BREAKNECK: The Starting Line
"It doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile, winning is winning."
Established in March 2016 by entrepreneur Dan Agbay, BREAKNECK began as an automotive apparel brand borne out of a simple car guy’s want to see a local brand that specifically caters to automotive enthusiasts with a wide range of apparel.
Fueled by Passion
Dan, a longtime car aficionado, founded BREAKNECK from his passion for both cars and fashion. Since 2010, Dan has been deeply immersed in the automotive scene, and in 2015, he founded OTO BATANGUEÑO, one of Batangas’ largest car groups at just 21 years old. As a car guy, Dan thought that there was a scarcity in premium apparel brands that cater to his tastes and type of crowd, and this experience ignited his vision to create a brand that celebrates automotive culture with style.
BREAKNECK answered the needs of its automotive enthusiast market by supplying products with their demand for customized apparel that express their love for their vehicles. Tambay nights and car meets organized and attended by OTO BATANGUEÑO brought in automotive fans of two-wheelers and four-wheelers alike, making the market for this type of apparel concentrated in one place.
But, what does BREAKNECK even mean?
The term "breakneck" itself symbolizes the high speed of cars zooming past, turning heads with their intensity. Instead, the market interpreted the term “BREAKNECK” as an adjective for head-turner cars – hence, the “Turn Heads With Class” tagline of the brand.
Dan shares, "There are many head-turners, but not all are positive. That’s why we added ‘with class’ to our tagline to capture the brand’s true essence.”
In 2017, BREAKNECK hosted its first car show booth at South Prime, marking a major step in the brand's visibility. The early designs, characterized by clean, straightforward graphics and a unique Japanese-inspired typography, attracted a loyal following. BREAKNECK quickly became more than just one of Dan’s shirt designs; it evolved into a brand of its own.
Shifting Gears
From the start, Agbay used opportunities such as car meets and shows to further promote BREAKNECK as an automotive apparel with printed designs featuring different car models as well as quotes that car guys can relate to (see pictures below). As the pioneer of OTO BATANGUEÑO, he bore witness to the demands of members from different car clubs to have merchandise relating to their shared passion.
Top: First BREAKNECK t-shirt designs; Bottom: BREAKNECK attends first car show booth in South Prime in 2017
Initially, the BREAKNECK terminology was just one of the many designs featured on his printed t-shirts. Its straightforward and clean design seemed to attract sales and following that were larger than expected, with Japanese characters adorning a stylized BREAKNECK typography as its unique feature. Dan seized this opportunity to formally establish BREAKNECK as the brand name, banking on the catchy and unique word to take his brand to greater speeds.
The BREAKNECK design that set the course for the brand
Dan did have plans for BREAKNECK from the start to have a physical store, but circumstances such as him leaving for abroad in 2017 and not having a large enough market for premium automotive apparel got in the way of realizing the brand’s full potential.
Samples of BREAKNECK’s POD Products
By 2018, Dan returned to the Philippines, but BREAKNECK now shifted its sights as a print-on-demand (POD) business through e-commerce sites. Since then, sales weren’t about the brand, but the designs by themselves. Products included in the POD on BREAKNECK’s ecommerce platform ranged from balaclavas and t-shirts to arm sleeves and caps that had printed car models and logos.
BREAKNECK’s booth at a B2B Car Show in Batangas
BREAKNECK’s last major in-person appearance was at the Bumper to Bumper car show in Batangas in 2019, where they proudly showcased their unique products.
Full Throttle Ahead
In August 2024, Dan decided it was time for BREAKNECK to evolve past its survival mode as a POD business to the premium brand he’d originally envisioned. This rebranding would honor his initial dream of creating high-quality clothing for automotive enthusiasts who share his passion for car culture. Dan began laying the groundwork for BREAKNECK’s first official collection, positioning it as a sophisticated automotive apparel line.
Rebranding in Progress
To tease the transformation, BREAKNECK updated its Facebook cover on August 7, hinting at a rebrand with the phrase “Rebranding in Progress” and a loading bar, as well as a new, stylish logo on August 17. Now, BREAKNECK is set to launch its inaugural collection, the Autobahn Collection, capturing the spirit of speed, elegance, and automotive pride.
Teaser of the upcoming Autobahn Collection
As BREAKNECK accelerates into this new chapter, Dan’s original vision lives on: a brand that celebrates the thrill of the automotive world, one premium piece at a time.
Watch out for BREAKNECK’s first venture as a premium automotive apparel brand with the Autobahn Collection to be released on November 16.