It’s one thing to admire a vintage sports car from the safety of a garage; it’s another to give it life on the open road. Only a devoted enthusiast would dare take a decades-old machine and push it through a 1,000-kilometer rally amid heat, rain, and sheer unpredictability.
Now in its 11th year, the Tour de Cebu (TDC) Historic Sports Car Rally is rolling out its biggest edition yet, with over 50 participants, nearly double from last year. From Nov. 26 to 29, 2025, the rally will unfold across the scenic landscapes of Dumaguete and Negros Island for the very first time.
The event was formally unveiled during a press conference at Asmara Urban Resort & Lifestyle Village in Cebu City on Nov. 12, with Performance and Classics Enthusiasts (PACE) co-founder Kenneth Cobonpue, PACE Chairman Jayjay Neri, and PACE Executive Director for TDC 2025 Ceasar Azanza presenting this year’s cars, categories, and evolving rally traditions.
Rally rooted in friendship
“We’re a group of guys from all walks of life who happen to have one thing in common: love for cars,” said Neri, recalling how TDC began. “It’s not only about running classic cars but also friendship and camaraderie. Every year we renew our friendship from all sides of the country.”
Founded in 2013, the rally was patterned after Italy’s legendary Mille Miglia, the world’s most historic open-road endurance race. PACE officially brought the event to Cebu in 2014 through a rally that covered 1,000 kilometers across the Visayas. “We are now entering our 11th year, our ninth actual rally because we missed two during the pandemic,” Neri added. “We’ve been to Cebu, Bacolod, all over the Visayas — Bohol last year — and now Negros.”
The 2025 route highlights the four major cities of Negros: Dumaguete, Sipalay, Kabankalan and Bayawan. The event opens with an official car show on Nov. 26 at Buglas Isla Café in Dumaguete, featuring participants from Cebu, Manila, Davao, Bacolod, Iloilo, and international teams from Japan, Singapore, France, and Spain. The official daily flag-off follows on Nov. 27 to 29 at Pantawan People’s Park.
Accuracy over speed
Although many assume rallies are about speed, the TDC is defined by precision. “People always think races are about speed,” Azanza said in his ninth year of participating. “But we realized TDC isn’t about that. It’s about accuracy.”
Azanza shared that his most memorable drive in TDC was his debut participation, recalling how he and his navigator learned the race dynamics on the go—how to prepare the car, how to make sure it survived the route, and how that discovery process made the rally fun.
As far as safety is concerned, participants must undergo strict scrutineering before they are allowed to run—brakes, lights, tires, hazards, seatbelts and fire extinguishers must all pass inspection. Organizers have also integrated secret checkpoints into the course. “If you arrive too early, that means you drove too fast; too late means you were too slow. Maintaining the right pace is what makes it exciting,” Cobonpue explained.
Driving a 50- or 60-year-old car for 1,000 kilometers is no small task; mechanical failures are expected and accepted as part of the challenge. “Preparing the car itself is already a challenge,” Neri said. “Sometimes one car to prepare wouldn’t be enough. Now many of us prepare a backup car, or extra fuel pumps, because anything can happen.”
Behind the participants is a massive support system of mechanics, ambulances, towing teams, and logistics personnel. “For every 60 cars, there’s around 20 support vehicles,” Cobonpue said. “The logistics are huge.”
“Everything that people think might happen is everything we’ve been preparing for. It’s also up to the participants if they want to bring their own support vehicles and mechanics if they’re more comfortable with that,” said Caesar.
For Cobonpue, who is known globally for his design work, TDC is much more than a motorsport. “It’s a rolling museum,” he said, describing a lineup dominated by sports cars manufactured in 1978 and older. “Some of these cars are older than us. Many just stay inside garages around the country. But we choose to drive them as they’re meant to be.” He also shared a deeply personal story about this year’s rally: “My son, 24 years old, was diagnosed with cancer last December. He told me that if he survives this, he wants to drive his car and put it together—it’s an Alfa Romeo. He survived all the treatments. It was tough, and I found the car. We’ve been preparing to drive for TDC.”
Classes, categories, what’s at stake
As the rally expands, so too has the structure that governs it. This year’s event will award a TDC Championship Trophy along with class champions, stage champions, and several special awards. The competing cars are grouped according to era and type, with sports cars up to 1966 falling under the Roberto Aboitiz Class; those from 1967 to 1972 in the Pace Chairman Class; and sports cars from 1973 to 1978 under the Sportsman Class, which allows limited and screened entries. The Historic Tribute category welcomes replicas and reproductions, while the Clubman Class is reserved for non-sports cars—also up to 1978—that carry significant racing pedigree. A Modern Classic Class has also opened for sports cars manufactured from 1979 to 1988, also with limited, screened slots.
Tourism, thrill of the Visayas
Beyond car culture, TDC has evolved into a powerful tourism driver, earning the title “Sports Tourism Adventure Event of the Year” in both 2019 and 2023. “This helps promote tourism and allows Filipinos to discover places we don’t normally visit,” Neri said.
As for expanding TDC beyond the region, organizers say it’s possible, but not without challenges. “It’s very possible to bring TDC outside the Visayas,” Neri noted. “But we have to factor in logistics — transporting vintage cars isn’t easy — and we need strong support from LGUs for permits and safety. These cars are valuable, and safety is always the priority.”
Coordinating with local governments, police, traffic units, medical teams and route inspectors is crucial. “When you’re driving a vintage car for 1,000 kilometers, something is bound to go wrong,” Neri added. “The busiest people are always the ones manning the tow trucks.”
A portion of the event’s proceeds will also go to the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (Eruf). Organizers emphasized that Eruf is consistently the first to respond in emergencies, yet often overlooked despite their hard work and dedication.
After more than a decade, Tour de Cebu has evolved into a celebration of heritage and the roads that connect communities. “Many of us don’t even drive the same cars every year,” Cobonpue said. “It’s always a different experience. Many of us have different goals — mine, for example, is just to finish.” And as the rally rolls into its 11th year, the mission remains the same. Drive the cars, keep them alive and celebrate the journey.