Cars of The Philippines - History

History

The Philippines' automotive industry started during the American Colonial Period from 1898 to 1946, with ith the introduction of American-made cars, which have been sold in the Philippines every since. When then-President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law some vehicle manufacturers withdrew from the Philippins, some of which returned in the 1990s after the People Power Revolution ousted Marcos in 1986. During the 1973 oil crisis, Marcos advised Filipinos to buy smaller, more efficient vehicles with 4-cylinder engines. During the early 1990s, a number of car makes entered or re-entered the Philippines, but during the 1997 Asian financial crisis some makers withdrew and sales declined. Since the end of the crisis, automobile sales have increased since with new models.

The country's love affair with the automobile is started during the 1960s when many Filipinos bought their first automobiles, but interest dwindled during Martial Law. After the return of civil governance, interest in cars rose and during the 1990s, magazines like Automotion started, as did several television shows about automobiles. In 2002, C!, another automotive magazine, was introduced, since Automotion closed down. Around 2004, Top Gear Philippines entered the car magazine market. Automobile exhibits displaying mainstream to custom-built vehicles are common.