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IT is an
undeniable truth when one says that the bond between man
and machine is almost intimate, especially for those who
have the means to turn such a passion into something
that reflects one’s personal touch and enthusiasm—an art
figure called an automobile.
If the
automobile is a work of art, then an auto show is its
gallery. The longest running of them officially raised
its curtains for another dose of automania—the 17th
Trans Sport Show, organized by Traders International
Inc., which ran from April 16 to 20 at the SM Megatrade
Hall.
Needless
of any further elaboration, what makes every Trans Sport
Show different from other exhibits of the like is the
presence of not-your-ordinary automobile expo cars. More
than being some fancy parking lot or showroom minus the
walls, the show had its spotlight more on the car
aficionado’s wheels rather than on the latest bestseller
of automakers doing business in this auto-manic land.
Just
like the premise of cars as art, words that best
describe the displays in the show are classic, exotic,
extraordinary, custom-built, legend and “still running.”
Add to that the fury-faced Japanese compact tourers, the
elegance of European vintage and the presence of
American muscle.
Gone are
the days when V12 supercars took center stage. Next,
black raider stars Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 997
Carrera S occupied the show’s welcome marquee. Looking
around gave one the air of good old times and the next
best thing from the car world, from the reminiscent
Jaguar E-Type coupe, the ultra-large sedan Buick
Riviera, the steel horse 1965 Mustang to the rally-ready
circa 70 Lancer box-type and the furious Evolution X.
Much like masterpieces, these cars are indeed timeless
in their beauty.
Whether
they were stock or modified, most cars in the show
flaunted what they had under the hood, proving that even
these classics are still ready for the road. These are
not typical, current engines, which have modern,
rocket-science alphabet soups of performance and Formula
One stuff pit-stop electronics.
Trans
Sport Shows are mostly about exotics from car modifiers
and restorers. This writer had a chance at a nice
conversation with one of them. Manila Sports Car Club
member Ben Silvestre had one head-turning piece out
there—a friend’s 1947 MG TC coupe, which he restored to
“just gone out of the showroom” condition. “I have been
restoring cars for 40 years since I was 28. I only do
MGs. I only own MGs,” said Silvestre, as he showed this
writer a book about restoring such a model. He said all
its gauges and knobs are functional and that it is
road-worthy, with papers granting it the legitimacy to
roll on the streets even in right-hand-drive layout.
Subtleties are never missed, even down to the thinnest
leather strips that detail the fender flares. He is one
of the many autophiles out there who had actually made
the show into something for enthusiasts and car buffs.
That MG was an example of what probably best relates
cars to art. It is passionately, delicately done and
redone over again.
There
were the usual aftermarket stalls of accessories,
wheels, car audio and detailing for spectators who were
inspired by the spirit of the show and wanted to pimp
their rides.
It was
from a Trans Sport Show many years back when this writer
first had his hand on a Ferrari’s steering wheel and had
a whiff of the 1940s American sedan upholstery, proof
that such a day in it could be a memory.
Indeed,
this Trans Sport Show still is something car enthusiasts
knew was a gallery of pieces of art worth seeing. |
