Museums and Galleries Month: Trip down memory lane at Presidential Car Museum in Quezon City
Inaugurated last 19 August 2018 by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the Presidential Car Museum shows not only the cars used by former Philippine presidents and dignitaries, but also the evolution of automobiles before today’s electric vehicles took over the roads.

Presidential Car Museum facade.
Photographs by deni bernardo for DAILY TRIBUNE
Since the biopic film Quezon, about the country’s second president Manuel L. Quezon, just opened in cinemas starting today, take a peek at the Presidential Car Museum, one of the landmarks in Quezon Memorial Circle, the tomb and memorial for Quezon in the city named after him, Quezon City.
Inaugurated last 19 August 2018 by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the Presidential Car Museum shows not only the cars used by former Philippine presidents and dignitaries, but also the evolution of automobiles before today’s electric vehicles have taken charge of the roads.
Check out these cool vintages and some trivia:
Quezon, Quirino, Magsaysay, MacArthur
In service from 1937 to 1941, Quezon’s 1937 Chrysler Airflow Custom Imperial CW was considered as the most aerodynamic of its time. Only around 30,000 units of this model was sold by Chrysler in only a limited time of four years all over the world. It is also the only Chrysler Airflow model ever sold in the Philippines.
Apart from Quezon, President Elpidio Quirino also used a Chrysler, a 1953 Crown Imperial, from 1948 to 1953. The “Crown” denotes that it is the highest quality among the Chrysler models.
Besides the Chrysler Airflow, Quezon also used a 1935 Cadillac V-16, which he used from 1935 to 1936, before turning it over to General Douglas MacArthur in 1937.

1935 Cadillac V-16 used by President Manuel Quezon as his presidential car and soon turned over to General Douglas MacArthur in 1937.
Photographs by deni bernardo for DAILY TRIBUNE
MacArthur, in turn, donated a 1943 Willy’s Jeep that Ramon Magsaysay used during his tenure as Secretary of National Defense. Willy’s Jeep was among the first 4x4 vehicles and was the predecessor of Wrangler Rubicon and Land Rover Defender.

1943 Willy’s Jeep donated by General Douglas MacArthur and used by President Ramon Magsaysay.
Photographs by deni bernardo for DAILY TRIBUNE





