EXCLUSIVE: Autoluxe -- the car lover's 'black pearl' in picturesque Pangasinan

Disclosure: Autoluxe very kindly paid for my one-night stay at the luxurious The Monarch Hotel in Calasiao, Pangasinan, along with a hearty lunch at Los Pedritos. All of these entities are under the Guanzon Group of Companies.

When we think of Pangasinan, we know about the province’s expansive agricultural sector, along with its numerous fishponds of bangus (milkfish).

It’s also a splendid place to go on a road trip, with sights like the Hundred Islands National Park and the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Manaoag. Avid swimmers and surfers can also head to the province’s numerous beaches and crystal-clear waters.

But for car lovers, a sort of automotive candy store now forms part of the landscape of Calasiao town, which is located three hours north of Metro Manila. Glistening like a black pearl in the sun stands Autoluxe, a one-stop automotive accessories showroom that caters to serious car enthusiasts.

It forms part of the AnyAuto group, which is the automotive arm of the prominent Guanzon Group of Companies, and includes the Pangasinan dealerships of Honda Cars, Nissan, Geely and Chery. 

Started with pick-ups

AnyAuto chief operating officer Rey Jimenez told AutoFun Philippines in an exclusive interview that Autoluxe was born out of the demand from customers who wanted to customize their brand-new pick-up trucks.

“Whenever we sold a brand-new unit, siguro sa next PMS (preventive maintenance service) niya, alam mo na agad na nag-upgrade na siya ng wheels and tires niya,” he said.

[Translation: Whenever we sold a brand-new unit, sometimes at the next PMS, you already know that the customer has upgraded the vehicle’s wheels and tires.]

“So at that time, there was an opportunity that we were missing out,” Rey added.

Rey said they started out by partnering with a shop that could provide accessories to their clients. First, they installed audio equipment from brands like Focal, then other things like reversing cameras, dash cameras, wheels, tires and suspension.

Although they initially catered to Nissan Navara owners, they eventually expanded to other brands.

“They asked kung meron bang kit [if there are kits] for Hilux, for Ranger,” he said. “And since our suppliers had it, kumuha na rin kami [we also ordered these].”

From zero

After some success, the idea to set up a dedicated Autoluxe showroom came about in 2021 after a change of plans.

“This property wasn’t designed for an automotive dealership,” Rey said. “This was supposed to be the commissary for Pedrito’s. But our Pedrito’s restaurant is about 3 km away.”

“Eh ‘yung commissary na ‘yun, it just so happens naging available 'yung lot right beside the restaurant,” he added.

[Translation: But that commissary, it just so happens that the lot right beside the restaurant became available.]

To manage Autoluxe, Rey brought in his son Zebedee (“Zeb” to his friends and colleagues), a young, passionate car enthusiast who had already been working at AnyAuto’s sister hospitality company.

“Wala naman kami nakitang ganyan na store [we didn’t see a store like that] and we think, with our extensive network of customers and automotive brands, we can bring them here and also attract the brand-new owners of other brands,” Rey said.

Rey added that, unlike car dealerships that have strict specifications from the manufacturer, they had no roadmap or template to follow for Autoluxe.

“All that, by feel na lang [just by feel],” he said. “What you see right now is really maraming [a lot of] intelligent guesswork.”

“But that’s why Zeb came in – ‘yung feel niya ng market and then ‘yung discussions namin ng different suppliers,” Rey added. “We had to design procurement and displays namin based doon sa nakikita namin na mao-offer sa market.”

[Translation: But that’s why Zeb came in – his feel for the market and then our discussions with different suppliers. We had to design our procurement and displays based on the products that we would offer in the market.]

The Autoluxe showroom was completed on February 2023, with the grand opening ceremony held on June 19, 2023.

Unashamedly premium

Although there are several automotive accessories shops in Pangasinan, Autoluxe caters primarily to the higher end of the market.

That’s why its partner brands include DTE, KW, ST, Recaro, RAYS, ARB, Iron Man 4x4 and the like.

“Let’s focus on the premium brands or the premium services para [so that] we set ourselves apart,” he said. “We always use that guideline when we choose products and brands we partner with Autoluxe para pagpasok ng customer, alam niya na nagme-mesh well ‘yung mga products na ino-offer namin.”

[Translation: So that when the customer comes in, he or she knows that the products we offer mesh well together.]

Rey said Autoluxe makes sure that the accessories that they install don’t void the car’s general warranty. But should there be any defect with the aftermarket component, it would be handled by Autoluxe under the part manufacturer’s warranty.

“In our experience as a new car dealer, we know the factors that will affect warranty claims,” he said. “That’s why we work with reputable brands in the industry para ‘pag gumamit ng ganoon [so that when customers use those parts], we know you’re not at risk of damaging any other component of your vehicle.”

The power of motorsports

Autoluxe is also heavily involved in local racing events, with the company joining trackdays and hill-climb competitions located in the north.

“‘Yung motorsport events, nandun kasi ‘yung market namin for the enthusiasts [Motorsports events are where our market for the enthusiasts are],” Rey said.

“I would equate this to 'why do we go overlanding?'” he added. “That’s where your community is. You have to build your community for this type of business.”

Rey noted that these more adventurous motoring activities are vital to building Autoluxe’s brand, including deciding the types of products that they offer.

“We have to talk their language,” he said. “We have to know what makes them tick. The value there is that you get not just a pulse, but you actually get the heartbeat of the community.”

“We may have sold them performance parts, pero hindi naman sila naka-attend ng event natin sa track [but they were not able to attend our track events], whether as a direct participant or a spectator, they will not appreciate the value noong product na inilagay natin,” Rey added.

One-of-a-kind

Rey admitted that Autoluxe would be very difficult to expand as a result of how deeply entrenched it is within Pangasinan’s car culture.

“Autoluxe is not just a showroom,” he said. “This is an experience center. We want you to be part of our community. We want to bring you to where you can use the products that you buy from us and then that community will advertise.”

“So instead of us opening a shop in every town or community, we would like people to come here and focus doon sa mga magandang experience na mabibigay natin [on the great experiences that we can provide],” Rey added. 

“And that they would also be able to appreciate ‘yung mga fellow enthusiasts nila, regardless of whatever segment ng products namin sila mas magfo-focus,” he said.

[Translation: And that they would also be able to appreciate their fellow enthusiasts, regardless of whatever product segment they are focused on.]

Although Autoluxe caters primarily to northern Luzon, Rey would like it to become a tourist destination for visitors from other parts of the country to help uplift the local economy. 

“If you’re in Central Luzon, you can either go to Metro Manila or come here,” he said. “But the comments that I heard is that Autoluxe is a one-of-a-kind store. So we might have visitors and friends come in from the National Capital Region or even further south.”

Region 1, or the Ilocos Region, which includes Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan, has long been one of the less affluent regions in Luzon.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported in 2021 that Region 1 had the fourth-highest poverty incidence among Luzon’s eight regions at an estimated 11 percent, with these households surviving on less than ₱31,113 a year. This is a considerable jump from the estimated 7 percent recorded in 2018.

The bulk of this figure comes from Ilocos Sur and Pangasinan, which are at an estimated 11.5 and 13.9 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, Ilocos Norte – the province of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos – was the lowest at an estimated 1.7 percent.

Meanwhile, the PSA’s estimated national average for poverty incidence in 2021 was 13.2 percent.

Nonetheless, the PSA also reported that the Ilocos Region’s economy grew 7.6 percent in 2022 from the previous year, amounting to ₱654.9 billion. This contributed a 3.3 percent share of the Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP) for that year. 

GDP is a measure of economic health and looks at the total monetary amount of goods and services that a country produced within a year.

A car lover’s hangout

Rey said aside from further improving its products and services, Autoluxe would like to grow its “tribe.”

“The agenda is for us to build the community of enthusiasts, not just for motorsport or overlanding, but even for the experience of car ownership that we think is very difficult to do now in the usual brand-new auto dealerships,” he said.

“Doon kasi [In dealerships], it’s all about achieving your sales targets, providing aftersales service to customers,” Rey added. “But in being passionate about your vehicle or the driving experience, that’s where Autoluxe comes in to bridge that gap.”

Rey said Autoluxe is strategically located on De Venecia Road, a national highway that is connected to the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway.

“We chose it here kasi narito kami [we live here],” he said. “I think people in the north deserve a place like this. Hopefully, Autoluxe becomes a place to hang.”

So if you’re up north and looking for a hotspot of Pangasinan’s vibrant car culture, swing by Autoluxe, where you might even find some cool accessories that your car needs.

Did you enjoy this story? Give it five stars now below!