grants limited exception for classic, race, or rally cars manufactured on or below the cut-off date of 1972 with high historic value or prestige. Meanwhile, Run-off sports car models beyond the manufacturing cut-off of 1972 are allowed pending technical consensus.

 2.) CONCOURS D' ELEGANCE

In addition to the rally, PACE will be holding, for the first time in Cebu, a 2-day Concours d’ Elegance from October 2 to 3 at the Montebello Villa Hotel in celebration of the prestigious car club’s 10th anniversary. 

So if you're curious to see this vast collection of functional vintage cars that will be participating, head on down! PACE will showcase 24 beautifully restored cars that will compete in various categories: historic, post historIc, and modern. They will be judged by how the cars have been preserved in their original state: originality, authenticity, condition, with less cosmetics.

HISTORIC 1972 and older	Corvette C1
	Jaguar XK120
	Porsche 356C
	Triumph TR3
	Mercedes Benz 190SL
	Jaguar XKE
	Porsche 911
	Mercedes Benz SE Coupe
POST HISTORIC 1973-1989	Ferrari Dino
	Lancia Integrale
	Porsche 930 Turbo Coupe
	Porsche Speedster
	Audi Quattro
	BMW 2002
	Ferrari 328
	Lotus Esprit
MODERN 1990-1999	Lamborghini Diablo
	Ferrari Maranello
	Porsche 993 Turbo
	Alfa Romeo Zagato
	Lotus Elise

3.) 2ND? THERE WAS A 1ST?

Yes! 

Last year, the event, which was supported by Petron Corporation and Sun Life Financial among many others, gathered 25 beautifully restored historic vehicles, comprised mostly of sports cars owned and driven by key personalities from Cebu and Manila. 

This second run aims to finally cover both Cebu and the Negros Island Region (Bacolod and Dumaguete cities), with an expected participation of over 35 vehicles. Apart from promoting the enjoyment and preservation of vintage sports cars, Tour de Cebu will also help elevate tourism, as scenic spots in the Visayas will be highlighted.

**All TDC photos included in this article are official photos taken at last year's event. 

Supplied by the organizers. 

4.) WHY HOLD A CAR RALLY?

TDC aims to promote and celebrate enjoyment and preservation of historic sports cars.

It also aims to promote tourism and the preservation of scenic sports in the Visayas.

5.) "WHO" TO EXPECT

So far PACE has curated the ff participants. The line up is strong. And these cars are not only going to sit pretty, they will be driven 1000 km regardless of weather condition, regardless of terrain! Remember that these cars have old school machinery, not power-steering, not automatic. Some of them, don't have roofs. So it's really a man vs machine situation x 1000 km. Picture that.

1960 Porsche 356B  (1600)

1961 Jaguar XKE (3.81L)

1962 Porsche 356

1964 Karmann Ghia

1965 Chevy Corvette (V8)

1965 Ford Shelby Cobra (5500cc)

1966 Pontiac GTO

1968 Chevelle

1969 BMW 2002

1969 MGB GT (1800cc)

1969 Porsche 911T

1971 MGB (125)

1972 Datsun 240Z (2.5L)

1972 Mbenz 450SL (4.58L)

1972 Toyota Celica

1973 BMW 2002

Porsche 550 Spyder

Alfa Romeo Duetto

Michel Cobra

Morgan 3-wheeler (1976cc)

Morgan 3-wheeler (1976cc)

Morgan 3-wheeler (1976cc)

THE PRESS CONFERENCE

Press Launch last August 7, 2015, Friday at 2:00 PM at Café Racer at NRA, Mandaue City. 

Video Presentation to start the Presscon showed us what TDC was about and how it went the past year

PACE Club chairman Red Durano was very nice as to entertain all of my non-car-expert questions when we went outside like: How many years old is the Kougar and Porsche displayed outside, what fuel do they run on (Regular gasonline) and what it its composition suspension wise considering the cars are lowered and our roads in the Phils are not as paved and even as the ones in Italy (This is why it takes skill-- it's all in the driver's mastery!)

PACE founding members Kenneth Cobonpue (Also sun-life endorser) and Jay Aldeguer and not in photo (to Mr Durano's left) is Tradeshow International President and Tour de Cebu event manager, Sophie delos Santos.

We all took it outside to take a closer look at 2 of the cars participating in the event. From the machine to the upholstery. They even started the car so we can hear and feel the difference between vintage sports cars and well, the cars we have now. I myself felt a sense of excited when I heard the ignition. 

 Jay Aldeguer’s 1972 Porsche 914- 43 yrs old

 

  Grand Benedicto’s 1963 Kougar- 52 yrs old

 Event Organizers

Us enjoying snacks from Cafe Racer and of course, our super cute cupcake give-aways!!

Did I mention that there was a raffle after the presscon? Not only that, all 3 prizes were won by CFB members. :)) Me, Tine, and Rabsin for the grand prize. Tine and I got a car maintenance kit while Rabsin got a dash cam. A DASH CAM.  

Organizing Committee with the #CebuFashionBloggers ! :)

I am a believer in the quality and beauty of anything classical and vintage--- fashion, architecture, and that day I came to appreciate that in cars. Classic pieces have always been well thought of, timeless, filled with character, and turns out, considering how old these cars are-- durable and functional. Im sure glad these passionate people decided to do Tour de Cebu. Cebu is indeed a people of diverse but equally interesting passions and penchants. 

Thank you to PACE, Cafe Racer, and of course to A-List Events and Advertising for having us over! To Tour De Cebu, good luck and congratulations in advance!

The 2^nd Tour de Cebu will once again be sponsored by Petron and Sun Life Financial. It will also be supported by Nissan Cebu, the official lead car provider of Tour de Cebu, and C! Magazine, the official automotive magazine of Tour de Cebu.

For updates, visit their facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Tourdecebu