At the recent Lexus Drive event, entrepreneur and car enthusiast Archie Chiang shared his boyhood love for Lexus, how his car dreams became reality, and what his sprawling new lifestyle hub, the AutoComplex, has to offer.
We find Archie Chiang seated in the Second Skin cafe of The AutoComplex, his pioneering automotive lifestyle hub in Libis, waiting for the festivities to begin. Just outside, dozens of Lexus cars are lined up, the team from Chele Catering is preparing a lavish spread of bites and beverages, and car enthusiast guests are beginning to stream in for the celebration. Archie is poised like a groom waiting for his cue to enter the church. Coincidentally, his real wedding is a week away; and, fittingly, we’re in his church—one built for worshiping wheels.
“It’s crazy,” he begins. “When we originally started talking about this event, it was supposed to happen in early May.” But things got busy for Archie, just like any young man with a thriving business. The aforementioned AutoComplex is a one-stop indoor shop for car enthusiasts, offering everything from basic services like paint jobs and ceramic coating, to full custom builds and performance upgrades. He’s busy running the place he built from the ground up, as well as planning for his nuptial. Yet he still wanted to pursue the partnership with Lexus, becoming the face of this edition of Lexus Drive: the company’s exclusive, immersive event series that brings together talented individuals who capture and reflect the brand’s philosophy.
READ ALSO: The Future Is Electric: The Lexus Electrified Sport Concept Is Coming To Manila
The Early Days Of Drift: Archie Chiang’s First Encounter With Lexus
Previous Lexus Drive partners included esteemed designer Rita Nazareno and culinary master Chele Gonzalez, among others, whose artistry and craft captured the brand’s attention, leading to collaborations and pocket events that not only highlighted their talents, but also drew parallels to the artistry of a Lexus vehicle.
Archie is no different, and in many ways feels especially well suited to represent the brand. He isn’t just a young man at the top of his entrepreneurial game, but also a car enthusiast who takes an active role in the automotive community. Perhaps the biggest factor is that he’s a longtime Lexus fan. It’s something he’s loved since his school days.
“Back in the day, I was really interested in drifting cars,” he shares. “The first time I heard about Lexus was because it was being used for drifting. It wasn’t being talked about the way it is now. Then the Lexus LFA came out. It had the V-10 engine, and they collaborated with Yamaha to tune the exhaust. What kind of car company pairs up with a music company to fine-tune a car?” Archie was incredibly impressed, and the LFA became his dream car.
He continues: “The first time I saw it in the flesh was when I was invited to a Lexus event at Lexus Manila, and one of the people showed it to me at the service center. That was my first Instagram post, and it became a core memory for me. It was the white one they had in the showroom. It has stayed with me ever since. Eventually, I was able to buy my first Lexus GX 460, which was imported from the US because it reminded me of the one they had in the showroom.”
READ ALSO: An Enchanting Afternoon: Lexus Transports Guests To A Verdant Garden Escape
The AutoComplex: A Theme Park For The Car Guys
It’s truly a rare blessing when a boyhood obsession becomes your adult job. This is what happened with Archie, who is now living his dream with The AutoComplex. The humble beginnings of the store trace back to college, when he opened SkinMe by Archie, a business that wrapped laptops and gadgets in vinyl. This would become the foundation of his career in automotive customization, culminating in the founding of Second Skin Industries (SSI), a popular car wrap shop.
As his experience in the automotive industry grew, so did his ambitions. This led to a dream of opening another store—one that would be a true one-stop destination for car lovers.
“I have always dreamed of going to a place that has it all, and not just any one-stop-shop you see on the side of the roads, but a proper destination like a mall where you have all your car needs in one proper area,” he shares. “Since that didn’t exist here in the Philippines, I decided to make that dream into a reality and build it.”
The result is the sprawling AutoComplex, which not only offers every car service imaginable, but also includes lifestyle amenities: the cafe where we sit, a restaurant soon to open, and the event space where Lexus is hosting their party.
“It’s kind of a theme park for the Car Guys,” I observed. He replied: “Exactly. Absolutely.”
Lexus Heaven
The best part of the job? Being around cars all day, especially his dream automobiles. Archie shares that he finally got to drive the Lexus LFA because a client lent him one—something that never would have happened if it weren’t for the industry he was in.
“It’s one of the perks of the business,” he shares with a smile. “Car guys will understand just how exciting it is to drive around a car you will never have in your lifetime. Saya sobra. The LFA is really iconic. I’ve driven all kinds of supercars, and yet, there’s still something about it that makes it different from all the rest.”
The music at the party venue outside is getting louder. Archie’s friends—mostly automobile enthusiasts who had brought their own Lexus cars to the celebration—are waiting for him to finally welcome them all, so we say our goodbyes.
As I pull away in my own vehicle, I see Archie stepping out of the cafe and walking toward the event space. The Lexus logo gleams brightly in the background, and the cars are parked in immaculate formation. I watch as he pulls out his phone and begins filming everything with a wide smile. Now more than ever, I see how heaven can mean different things for different people. For Archie Chiang, this is it.
