| It’s been a while since another local car show happened, and this one is up there as most auto tuners look forward to going aside from the usual event that presents the latest models out there. Rarely, I’ve been going to these shows since the last quarter of 2022 as most annual events have been nearly absent in the last two years.
The Trans Sport Show is one of those car events that just happened, and I can recall going to the first one as far back as almost 15 years ago. This event has been around long enough, but I haven’t been to it for quite a while despite the organizers also being the same company that had the Manila Auto Salon from last year. |
Originally, I wasn’t too keen to go to this event because there were so many things happening personally, and when I went to the event it was like an hour before it was about to close down. But I was thinking, the opportunity to document the event is where there’s not much crowd as I have experienced this last month.
I’m not used to huge crowds anymore, and it’s nerve-wracking that I have to go through A LOT of people in one place where sometimes you can’t hear the pin drop and at the same time has taken bad pictures of the subject, because everyone wants to take the same pictures of the car. It’s really the challenging part of being ‘in the eye of the storm’ to appreciate the show, but I felt restricted to appreciate it with the number of people crowding in the same place.
But the first day of the Trans Sport Show was just right, and there’s nothing much around the place but cars… And more cars. It’s not like I haven’t been to this event before. But it has been a while since I went to this show. In the last five years, I have been picky about going to car shows as the ‘feel’ of this show is similar to the Manila Auto Salon since they have the same organizers.
Personally, since I was less than an hour to document this show I had enough time to take photos of some of my favourite cars. Most of them are retro vehicles that I have seen while studying for my automotive class. But the cars here are different, not because of the way they are customized it’s how the locals were influenced by the brands they have seen in the past and used to be common in Manila streets.
The event is mainly about retro-tuned cars and exotic supercars that you do not see on the road every day. It’s kind of a novelty to see old cars looked new in the eyes of those who never see them on the road. For someone who has appreciated going to these shows, I’m just in awe of how the truly passionate about their cars are here basking in the spotlight that the show has given them.
I’m not about the supercars, and most I like to see are the old cars. But not that too old going back to the Ford Model T, but the ones my colleagues back in Adelaide have worked on in their advanced courses that I never had the opportunity to learn from. My personal favourite is the 1985 Toyota Corolla which is powered by the 4A-GE engine similar to a friend whom I studied with at TAFE who used it as his daily.
There’s also the Datsun 240Z, the genesis of the Z-Cars from Nissan that has become an icon that you will see when you enter the main showroom floor. But of course, there is a row of old cars at the back wall near the food area is located. Although they never got that much attention by weekend this part of the area will get a lot of attention because classic cars like these are a rarity.
But despite the gas-guzzling supercars stealing all the attention, there are also classic cars converted into electric-powered vehicles. This is led by a yellow beetle parked beside a Toyota and an old MG roadster. You only see converted old cars having their petrol engines replaced on a YouTube video, now you can see the real thing just there being presented by a local team of talented engineers who would offer their services to convert your car from petrol to electric.
I know, I must be missing a lot of other things I saw earlier on the show. But the ones really stand out are the old cars that don’t even have advanced braking systems or even a built-in air condition system during their heyday. The best parts that really stood out were the classic ones since they are a learning experience to maintain them not having the electronics that most modern cars have today.
TransSportShow is happening from 18 until 21 May 2023 at the SMX Convention Centre in SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City, and opens from 10 AM to 8 PM with an Entrance Fee of ₱ 200.00 pesos ($ 5.40 AUD | $ 3.59 USD**) for Adults, while Minors (12 yrs. and Below) including Senior Citizens is at ₱ 100.00 pesos ($ 2.70 AUD | $ 1.79 USD**) per person.
For more about the event follow TransSportShow on Social Media via Facebook and Instagram, which is organized by Tradeshow International.
** - Currency converter via Google.com
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