Although the Museo ni Manuel Quezon is the first and primary museum of the Quezon Memorial Shrine Park, it is not the only museum in the park. In 2017, the 3,000 square-meter triangular Presidential Automobile Museum was inaugurated, featuring twelve official state vehicles of sixteen presidents of the Philippines, and some other cars that belong to key figures in Philippine history.
Most of these vehicles were stocked in a warehouse that is handled by the Presidential Security Group (PSG), and were just degrading while being stored. Others were left in display in the garages of these former presidents’ homes, and other places where they were rusting away. It was the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), in coordination with the office of Quezon City Mayor Herbert Constantine “Bistek” Maclang Bautista (born May 12, 1968), that planned to restore these vehicles and display them to the public.
The NHCP hired the Quezon City resident, Alfred Perez, whose specializes in the restoration of classic cars. Perez established his atelier Alfred Motor Works in 1993, and it is located at the corner of 11th Jamboree Street and Kamuning Road.
The Museo ni Rizal de Dapitan curator, Ryan Tan (aka Tan Uchiha Zoldyck), was hired by the NHCP to curate the Presidential Automobile Museum. Tan in turn commissioned Juan Sajid de Leon Imao (born 1971), to create the busts of the presidents. Part of the of the curatorial plan are historical videos of the presidential cars in various state functions, archive photographs, an interactive display on the modern presidential vehicle, and insightful infographics on the history and technical specifications of each vehicle. In this article, I will not get into the details of the technical specifications of each car, as these are best experienced visiting the museum.
The first and oldest vehicle in Presidential Automobile Museum is the horse-drawn cart or kalesa of the judge, Spanish colonial revolutionary and co-author of the 1899 Malolos Constitution, León Castillo Apacible (1861-1901), from the town of Taal, in Batangas.
The first president of the Philippines is the Caviteño revolutionary general, Emilio Famy Aguinaldo (1869-1964), who rode a 1924 Packard Single-6 Touring in his “retirement” in during the American Occupation of the Philippines. For decades, Pres. Aguinaldo’s Packard was on display in the Spanish Era Fort Santiago in Manila the to the Auinaldo Shrine in Cavite, before being restored and displayed at the Presidential Automobile Museum. When Aguinaldo was still president of the Philippine revolutionary government in 1898, he was riding a horse-draw cart.
Hailing from Baler, Tayabas, Manuel Luis Molina Quezón (1878-1944) rode a 1937 Chrysler Airflow Imperial CW upon his election and the ushering of the Commonwealth Era.
There is nothing left from the vehicle of the Batangueño, José Paciano Laurel y García (1891-1959), who rode a 1942 Packard Super-8 Custom One-Eighty Limousine during the World War II Japanese occupation of the Philippines. However, there is one photograph in the museum of Pres. Laurel riding the Packard during one of his sorties to the Municipality of La Paz, in the Province of Tarlac.
Just like Pres. Laurel, the Cebúano, Sergio Osmeña Sr. (1878-1961) also used a 1942 Packard Super-8 Custom One-Eighty Limousine upon his return from exile in America.
However, when Pres. Osmeña was traveling in his hometown of Cebú, he would ride in a 1941 Cadillac Series 61, which is presently on exhibit in the Osmeña Museum.
The Capizeño World War II hero, Manuel Acuña Roxas (1892-1948) rode a 1947 Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75 Limousine on his second year as president.
The Ilocano Elpidio Rivera Quirino (1890-1956) was Roxas’ vice-president in his untimely death in 1948, and used Roxas’ Cadillac for official functions upon being sworn into office. At the last year of pres. Quirino’s term, he rode a 1953 Chrysler Crown Imperial Limousine.
The Zambalon, Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay (1907-1957) rode a 1955 Cadillac Series 75-23 after his first year in office. During his inauguration, Pres. Magsaysay rode a 1953 Ford Crestline Convertible.
As a soldier in the 31st Infantry Division Motor-pool, who served in World War II’s Battle of Bataan, Pres. Magsaysay was familiar in driving the 1943 Willys MB Jeep. As Pres. Quirino’s Secretary of National Defense, Magsaysay would often drive his decommissioned Jeep to sorties in the provinces, which was given to him by Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
The presidential car of Boholano, Carlos Polestico Garcia (1896-1971), was never recovered, and thus there is nothing to display in the Presidential Automobile Museum. However, during motorcades, Pres. Garcia preferred to ride a 1953 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible, which he used in the 1954 visit of Vice-President Richard Milhous Nixon (1913-1994) and the 1960 visit of President Dwight David Stover Eisenhower (1890-1969).
The Kapampangan, Diosdado Pangan Macapagal Sr. (1910-1997) was already riding his 1959 Cadillac Sedan Deville while he was still in third year as the vice-president to Garcia. Pres. Macapagal continued to use his Cadillac into his presidency, and even in his stint as the president of the 1971-1973 Constitutional Convention. Pres. Macapagal was also known to have driven a 1957 Ford, which could be the 500 Club Victoria, Country Sedan or Ranchero.
The Ilocano, Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. (1917-1989), rode many presidential vehicles during his almost 21 years in office. One of his last official cars is a 1980 Lincoln Continental Mark VI Signature Series, which shows his preference for Ford Lincoln Continental brand. In fact, Marcos employed a Lincoln Continental Mark III for Pres. Nixon’s state visit in 1969. Aside from the Lincoln Continental, Pres. Marcos rode a 1962 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible for his inauguration in 1965.
The Tarlaqueña, María Corazón “Cory” Sumulong Cojuangco Aquino (1933-2009), used a 1986 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL immediately upon her ascendance to power, with the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution that ousted Pres. Marcos.
The Pangasinen and former Armed Forces of the Chief of Staff, Fidel Valdez Ramos (born 1928), followed Pres. Aquino in the use German-made over American cars by choosing the 1986 Mercedes-Benz 500SEL Guard as his official state car.
The Malineño and former actor, Joseph Estrada (born 1937, José Marcelo Ejercito) used a 1993 Mercedes-Benz S600 during his term as president. However during his presidential and mayoral campaigns, Pres. Estrada would use a jeepney, to express his connection with the common folk. As mayor of Manila, Estrada would often ride an SUV, such as a Nissan Pathfinder.
The first of the second-generation presidents, Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (born 1947), like her father, was born in Pampanga. Pres. Arroyo used a 1993 Mercedes-Benz 5000 Limousine V140 during her nine years in position.
Aside from the presidents Laurel and Garcia, Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III (1960-2021) and Rodrigo Roa Duterte (born 1945) do not have any vehicles in the Presidential Automobile Museum. Both Aquino and Duterte shifted from the preference of the German-made Mercedes-Benz for the more utilitarian Japanese Toyota Landcruisers.
Aside from the presidential official state vehicles, there are two more cars in the Presidential Automobile Museum. The first is the1934 Cadillac V16 Cabriolet of the American General Douglas Hardy MacArthur (1880-1964), who rode this Cadillac upon his return to the Philippines in 1935, as the Field Marshall of the Philippine Armed Forces.
The second car is the Waray First Lady, Imelda Trinidad Romualdez Marcos (born 1929), who used a 1960 Rolls-Royce Phantom V. Mrs. Marcos preferred the British luxury car, over her husband’s choice of American cars.
Although most of the presidential automobiles have the license plates with the number “1” on them to indicate that it is the official state vehicle of the president, this was not to be official government license plate until 1958. Following a 1957 international agreement on the standardization of license plate size, Pres. Garcia signs Executive Order No. 287, or the “Regulating the Registration of, and Assignment of Number Plates to Motor Vehicles used by Officials of the Republic of the Philippines and Accredited Representatives of Foreign States”, on the 6th of February 1958.
The Presidential Automobile Museum is an experience for any visitor, from the casual viewer who can admire the beauty of these restored classic cars, to the history buff, and the hardcore car fanatic. Whatever the reason for visiting; these vehicles are a peek into the history of how our presidents have presented themselves to the world when arriving in these beautiful machines.
About the Artist of the Presidential Automobile Museum:
Juan Sajid de Leon Imao (born 1971) is the second to the youngest son of Abdulmari Asia Imao (1936-2014), the first Moslem National Artist of the Philippines. Sajid, would go on to take up sculpture at the University of the Philippines (U.P.) College of Fine Arts (CFA), just like his father. Early on in his career, Imao was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), which would slowly diminish his eyesight. Although this would mean the death of any artist, Sajid took this as a challenge to continue making sculptures. This led to many awards, such as the 2001 Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) award.
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