{"id":72641,"date":"2025-06-16T05:54:44","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T05:54:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/?p=72641"},"modified":"2025-06-16T05:54:44","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T05:54:44","slug":"richmond-so-a-love-affair-with-toyota","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/richmond-so-a-love-affair-with-toyota\/","title":{"rendered":"Richmond So: A love affair with Toyota"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this feature celebrating the enduring relationship between the Philippines and Japan, no story about Japan would be complete without spotlighting Toyota\u2014a brand that is quintes\u00adsentially Japanese and has left an indelible mark on the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Philippines, this connec\u00adtion is personified by Richmond So, a passionate curator of Toyota\u2019s legacy and the driving force behind R Garage, Southeast Asia\u2019s only Toyota car museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Richmond So<\/strong> | All images courtesy of R Garage<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Richmond\u2019s love affair with Toyota exemplifies how the Philippines-Japan relationship transcends business and diploma\u00adcy, extending into culture, passion projects, and personal journeys. From his family\u2019s Toyota dealer\u00adships in the Ilocos region to the vibrant surfside town of La Union, where he first took on a manage\u00adment role, Richmond\u2019s journey mirrors the broader story of how Japanese innovation has become deeply woven into Filipino life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through R Garage, Rich\u00admond has built more than just a museum\u2014it\u2019s a celebration of Toyota\u2019s legacy and a testament to the cultural exchange that inspires a deeper appreciation for Japanese ingenuity and its impact on Filipi\u00adno society. This interview offers a closer look at Richmond\u2019s passion for Toyota cars, the story of his incredible collection, and how his efforts are preserving the heritage of one of Japan\u2019s most iconic brands for generations to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Family Legacy: Could you share the story of how your father\u2019s connection with Toyota began and how it influ\u00adenced your own passion for the brand?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

My father, Rene So, chairman of R Garage, developed a deep understanding of automobiles while working in our family\u2019s auto supply shop as a student. This passion led him to pursue a Toyota dealership in Pangasinan in 1989, a pivot\u00adal time for the brand\u2019s resurgence in the Philippines under GT Capital. After a four-year wait, he and his cousin were granted the dealership, marking the beginning of our family\u2019s journey with Toyota. Today, we operate five dealerships across Ilocos and the Cordillera Administrative Region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initially, my involvement in the business felt more like a job than a passion. Coming from a background in telecommunications, I joined the team as General Manager of our La Union dealership. However, as I delved deeper into the world of Toyota, my perspective shifted dramatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Learning about Toyota\u2019s pioneering manufacturing processes, its rich history, and its global impact, coupled with regu\u00adlar visits to Japan for events like the Tokyo Motor Show (now Japan Mobility Show) and visits to historical and classic Toyota museums, ignited a deep appreciation for the brand within me. What began as a business obligation transformed into a genuine passion for all things Toyota.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning about Toyota\u2019s pioneering manufacturing processes, its rich history, and its global impact, coupled with regu\u00adlar visits to Japan for events like the Tokyo Motor Show (now Japan Mobility Show) and visits to historical and classic Toyota museums, ignited a deep appreciation for the brand within me.<\/p>Richmond So<\/mark><\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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A timeline of excellence: Five generations of the Toyota Supra, captured in one frame. From left to right: A90 5th Gen, A70 3rd Gen, A40 1st Gen, A60 2nd Gen, A91 5th Gen<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Spark Ignition: What was the defining moment that ignited your love for Toyota and led to the creation of R Garage?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The defining moment was when I discovered the historical significance and global impact of Toyota. My passion for the brand deepened to the point that I made a personal commitment never to own or drive a car that wasn\u2019t a Toyota.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This passion led me to consider purchasing classic Toyota cars to share their rich history with others. However, I set a condition for myself: I needed to first acquire and restore two specific vehicles\u2014the AE86 Trueno (from Initial D) and the A80 Supra (from The Fast and the Furious). These cars were considered incredibly rare, especially in the Phil\u00adippines, where they were never sold as retail models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In what felt like destiny, I managed to acquire both the AE86 Trueno and the A80 Supra in March and May of 2017. This marked the beginning of my journey in purchasing, restoring, and rebuilding classic and modern Toyota cars. Over the past seven years, what began with two cars has grown into a collection of over 100 models and generations of Toyota vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Three generations of 86. Left: GR86 2nd Gen, Middle: AE86 1st Gen, Right: GT86 3rd Gen.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The greatest challenge has been sourcing and acquiring these vehicles, as many in the collection were never offi\u00adcially sold in the Philippines. Despite this, the journey has been a deeply rewarding experience in celebrating and preserving Toyota\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this feature celebrating the enduring relationship between the Philippines and Japan, no story about Japan would be complete without spotlighting Toyota\u2014a brand that is quintes\u00adsentially Japanese and has left an indelible mark on the world. In the Philippines, this connec\u00adtion is personified by Richmond So, a passionate curator of Toyota\u2019s legacy and the driving […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":72643,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[923,922,925,924],"tags":[936],"class_list":{"0":"post-72641","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-2025-magazine","8":"category-magazine","9":"category-feature-ph","10":"category-philippines-2025-magazine","11":"tag-magazine"},"yoast_head":"\nRichmond So: A love affair with Toyota - Bridges Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sms-bridges.com\/staging\/richmond-so-a-love-affair-with-toyota\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Richmond So: A love affair with Toyota - Bridges Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In this feature celebrating the enduring relationship between the Philippines and Japan, no story about Japan would be complete without spotlighting Toyota\u2014a brand that is quintes\u00adsentially Japanese and has left an indelible mark on the world. 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