A Brand New Museum for Philippine State Cars
The Museo ng Pampangulong Sasakyan or the Presidential Car Museum is the 24th history museum that the National Historical Commission of the Β Philippines (NHCP) has opened for the public to see more than a week ago. Opening its doors last August 19, 2018, it features 12 cars where former Philippine presidents were shuttled, and another 4 vehicles of historic value. It is the first official state car museum in the country, and perhaps in Southeast Asia. Its counterpart may as well be the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, where some of the U.S. presidential cars are displayed.
The exhibited presidential car collection in the museum is expected to grow as presidential terms end and state cars are handed over to the Commission for permanent exhibition. Each vehicle does not only show the manufacturing history of each automobile and transportation in general, it also shows the preferences and characteristics of the presidents and other historical figures who used them.
Take for example the Imelda Marcos Car, the 1960 Rolls-Royce Phantom V, which shows the pomp, pageantry and excesses of the Marcos dictatorship, considering that there are only 516 cars like this to date and is the most expensive in the entire car exhibition. While this is not a presidential car but the First Ladyβs, it was also purchased in her official capacity making it an official state car. At the backseat, it has a special cabinet for wine storage and champagne glasses. The same car model was used by Queen Elizabeth II, King Olav V of Norway, John Lennon, and the last Shah of Iran Mohammad Pahlavi. It shows how luxury and opulence was part of the Marcosesβ projection of political power.
*Imelda Marcosβ 1960 Rolls-Royce Phantom V
Meanwhile, the Manuel Quezon Car, the 1937 Chrysler Airflow Custom Imperial CW has only 30,000 units in the world, and only one was in the country during the time. Delivered from New York, this was Quezonβs second presidential car, when he gave his older one, the 1934 Cadillac V16 Transformable Town Car Cabriolet, to Douglas MacArthur when Quezon gave him the title Field Marshal of the Philippine Army, the highest military rank that did not exist in the U.S. military. MacArthurβs car is also part of the museum exhibition.
*Manuel Quezonβs 1937 Chrysler Airflow Custom Imperial CW
The highlight, however, is the 1924 Packard Single-6 Touring, which was used by Emilio Aguinaldo as a private citizen during the American Colonial Period. The car plate, issued in 1936, bears the figures 1-1896 to signify the β1β reserved as plate number of presidents, and 1896, the year the Philippine Revolution began. It is by far the oldest in the collection. It is the feature car to commemorate Aguinaldoβs 150th birth anniversary next year.
*Emilio Aguinaldoβs 1924 Packard Single-6 Touring, 3 days before the museum opening.
My favorite is the Magsaysay Car, the 1955 Cadillac Series 75-23. Used to be displayed at the Museo ni Ramon Magsaysay in Castillejos, Zambales, the car has been restored and displayed in the museum. The rocket ship design on its grills, and chrome accents speaks so much of the spirit of the time, the space travel fad and the space race that happened between the United States and the Soviet Union. It was the time of Star Trek and the height of sci-fi goodness.Β
President Chiang Kai-shek of Taiwan also had the exact same model, which could still be seen in the Chiang Kai-shek Museum in Taipei. Magsaysayβs was the best example of its model line.Β
*Ramon Magsaysayβs 1955 Cadillac Series 75-23.
Building a museum is very exhausting but also very fulfilling. The project was decades in the making, and had passed through several NHCP Chairs before Chairperson Ma. Serena Diokno began its full implementation, with the museum construction beginnning in 2016.Β
It is the primary reason why I havenβt blogged here lately, as I was privileged to head the museumβs curatorial development, while curator-in-charge, Ryan Tan, handled the opening preparations.
Special thanks to vintage car restorer extraordinaire, Alfred Perez of Alfred Motorworks in Kamuning, and car manufacturing historian, IΓ±igo Roces of AutoIndustriya for contributing immensely to this museum.Β
*Alfred Perez (left), IΓ±igo Roces (middle), me (right), at the Opening of the Presidential Car Museum, 19 August 2018.
Our curatorial contractor, CityNeon Philippines also takes full credit to its success. And of course, the tireless bees of our division, the Historic Sites and Education Division (HSED) under its chief, Gina Batuhan, and my colleague researchers, Roscelle Cruz, Eufemio Agbayani III and Gerwill Cruz, with the Heritage Preservation Division architects who took care of structural concerns--namely, Architects Louis Valerio and AJ Chavez.
*NHCP HSED Researchers: Roscelle Cruz (left), me (middle), Eufemio Agbayani III (right), the night before the museum opening day!Β
After 2 years of planning. It's finally here!
It's located at the Quezon Memorial Circle, right beside QCX Museum, fronting the National Housing Authority. The museum is open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, from Tuesday to Sunday.
We invite you to visit us!
