Sarao Motors

Sarao Motors, Inc. is a Filipino automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Las Piñas, Metro Manila, the Philippines. The company specializes in designing, engineering, manufacturing, and distributing the jeepney.[2][3]

History

Sarao Motors was established in 1953 by Leonardo Sarao, a former kalesa driver turned mechanic, as a small automotive shop with an initial budget of ₱700 1953. The company grew into a multimillion corporation that produced the majority of jeepneys in the Philippines. At its peak, the ratio of Sarao jeepneys rolling the streets of Manila outnumbered other brands by almost 7 to 1, making the Sarao name synonymous with the vehicle.[2] Sarao promoted the jeepney as a symbol of Philippine culture, and its vehicles have represented the country in several events. In 1964, a Sarao jeepney was exhibited at the Philippine pavilion at the New York World's Fair as a national image for Filipinos.[2][4] In 1971, a Sarao jeepney traveled from Manila to London and all over Europe as part of the London-Manila Express, a roadshow sponsored by the Philippine Tourism and Travel Association to boost the country's tourism and industry to European countries.[5][6][7]

In 2000, rising costs forced Sarao Motors to halt jeepney production,[8] resulting in a downsizing of its workforce from 300 to only 50 employees. The collection department was the only part of the company that remained operational.[9] The company eventually resumed operations on a smaller scale.[10][11]

Products

Aside from the jeepney, Sarao Motors also manufactures custom-built owner-type jeepneys and other types of vehicles for schools, businesses, and other institutions.

In 1981, Pope John Paul II rode a specially built owner-type jeepney by Sarao during his first visit to the country.[12]

External links

• A Sarao jeepney manufactured in 1955