Where have you Benz
On July 15, 2026, Mercedes-Benz Philippines officially launched “Welcome Home: Drive to History” at the Presidential Car Museum in Quezon Memorial Circle, celebrating the marque’s enduring place in Philippine presidential history.
More than a showcase of luxury automobiles, the initiative invites the public to explore how Mercedes-Benz became the preferred state limousine of modern Philippine presidents. While the museum chronicles nearly a century of presidential transportation, Mercedes-Benz occupies a prominent place in its collection.
Among the highlights is the Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL (W126), the official state car of President Corazon Aquino from 1986 to 1992. Gifted by the German government following the restoration of democracy, Aquino reportedly chose the 500 SEL over the more expensive 560 SEL. Internationally, the W126-generation S-Class was equally at home in popular culture, counting Michael Jackson and Beatles guitarist George Harrison among its notable owners.
Displayed alongside it is the Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL Guard, the armored limousine used by President Fidel V. Ramos. A factory-armored variant of the W126, it provided discreet ballistic protection while retaining the understated appearance of the standard sedan. The W126 platform was also favored by Formula One World Champions Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet, and Jody Scheckter.
The museum also features the Mercedes-Benz S600 (W140), used during the administration of President Joseph Estrada, and the long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz S600 that continued in service under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Powered by Mercedes-Benz’s flagship 6.0-liter V12, the W140 became one of the brand’s most technically ambitious sedans. Outside the Philippines, it was associated with figures including Princess Diana, while specially modified W140s also served Pope John Paul II during several papal visits.
The relationship between Mercedes-Benz and the Philippine presidency continues today. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. currently uses a Mercedes-Maybach S-Class as part of the presidential fleet, extending a lineage of Mercedes-Benz flagship sedans that has served the country’s highest office for nearly four decades.
The museum’s collection, however, stretches much further back. Visitors can trace the evolution of the Philippine presidency through vehicles including Emilio Aguinaldo’s 1924 Packard Single Six Touring, Manuel L. Quezon’s 1937 Chrysler Airflow, and the 1941 Packard 180 that uniquely served both José P. Laurel and Sergio Osmeña during and after the Second World War.
Post-war leadership is represented by Manuel Roxas’ Cadillac Fleetwood Series 75, Elpidio Quirino’s Chrysler Crown Imperial, Ramon Magsaysay’s Cadillac Fleetwood, Diosdado Macapagal’s Cadillac de Ville, and Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s Lincoln Continental Mark VI. Also on display are Imelda Marcos’ 1960 Rolls-Royce Phantom V, a 1943 Willys Jeep donated by General Douglas MacArthur and later used by Magsaysay as Secretary of National Defense, and a historic kalesa owned by the family of León Apacible, a member of the commission that drafted the Malolos Constitution.
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