| Philippine Autocon 2019 is the newest car show in Manila that focuses on automotive interest, which was organized by BeepBeep.PH. It is not your usual Car Show where it features everything that the usual showcase has to offer. This upstart event is not all about the car enthusiasts but also the entire family too.
Since there are no organized outdoor Car Meets in Metro Manila that you can simply walk-in an open parking areas at a nearby shopping centre and talk to a local enthusiast about his/her car on a Sunday hence there’s this show that caters to every gear head in general. |
This first Autocon is not just about showcasing hot cars it is about having the experience through a multi-day car and accessories exhibit featuring happenings such as a car auction, activity booths, and some surprises.
Beepbeep.ph is a pioneer mobile app and website, the country’s first online destination, platform, and gateway to help improve the car ownership experience partners with Visor, is the best place for automobile reviews, news and stories in between. Our Philippine-based site serves top motoring news that doesn’t need no dramas and other crap.
Visor showcases the best Classic Japanese cars and their owners in this year’s Autocon much like the All-Japan Day in Adelaide, South Australia. But this focuses on the individual owners and their classic well-preserved Japanese cars, that you rarely see being driven in the roads of Metro Manila that is the main highlight of this multi-day event.
Autocon Show-Off
There are ten Japanese Cars that was chosen by the staff of Visor to have them showcased at the show, which is considered finalists to ever win to ever coveted the very first Show-Off Award for this year’s event. The winner of course will take home the trophy and ₱ 100,000.00 Pesos (that’s almost $ 2,000 USD | $2,840 AUD).
But as they say there can only be one to be voted to be the best among the rest. So far here are five of the ten cars showcased in this event that would probably catch your attention that would also peak your interest why one of these cars would win the cash prize and the trophy, which will be based from online votes and event visitors that are from Metro Manila since this event is held in this part of the region.
Details on voting were announced via Visor.ph, where you can find the complete details including all ten cars that you’ll see throughout the duration of the event.
Top Best Japanese Cars
1980 Toyota Starlet
Toyota’s subcompact car manufactured by Toyota from 1973 to 1999, but in the Philippines when a passing mention of the name brings you back to the Second Generation model that was produced from 1978 to 1984. It was one of the “Hot Hatch” cars in the country and this 1980 model is no exception.
This is a thing of beauty inside and out with restored appearance just like it rolled from the Toyota plant it shows that this car did not age. Impressive look at the engine and this is the XL model that has a four-speed manual transmission that can still have a kick than the current hatchback cars out there.
1991 Nissan Sunny B120
On the description this is a 1991 model of the Nissan Sunny B120, but as far as research goes this particular model was introduced in 1971. There’s not much background story for this Ute, but it sure is “cute” to see a rare find that is built as a commercial truck based on the B110 passenger car chassis.
No one can recall if this was mass produced in the Philippines, but it is here and besides that this was also was assembled locally and marketed in New Zealand during the 1980s in two trims: "RoadStar" and "SportStar". This was a gem among the ten Japanese cars as most popular is the above mention Starlet and Mitsubishi’s Lancer.
1972 Datsun 240Z
This is a popular car for having its own heritage as the 2040Z was introduced to the American market by Yutaka Katayama, president of Nissan Motors USA operations, widely known as "Mister K". The 1970 through the mid-1971 model year 240Z was referred to as the Series I.
There were subtle changes in the early cars had many subtle but notable features differing from later cars. The most easily visible difference is that these early cars had a chrome 240Z badge on the sail pillar, and two horizontal vents in the rear hatch below the glass molding providing flow through ventilation.
In mid-1971, for the Series II 240Z-cars, the sail pillar emblems were restyled with just the letter Z placed in a circular vented emblem, and the vents were eliminated from the hatch panel of the car. Design changes for the US model 240Z occurred throughout production, including interior modifications for the 1972 model year, and a change in the location of the bumper over-riders, as well as the addition of some emission control devices and the adoption of a new style of emissions reducing carburetors for the 1973 model year.
If you’ve seen this car before you might have seen it in the recent Trans Sport Show beside other classic cars on display. It is the same car that stood out among the other classics that was rarely seen by the public since it was on display at the far back of the exhibit area of the SMX Convention Centre.
1997 Mitsubishi Mirage Cyborg
In the Philippines the badge “Mirage” was not the name of Mitsubishi’s subcompact car, but it was known as the “Colt” and like the Toyota Starlet it is a popular car also in the 1980s. But of course, like any car manufacturer they tend to change the names of the cars, not only because of its various iteration it is also depends on the market.
The succeeding hatchback models that followed the Mitsubishi Colt were discontinued in the country for sedans as they are more popular due to marketing them to families. There we’re not much popular but for serious car enthusiasts they are well known and some gets imported independently.
There are some would import the Mitsubishi Mirage by private owners. These hatchbacks are popular and the top Mirages in Japan were called the "Cyborg", featuring the turbocharged 1.6-liter motor developing 107 kW (145 PS)—the same as fitted to the GSR sedan.
The third generation received a minor facelift in 1990, with late models receiving the same engines as were seen in the subsequent generation. This version of the Mirage is another rare gem in the Philippine scene just like the Nissan Sunny B120 Ute.
1997 Toyota Corolla Levin
Another iconic Toyota car that was produced from 1972 to 2004, which is a are small, almost identical, lightweight, compact sports coupé that shares some similarities with the more popular Toyota Sprinter Trueno.
This late 1990s model would probably be an import just like in Adelaide, South Australia that was never was marketed in that country until it recently revived for the Toyota Auris in Australia and New Zealand, where certain Corolla trim levels have the Levin label. But a TAFE SA instructor drives a Levin as his former daily just to get his kicks out of it also being an owner of a Toyota AE86 that he drives in the racing track whenever he has the time.
This one looks polished than compared to the daily and it is a classy car that is underrated and unnoticed by visitors that has a potential to be a winner being a rare car that’s from the 1990s that you need to take a closer look when you have the chance to see it in person.
These are the five best cars that is iconic and rarely seen in the streets of Metro Manila out of the ten finalist for the first ever Autocon Face-Off. They’ll be on display until this Sunday to get the glimpse for this year’s Autocon.
Philippine Autocon 2019 runs from 25-28 July 2019 at the World Trade Centre Manila from Beepbeep.Ph. For more about the event follow Beepbeep.Ph on their social media via Facebook and Instagram for details!
Technical & Detail Source | Wikipedia.org
No comments:
Post a Comment