If you could ask me one person who can truly describe the landscape of the Philippine auto industry through the years, it is Wellington Soong, or Willie for short. He is not just a part of it but really deep in it, as his name was synonymous then with class brands such as Ferrari, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati, and several others.
Willie considers himself to have already exited the local auto industry, and he is so happy he did it while he is still capable of doing it. “I am happy with what I am having right now after that I left the industry which was the result of what I called a ‘transactional betrayal’,” he said without elaborating any further.
But Willie is still very much abreast of what is happening around the industry that he loved, especially now that it is undergoing transformation from internal combustion engine to electrification. And he is still hands-on with his other businesses, one of which is Electro-Systems, the official distributor of Bose and other sound equipment in the country.
“There is a paradigm shift. It is a major one in the Philippine automotive industry that has deep tectonic repercussions. But the transformation would take some time — for the market to adapt to the EV operation and adjust to its parameters,” he said.
He also cited the entry of the business giants in the industry – such as the Ayalas and the Delgados – into EVs. “It’s gonna be bloody, believe me. You need very, very deep pockets, almost bottomless pitch, when you deal with the EVs.”
Willie is somewhat busy these days in creating his own place for his own collections and memorabilia which he has amassed through the years. He calls it Wellington Centre, a private museum where he can also entertain some of his friends from time to time. It is located at the ground floor of the Enzo Building in Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City.
He acquired it when his very close friend, Enrique Zobel, bought it in 1984, in time before he (Enzo) exited from the Ayala Group of Companies and made it his headquarters.
I was one of Willie’s friends from the media whom he called one night for the first dinner of sorts at the said venue which also accommodates his modest collection of Maserati and Ferrari cars.
Willie knows how to entertain guests as he ordered several foods like kare-kare, mechado, and one of my favorites, adobong balot full of garlic, and several bottles of exceptional red wines.
Did you know that Willie is the founder of RACKS, whose name he coined for “Real American Country Kitchen Style ‘’ back in 1993. That was the year after his several years of trying to have a franchise of several great brands such as Mc Donald’s Haagen Dazs,and Popeye to no avail. He had already sold RACKS log before.
“You know, I never brought a brand new car in all my 25 years in the auto business, except for this Maserati MC20 and the Ferrari Pista which I kept dearly,” Willie said when I paid him a quick visit at the office where he proudly showed me a coffee-table book he named “Knowing When To Exit” which he will dedicate to his late wife Maureen early next month during her birth anniversary. It is a hard-bound, 280-page one that heralds his achievements and success through years.
“My original intent is to make this book a surprise for her for our 52 years together. But with her unexpected death last March of 2022, we will dedicate this book to Maureen in her honor and for all the years she shared with me,” Willie said.