What could be more stately and dignified than alighting from a chauffeur-driven black BMW 520d?
This is probably the reason why the leader and representatives of the 67-member countries of the Asian Development Bank has chosen the P4.99-million sedan as their official ride of the upcoming 45th ADB Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors, which will be held from May 2 to 5 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.
About 4,000 attendees composed of ministers and senior government officials, business leaders, fellow international financial institutions, and civil society representatives are set to attend this annual event, which will discuss challenges and opportunities to ensure future growth reaches all members of society in Asia and the Pacific.
In fact, a fleet of 90 identical BMW 520d sedans was recently lent to the Philippine government by the Asian Carmakers Corp. (ACC), BMW’s official importer and distributor in the Philippines.
Premium mobility sponsor
“As the official premium mobility sponsor of the 45th ADB Annual Governors’ Meeting, ACC formally handed over the fleet of BMW 5 Series to the Philippine government in a ceremony held last April 17 at the grounds of the PICC,” informed Maricar Parco, ACC president.
Joining Parco during the event was ACC executive director for sales and marketing Glen Dasig and BMW Group Asia regional manager for international direct and special sales Thierry Weidenbach.
Receiving the units on behalf of the Philippine government was Department of Finance Undersecretary Leah De Leon, DOF Undersecretary Gil Beltran, and DOF Assistant Secretary Teresa Habitan.
“ACC is honored to be an integral part of the 45th ADB Annual Governors’ Meeting. We salute the ADB and the Philippine government in their efforts to address social economic issues and seek comprehensive solutions for its member countries. We are in full support of this mission by providing the utmost level of mobility comfort, safety and security during their stay,” said Parco during the turnover event.
Brand-new
Dasig informed that the 90 BMW 520d units are all brand-new and shipped specifically for the occasion.
“Being the country’s premium luxury automaker, ACC also went as far as employing, grooming and training all of the drivers assigned to transport the VIP’s to ensure the utmost quality of service and hospitality,” he shared.
But what happens to the brand-new cars after the event? According to Dasig, all of the BMW 5 Series’ will be sold as pre-owned units after the event.
“Since ACC delivered these BMW 520d units via flatbed carriers and will only be used to shuffle the leaders and their staff to and from the airport, hotel, event venue, and a few unofficial side trips, it is expected that these sedans will only clock in a few hundred kilometers during the four-day event. This would be one great opportunity to acquire these vehicles as they will not only be sold at a much lower price (about P500,000 less) but each unit will be thoroughly checked after the four-day economic event,” Dasig said.
Dasig added that those who are planning to acquire a premium executive sedan anytime soon might want to head on over to the nearest BMW dealership and sign up for one considering a number of these units already have reservations.