Third time’s the charm! That’s what the folks at German carmaker Volkswagen and its Philippine distributor Automobile Central Enterprise, Inc. (ACEI) are hoping for when they relaunch the iconic brand in what they promise to be a “People’s Car Celebration” at the Ayala Greenbelt Park on September 28-29.
During the media round table held at the Manila Polo Club, Mr. John Philip Orbeta, chairman and president of Ayala Automotive Holdings Corp. (AAHC), of which ACEI is a wholly-owned subsidiary, noted that they expect close to half-a-million people at the weekend festivities.
The highlight of the event is a special game for the chance to be the owner of the first 21st-century Beetle in the Philippines. This is open to the public, with no purchase required. However, to be eligible to join the contest, you will need to register at www.timeforvolkswagen.com anytime between 11AM Sep 18 until 5PM Sep 29. You will then receive an email confirming your registration, along with an exhibit map, participant’s guide, questionnaire, and answer sheet.
During the event, you need to bring a print-out of the email confirmation to the registration desk at the Greenbelt venue for barcode tagging. You then start your journey through 7 exhibit areas, where you are supposed to find the answers to multiple choice trivia questions. Once you complete the questionnaire, you go back to the registration area for a second barcode tag to verify that you have finished your VW journey, for which you will receive one raffle ticket.
The People’s Car Celebration exhibit officially opens at 10AM Sep 28. Entries will be accepted until 6PM Sep 29, and the winner will be drawn onsite at 8PM Sep 29.
In addition to the models that Volkswagen is launching in the Philippines, several ‘show’ cars are also being flown in, according to Orbeta, to introduce the special facets and diverse models under the brand—beyond the Beetle, which is the only association most Filipinos have with the marque. On display will be the following world models: Scirocco R, Golf MK7, and Passat. Alongside these will be the 21st-century Beetle, Jetta, Toureg, Touran, and Tiguan—models that will be offered in the local market.