| Sarao Motors, Inc. | |
| Type: | Private |
| Industry: | Automotive |
| Foundation: | 1953 (as an automotive shop) 1962 (as a corporation) |
| Founder: | Leonardo S. Sarao |
| Hq Location City: | Pulang Lupa, Las Piñas, Metro Manila |
| Hq Location Country: | Philippines |
| Area Served: | Nationwide |
| Key People: | Rafael Sarao, Sr. Ernesto Sarao Eduardo Sarao |
| Products: | Jeepney |
| Production: | 12 to 15 units per day (peak)[1] |
| Homepage: | |
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 jeepneys.[2] [3]
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 . 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.[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]
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]