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Honda Club of the Philippines
In da club
Meet the most hard-core auto club in the country
Words by Botchi Santos; Photography by Charles Kim
The Honda Club of the Philippines, an organiztion duly recognized by the Securities and Exchange Commission, is perhaps the biggest car club in the automotive import scene on our local shores, boasting some 200 bona fide members both here and abroad. It has a good 80 or so very active members representing the club in various amateur and professional motorsport activities as well as the local car-show circuit. On the online website community alone of HCP, there are over 2,000 account users registered.
Founded on June 13, 2001, by a group of hard-core Honda enthusiasts led by founding president Carlo de Guzman, Honda Club has grown leaps and bounds thanks to the popularity of the marque among consumers, be they amateur enthusiasts, professional racers or even genteel daily drivers.
They felt they needed a specialized organization catering to their very specific needs, a venue to talk Honda-only shop and exchange tips and secrets and rare parts. The club started from the initial 10 or so Honda enthusiasts who attended the very first EB/get-together, followed by the second EB held at the Fort, which grew to 25 or so people, to the current regular monthly meetings hosted by sub-groups.
Honda Cars Philippines gives tremendous support to the club, helping to ensure the growth of the brand's strength through its allies in the enthusiast community.
Today, the club has a plethora of Hondas in its stable, ranging from the usual Civic, the most popular model of the club, to Citys, Jazzes, Accords, CR-Vs and even imported models like the Integras and S2000s. But it is the Civic, in all its variants and generations, that is the mainstay of the club.
Here, one will also find a very diverse tuning culture and philosophy, with endless debates over going turbo or all-motor rev-happy histrionics. There are also hard-core drivers in the club, some adhering to drag racing and professional circuit racing. There are those who simply enjoy track days and the like, plus rally-cross, autocross and even slalom. You'll also see a lot of 'keeper' Hondas, specifically the EG-series Civic hatchback, itself enjoying a renaissance thanks to healthy residual values stemming from buyers who want a fun and practical car that has almost unlimited tuning potential.
Honda Club is also very active in local car shows, being heavily represented in almost all events.
Current president Martin Diez says that to become a member, one must attend three consecutive monthly meetings, then sign up and answer a questionnaire and information sheet.
For more details about the club, log on to their website, www.hondaclub.com.ph.
Top Gear Philippines - August 2006
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