“We intend to include the car in the display of the planned Presidential Car Museum at the Quezon City Memorial Circle,” the NHCP said.
Quezon had used a 1937 Chrysler Airflow as official car.
The province of Aurora had borrowed the car for its local museum, as the province was once part of Quezon province named after the Commonwealth president. Aurora was named after the former president’s wife, Dona Aurora Aragon Quezon.
Apart from Quezon’s car, the planned museum will have in its collection cars used by former presidents of the Philippines.
“Quezon’s car would undergo conservation treatment prior to its inclusion in the display,” the NHCP said.
NHCP temporarily houses the most complete collection of presidential limousines in a private warehouse in Pampanga before the vehicles are transferred to their new home at the Quezon City Circle, where a brand new Presidential Car Museum will rise.
The cars in the warehouse currently have the presidential cars used by Presidents Emilio Aguinaldo, Jose P. Laurel, Elpidio Quirino, Ramon Magsaysay, Ferdinand Marcos, Corazon Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Estrada, and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The cars of Quezon and Manuel Roxas will be joining the pack, soon after they are restored.
However, the collection is missing the cars of Presidents Carlos P. Garcia, Sergio Osmeña, and Diosdado Macapagal.
Motoring journalist Iñigo Roces helps the NHCP in this project. Aguinaldo had used a Packard limousine (1924 model) acquired after his presidency because Aguinaldo used a horse carriage in 1898.
The vehicles also include Magsaysay’s Jeep he had used when he was defense secretary and a Cadillac he used as president. The Jeep was once owned by Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
The planned museum will also have the customized Lincoln Town Car or Continental of former Pres. Marcos, as well as a Mercedes Benz.
It will also feature a rare Rolls Royce Phantom 5 used by former First Lady Imelda Marcos.
Though he is known to be closely linked to the Americans, it was Marcos who introduced European brands like Mercedes-Benz to Malacañang.
The less showy Mercedes-Benz S-Class cars used by former presidents Cory Aquino and Ramos will also be on display.
The armored S-Guard series of Estrada is up for display, along with a stretch limousine S600 Pullman of Arroyo.
