MIAS 2014 breaks 100: A decade of showcasing the automotive industry’s best

The Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) recently celebrated its 10^th year of staging world-class auto exhibitions. Held on April 3-6, the show covered over 30,000 square meters of indoor and outdoor exhibit floor areas. MIAS welcomed more than 102,000 visitors during its April 3 to 6 four-day weekend show.  Last year, MIAS registered over 96,000 visitors and despite the extremely hot summer heat, the show this year generated about a six percent rise in visitor traffic. A total of 35 automotive and motorcycle brands joined the show and held several new model debuts and launches were held. These included Ford’s Ecosport and the all-new Escape, the Subaru WRX and WRX STI, Volkswagen’s Beetle, KIA’s new Soul, the Rolls Royce Wraith, JEEP Grand Cherokee, Peugeot 208GTI, as well as the brand debuts of BYD and Tata Motors.

Other show attractions and celebrity sightings

MIAS regular international performer and the world’s best precision driver Russ Swift used the all-new WRX STI, WRX and XV mini SUV for the first time in any country to perform a new routine much to the delight of the crowd. Presidential sister Kris Aquino of Kris TV took the first ride with Swift when she visited the MIAS for the first time to cover the event for her popular morning TV show.

For classic and sports car enthusiasts, there was a plethora of highly collectible cars on display including a very rare McLaren MP12C displayed by Motul Philippines and the stainless steel skinned DeLorean that caused a stir among car aficionados, as well as the well-restored Pontiac Fiero GT owned by actor Albert Martinez and painstakingly restored by multi-MIAS awardee Johnson Tan of JSK.  As a supporting event, MIAS successfully held its sixth consecutive year the Petron-MIAS Custom Classic Car Competition with over 100 cars vying for top honors competing for the best-of-show and other category wins. This year, Ronnie Fernandez, the owner of a very pristine Type 181 Volkswagen Kubelwagen, a military type of Jeep also known as “The Thing” restored by Rico Dimacali of Macs Autosport bagged the most coveted title of “Best of Show” award.

A new wing for motorcycle displays

Despite holding the event in two compounds, namely the World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM) and Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC), Worldbex Services International (WSI), the organizer of the event constructed several air-conditioned connecting hallways joining the four independent structures. From WTCMM’s main building to its East Wing Tent Building, a 4,000m2 temporary tent building was also specially constructed to house its automotive aftermarket displays to provide additional floor area for more exhibits and a big food court area. The new layout provided a seamless connectivity from WTCMM to PTTC, where the custom and classic cars are displayed. This allows visitors to hop from one building to another without having to go outdoors again.  MIAS also has a new wing dedicated to motorcycle displays, which was done in partnership with the Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association, the umbrella organization of motorcycle makers in the country.

“Our goal was not only to increase foot traffic but also to encourage our visitors to stay for a longer period of time. We were also very pleased with the addition of a motorcycle pavilion, housing five new brands – Honda, Kawasaki, Kymco, Suzuki and Yamaha motorbikes this year. We were glad to note also that most of our exhibitors said that they also registered improved results this year in exposure and sales leads as well.” says Jill Ang, Managing Director of WSI.