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IT was a pun-filled night where true-blue faithfuls
of the Subaru brand—it of the electric blue painted World Rally
Championship winning cars fame—gathered to showcase their rides in
an evening event at the Glorietta 3 tent at the Makati commercial
center. If there is a black-tie affair, Subaru Club Phils.’ (SCP)
congregation on January 25 may well have been a blue-shirt one,
completely informal, not the least stiff and infinitely more
interesting.
Because, well, how could it not
be? Not when 48 cars of various vintages and level of equipment but
all polished to a gleam were parked side by side in what could well
be the largest number of privately owned Subaru vehicles assembled
in a single venue locally. Imprezas, Foresters, a smattering of
Legacys, all mega-horsepower testaments to Subaru’s
horizontally-opposed boxer engine technology, rolling proofs of the
terabyte-gripping capabilities of the carmaker’s symmetrical
all-wheel drive feature.
Led by club Chairman Erich Lingad
and President Clifford Certeza, SCP was founded only last year to
serve the usual purposes organized car clubs offer: camaraderie and
information-sharing. Obviously, Lingad and Certeza also believe the
main driving force behind the club is the passion its members have
for their Subaru vehicles.
“The SCP brings together
passionate Subaru owners and promotes enjoyable and safe driving of
their vehicles” Lingad said.
Certerza, on the other hand,
explained that the club is more than just about cars. “More than
merely a venue for sharing information on anything just about
Subaru, we also aim to foster fun and friendly relationships among
members and their families” Certeza said.
Like in most car clubs, a number
of SCP members are accomplished in their professional fields. Lingad
is the manager and co-owner of International Consolidator Phils.
Inc., adidas Eastwood and adidas Santa Lucia. For his part, Certeza
is the chairman of the Certeza Group of Companies. What
differentiates the two—and most in the SCP—from the members of
other car clubs is that their choice of vehicle truly reflects their
personalities and lifestyle.
Lingad, who drives a Forester, is
an outdoorsman who’s into mountain biking and golf. Certeza, a WRX
STi owner, is a self-confessed adrenaline junkie who counts
scooters, a jet ski and a personal plane as his big boy toys.
Also, unlike most other car clubs
that are veritable orphans from the manufacturer of the very marque
they had pledged allegiance to, SCP is officially recognized and
supported by Motor Image Pilipinas (MIP), the exclusive country
distributor of Subaru. MIP General Manager Nicky Mariano, himself
present at the event, expressed satisfaction in seeing the proud
Subaru owners.
“We believe they best represent
what our brand stands for,” Mariano said. “We recognize our
customers as our brand ambassadors that will carry Subaru to a
greater reach of the market.”
Judging by the SCP’s apparent
passion and enthusiasm, it won’t be long before Subaru’s
boxer-engine-and-symmetrical-all-wheel-drive gospel got spread.
--Brian Afuang
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