| MOTORING Leather leader
What started as a hobby for this man has evolved into a lucrative business. Lorenzo “Babes” Rojas’ shop in Quezon City has become synonymous with leather and custom interiors, a mecca for enthusiasts, car collectors and auto restoration specialists. His 1950s era house on Scout Madrinan doubles as a parking lot for exotic Ferraris, BMWs and other classic automobiles. Roxas, an Ateneo economics graduate (Class ’71) owns Leder Interia, regarded as ground zero for any restoration work that involves four wheels. Almost always at the epicenter of his automotive realm, this grayish-white haired man, clad in jeans and a white Lacoste shirt struts around the shop like bee looking for honey. “I want to run my shop in this manner, all hands on deck and always busy with something. Here, everybody knows his responsibilities and deadlines,” said Rojas. The number of trophies and accolades on display at his shop is a testament to the man’s talent, skill and hard work. His background in leather and upholstery started 35 years ago with his leather shoemaking factory in Marikina. During his spare time, he would experiment and customize his own fleet of cars. “I like tinkering with my cars, it’s like therapy for me. I don’t sell my cars and even kept my bridal car, a seventies Toyota Corona which I plan to restore sometime soon. This explains all the junk lying around here,” adds Rojas, who is a vintage car enthusiast. His “junk” collection includes a 124 Benz wagon, 123 Benz sedan, a 928 Porsche, two 525 BMWs and his daily driver, the Alfa Romeo. His1994 Toyota Corolla has only 30,000 kms on the odometer. From his garage, close friends would take their own cars for interior repair and the quality of his craftsmanship would eventually spread by word of mouth. As the shoemaking business fizzled out in the late eighties with the arrival of cheaper and quality shoes from abroad, Rojas shifted to automotive upholstery and established Leder Interia. Anybody who had his automotive interiors done by Leder Interia would attest to the fine detail done to their cars, from the quality of leather, down to the stitching pattern used by Rojas’ veteran artisans. “I frequent automotive shows both here and abroad to update myself about the latest trends. I also use imported materials in my shop, which I order in Europe and some parts of Asia,” Rojas says. He also invests in expensive equipment and tools which are vital to his work. A short tour of his shop would give an idea of who his clients are —a who’s who of car enthusiasts who have entrusted their personal ride to Rojas for restoration. From classic European, American and up to modern-day Japanese pocket rockets like a Honda S2000 and a collectible 1972 Toyota Celica TA22, Rojas has stitched and customized every imaginable automotive interior thrown at him. “We don’t rush our work here, and our crew spends a lot of time for each car that comes in for restoration.” A rare 1940s Rolls Royce is among his latest client. Its interiors, from the dashboard, the doors and flooring, were made of wood. “With this car, rust is not the enemy but termites,” Rojas explains, pointing out that some parts had to be flown in from England because there are no local supply. “I personally attend to these project cars from day one until they roll off our garage. I have made it a personal commitment to foresee each buildup because I am a stickler for quality,” says Rojas. |
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