What a trip! 30 years of Inquirer Motoring

HAPPY 30, Inquirer! Though our own Motoring section was born a year after, in 1986 (making us just a year younger), we share in the celebrations of undoubtedly the Philippines’ most widely read and influential broadsheet.

So, as our own contribution to this momentous occasion, we offer our own 30 motoring milestones.

1. The first motoring-related image published in the Inquirer was on Page 4 of the Nov. 18-24, 1985, issue.

Here, Princess Diana ponders a Rolls-Royce sedan balancing on Wedgewood teacups on display at the JC Penney department store in Springfield on Nov. 11 that year.

The AP photo indicated that the royal couple walked through the closed store in the Washington suburb.

2. Inquirer’s first mention of a bulletproof presidential limousine was on Page 4, Opinion page, under Luis D. Beltran’s column.

It read: “While President

Marcos is under attack in the US Congress and in the American media, our ambassador to the United States Benjamin “Kokoy” Romualdez has found a new occupation. In Cebu as well as in Malolos this week, Mr. Romualdez was seen driving the bulletproof presidential limousine containing the President and the First Lady.”

3. Inquirer’s first article on how to avoid being “carnapped” was published Jan. 5, 1986, on Page 5. Tip No. 9 looks most interesting: “Avoid hitchhikers, especially beautiful women.”

4. The first motoring-related advertisement—Sime Darby—

came out on Feb. 5, 1986, Page 3.

The tire ad stood out because all others were election-related, as the historic “snap election” was just two days away.

5. The suggestion of having a dedicated Motoring section appears to have been triggered by a banner story that came out on Feb. 20, 1986.

It was in the Money & Business section, but the story “Good money in used cars” is motoring related.

6. Indicative of the “crossover” nature of Inquirer’s motoring writers, Al Mendoza’s second article was not about cars, but about the “People Power Revolution,” published in the News section on Feb. 25, 1986, with the accompanying photo of then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile waving to the crowd.

7. The first Inquirer motoring page with the Motoring masthead was on March 21, 1986. Interestingly, its ads were nonmotoring: about Robinsons Alabang and Bialcol for babies.

8. On April 3, 1986, Aida Sevilla-Mendoza began her column “On The Road” with her first topic (“RP cars prove mettle”) describing the punishing Marlboro Mabuhay International Rally.

9. The first issues of

Inquirer Motoring saw the “battle of the tires” in its advertisements.

Though Sime Darby ads frequently came out, the Goodyear brand soon gained ground on March 27, 1986, via two photos depicting Goodyear’s Corsa GT.

10. Free roadside assistance during the long Holy Week break goes a long way back. On March 27, 1986, the Motoring section first published the “Free Mekaniko” program of Canlubang Automotive Resources and Union Carbide’s Prestone brake fluid, in time for that year’s Lent.

11. The first mention of the popular Toyota Celica was on March 27, 1986.

The Detroit-datelined UPI wire story described the car: “For its 16th birthday, Toyota must have enrolled its Celica GT-S in a fitness club. Its body is more attractive but it still needs more muscle. This year, the

Celica celebrates its ‘Sweet 16’ with a new aerodynamic shape, a switch to front-wheel-drive, and a more powerful GT-S version sporting a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine pumping 16-valves.”

12. Inquirer Motoring officially named its first editor (and now Inquirer.net publisher) Abelardo Ulanday.

His name appeared in the section on April 17, 1986, and he held this post for about a year and a half.

A one-man team, Ulanday recounts that he attended car shows and press conferences alone. And he didn’t own a car then.

13. The Motoring Trivia was introduced in the section on March 30, 1988. Interesting facts about Porsche, Honda, Mazda, Lamborghini, and Chevrolet were revealed.

14. Inquirer Motoring saw its earliest ads from car manufacturers in the Inquirer’s fourth anniversary supplement on Dec. 9, 1989.

Here, the Mitsubishi Lancer and Eagle Automotive Group’s AUV ads came out.

15. Nissan and Universal Motors Corp.’s full-page advertisements followed suit in the Jan. 23, 1990, issue.

16. PNCC and The Big Three. The first tollway advertisement by the PNCC—with a road map from Mabalacat to Calamba, and a logo of Caltex, Petron and Pilipinas Shell—was published on Jan. 23, 1990.

The ad promoted the “Tollways Oasis,” a “super service station with 24-hour automotive maintenance repair towing services, a restaurant, clean restrooms, communication facilities, first aid assistance, a souvenir shop, a customer lounge.”

17. A two-page Motoring supplement came out on

Jan. 24, 1990, with the masthead indicating that the Motoring section editor was Cesar D. Mangawang.

18. The first motor oil ad that came out in the Motoring section was of the STP 500

Series 20W-50 Turbo Super Multigrade Motor Oil, on

Jan. 24, 1990.

19. Twenty-four years ago, taxi drivers were already notorious. A letter from a Quezon City resident lamenting about “contracting” taxi drivers occupied an entire column of the

Inquirer Opinion section on Jan. 3, 1991.

20. Inquirer Motoring had its first taste of “spot color” on July 30, 1998. The photos were colored, but the ads remained in black and white.

21. After Ulanday, several successors took the wheels of the section. First was former Business editor Samuel Senoren, then Leo Deocadiz.

Cesar Mangawang would eventually be its editor for the next two decades.

Leo Magno, a pioneer in information technology journalism, was then asked to go on board as Inquirer Motoring’s first—and only—assistant editor from 1994 to 2001.

22. Vernon B. Sarne, Top Gear Philippines’ editor in chief, was Inquirer Motoring’s first contributing writer.

23. First, and only in Inquirer Motoring: Two Mendozas (unrelated) as columnists.

From Jan. 26, 1995 to Aug. 23, 2006, noted sports journalist Al Mendoza’s column “Full Tank” appeared side by side with Aida Mendoza’s “On The Road.”

Al also maintained the sports column “Spectator,” and at one time was the Inquirer Sports editor.

24. The section’s first reporter was Tessa R. Salazar. Coming straight from Junior

Inquirer in 2000, Salazar also wrote about health, property, science and information technology as part of her duties as a special sections reporter.

25. Inquirer Motoring had its first taste of victory in a motorsport competition for media.

During the 2001 media challenge hosted by Honda, Inquirer Motoring’s Supersonic came out on top. Its members were: Salazar, Raymond Tribdino (contributing columnist), Andre Palma (columnist), and Eric Soriano (who was then with drive.com.ph).

26. Motioncars joined forces with Inquirer.net in 2013. The website now features news, test drives and articles from the Inquirer Motoring team.

27. Salazar achieved the first grand slam in the Henry Ford Journalism Awards’ history in 2003 when her stories were adjudged the best in the Auto Innovation, Auto Industry and Auto Event categories.

The first Henry Ford journalism award for Inquirer Motoring was also given in 2001 to Salazar for her Auto Innovation story.

In 2007, the HFA added a new category, the motorsports feature, and its first winner was Salazar for her feature on the country’s first lady drifter Michelle Yu.

In 2008, a two-part test-drive series on budget-priced compact cars of the author won the best auto test-drive story in that year’s edition of the HFA.

28. Jong Arcano, editor of the monthly magazine Inquirer Golf, crossed over and became Inquirer Motoring editor on Oct. 21, 2009. Arcano holds these two positions, and is now also the assistant vice president of the Inquirer’s general advertising display section.

29. Awards galore. In August 2010, Inquirer Motoring won the Best Motor Show Coverage, Best Online Motor Show coverage and Best Motor Show Environmental Story at the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. Motor Show Media Awards.

On Dec. 3, 2013, Inquirer Motoring, captained by Arcano, bagged its first Best Motoring Section of the Year title at the 13th Henry Ford Awards.

On Sept. 7, 2012, Inquirer Motoring bagged the top prize and three other awards at the 4th Campi Motor Show media awards: “The Best Coverage on the Motor Show” for the Print Category, the “Best Story on the Motor Show” awarded to Salazar, the “Best Opinion Column on the Motor Show” for Botchi Santos, and “Best Environmental Story on the Motor Show” for reporter Charles Buban.

30. Inquirer Motoring successfully held the first-ever media-organized golf tourney for the automotive industry, the First Philippine Automotive Golf Cup, on Nov. 16, 2010.

INQUIRER motoring during a PDI golf tournament for auto manufacturers