With the announcement that the FIAT 124 Spider is now available for order locally, there’s one press matter on the minds of sportscar nuts out there: does it grant you membership into Miata Club Philippines?
Established in 1997, the Miata Club Philippines has the distinction of being one of the most solid car clubs in the country. Their devolution to everything MX-5 (or if you prefer its American name, Miata) is a mirror to Mazda’s unrelenting commitment to keep its two-door, open-top sportscar as pure as possible. Of course, expect some pretty strict member requirements including the actual ownership of an MX-5—no “soon-to-be” or “previous” owners stragglers in this bunch.
But now that Petromax Enterprise offers the FIAT 124 Spider (which is essentially a fourth-generation MX-5 with a different engine and some styling differences), will going Italian grant you membership to the club?
We reached out to current Miata Club Philippines President Ding Nera and he said: “The FIAT 124 Spider is not eligible to be a MCP (Miata Club Philippines) member. However, the owner and the 124 Spider can be invited to attend the monthly meeting at the pleasure of the Club President.”
So, there you have it: you can be a subject of curiosity during their monthly meetings, but let it be reiterated that only true and bonafide Mazda MX-5s can become a member (by extension, if you happen to import a Mitsuoka Rock Star, it is not eligible as well). And while this sounds like a very strict requirement, it actually helps the quality of the club in check. It’s akin to a Subaru Club accepting a Toyota 86 into their fold just because it’s a Subaru underneath, or a BMW Club allowing the Toyota GR Supra to join because it’s basically a Z4 underneath.
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