Leaders of Luxury: Roberto Coyiuto III

Roberto Coyiuto III’s first car back in the early 1990s was a standard model of a Japanese brand that, at the time, was a ubiquitous sight on the streets of Metro Manila.

Roberto was in high school then, on track to join the insurance industry, which was the family business. Not long afterward, his father, Robert Coyiuto Jr., was smitten with a Porsche 911 (933 model) that he brought home to the Philippines. That’s when he realized there was no proper after-sales care to keep his car serviced and maintained to the global standards and checklists set by Porsche AG. And so Robert Jr. decided to partner with the brand as an importer, so he could do it himself.

That was the beginning of PGA Cars’ story, as it instantly positioned itself as a key player in the country’s luxury car space.

When Roberto III was 21, he was sent to Stuttgart, Germany, for an internship at the Porsche factory: filing paperwork, cleaning vehicles, observing how dream cars were made.

Today, almost three decades later, PGA Cars is the exclusive distributor of luxury brands Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, and Bentley, with Roberto as chairman.

“Taking on the lead role at PGA Cars has given me the chance to apply the values I was brought up with. From my family, I learned the importance of being very hands-on in business, in closely understanding the details, and in being present in day-to-day operations,” he says. “What I’ve redefined for myself is a stronger focus on strategic thinking and analysis, while also making sure passion drives what we do. Cars inspire strong emotions, and I believe leadership in this industry needs that personal connection.”

Roberto says his vision for Porsche, Audi, Lamborghini, and Bentley is to make luxury and performance more than just about owning a car. It’s about an entire ecosystem: experiences, communities, and a culture that surrounds these brands.

“True luxury comes from the emotional response and the total experience one gets from the car, when looking at its design, appreciating its details, and enjoying how it drives,” Roberto says. “The brands we have are some of the most valuable in the global luxury space, not just in the automotive segment, and they advocate luxury through innovation, performance, craftsmanship, and sustainability. This is exactly why we are partners with these brands. They have redefined, and are redefining, what true luxury is.”

And while he says there will always be the purists, the enthusiasts who love the thrill of the combustion engine, he believes performance continues to evolve with the rise of electrification and new technologies.

“Luxury performance now takes into account sustainability, innovation, and connectivity,” he says. “Electrification actually enhances these factors, allowing for higher levels of performance and luxury, thanks to more responsive power coupled with quiet operations and lots of digital features. Plus, electrified cars have become cleaner during their entire lifetime because of new technologies.”

Roberto says when the group decides which cars belong in the PGA Cars portfolio, there are always business factors to consider, but more importantly, the brand’s identity, heritage, and values must connect with them emotionally as well.

“We are true fans of our brands, enjoying the different models’ performance and design,” he says. “Each one of them has a distinct personality, offering a different experience from one another. So our portfolio is complementary not only in technical terms, but also emotionally.”

This article originally appeared in Robb Report Philippines’ Best of the Best Issue, October 2025.