A HOUSEHOLD name synonymous to good design, Kenneth Cobonpue is internationally envied as the maker of the bed that Brad Pitt—and presumably Angelina Jolie—sleep in.

But his love for all things beautiful has also led him to become a founding member and current president of Cebu’s Performance and Classic Car Enthusiasts (PACE) club. According to PACE member Chris Tio, “the key word in PACE is ‘enthusiasts.’ Some people collect cars just to look at them or to show off. PACE is all about the passion for cars and for driving.”

Inspired by the fervor of the Manila Sports Car Club, the elite collectors’ club of the Philippines whose members are established personalities yet who make time to do vintage runs around the country, PACE began as a really informal club three years ago, of four friends who wanted to do the same: drive, drive, drive. And drive around they did.

A by-invitation-only club now with 12 members and over 60 cars, they have gone to Negros, Bohol and Dumaguete, and have covered Cebu from tip-to-tip in their glorified vintage cars. Described as cars older than 1974 that are restored to as close as their original condition as possible, vintage cars are all about the experience. Driving them at a speed close to that of a new car needs a tremendous amount of skill—there are no safety features, no ABS brakes and no power steering in vintage cars.

“It’s all about the driver. You need 100-percent concentration on the road,” Tio explains, “You can’t think about work, the house or anything. If your cell phone rings while you’re driving, you can’t pick it up or next thing you know, you might be slamming a wall. So after the run, you’re just completely exhausted. It’s like letting everything out.”

They are also almost a lot purer and more spiritual to drive. “It’s you, the machine and the road,” Cobonpue reveals, “You’re not aided by electronics. You’re so close to the ground, you feel the road more.”

Aside from the integrity of the driving experience, Tio claims that the rides allow you see people as they really are. Cobonpue’s design background impels him to arrange the order of their cars in a run by color, with a break in black every couple of cars instead of the more pragmatic way of arranging them from older to newer for a semblance of order.

Tio recalls how in one of their Bacolod runs, after close to 12 hours of nonstop driving, they finally arrived in Bacolod at 7:30 p.m. Everyone was starving and beat but all Cobonpue wanted to do was look for a gas station so he could clean his car.

Adventure challenge

The experience is what keeps PACE cruising, and the challenge and the unpredictability of the adventure are what keep them raring for more. Sometimes, in the middle of the run, when road conditions are bad, and they’re hungry and tired, and nowhere near their destination, they think, “I want to go home.” But the camaraderie and the fulfillment of the run is an experience that, they swear, cannot be bought.

When PACE member Glenn Soco takes his topless 1955 Porsche Spyder on a run, he wears a raincoat and zips it up when it rains and unzips it again when the rain stops. Admirably, to show their sympathy to Soco, other PACE members stop and put down their convertible tops when there is a break in the rain.

One of their most memorable runs was to Tubigon, Bohol, when they brought their families, but sometimes, even their loved ones have a hard time appreciating their uncompromising passion for cars. Soco elicited a gasp from his mother when she first saw him drive up their house in his Spyder. To be heard above the roar of the engine, she yelled incredulously, “Glenn! Have you gone mad? You just bought a car with no roof?” Then when he had to jump out of the door-less car, she exclaimed in disbelief, “And no doors, too?! What’s wrong with you?”

So, why the love for vintage cars? Quite simply, vintage cars have more style than new cars. Limited by safety regulations in the automobile industry, almost all new cars look alike. Wood and metal add character to older cars, which have very little plastic.

According to Cobonpue, who owned the first vintage car in the group, a 1959 Porsche 356A convertible (one of the few in the Philippines), vintage cars make great investment pieces since they always appreciate in value. The key to buying one is timing. Just like everything else in this world, vintage cars are commodities governed by the law of supply and demand, and you must know when to buy what.

The four things to look for in vintage cars are beauty, performance, rarity and historical significance or racing heritage. Honorary member Bobby Aboitiz—who promises to be an active member once he retires—is proud owner of a 1957 Corvette Roadster once owned by racing legend Dodjie Laurel, Asia’s first racing car champion who was a two-time Macau Grand Prix winner. Just like a guitar once owned by Elvis, his car is now rendered priceless.

The design aesthetic, although subjective, refers to the shape and the purity of lines—simple, clean and timeless. Cobonpue’s Jaguar E-type Roadster is continually listed as one of the most beautiful cars in the world, and is one of the few cars in the MoMA’s permanent collection.

Truly, beauty is best experienced, and not only viewed. This insight is what keeps the men behind PACE continuously cruising the roads with passion, dedication and fulfillment.