Motorshow in the 80's

The concept of a motorshow started in 1981, when buying a car was far from just walking into the showroom. It meant putting a downpayment and then waiting for your unit to be produced. It was known as Transhow International, an event held at what was then known as Philcite, an exhibition building at the CCP Complex along Roxas Blvd. in Manila, and in Cebu, at the Nurses Home along Osmeña Boulevard.

And because there was hardly a line of new cars, the focus of the exhibition featured a variety of modified cars. Those were beautiful machines lovingly made to look new, to run like new, and to make heads turn. As a result, the Best in Show award, as well as the other citations

such as best in paint and best in modified stock were received as a big
honor. These days, you will see those awards in the offices of car service
shops, or in a hobbyist’s workplace.

PETCO's Motorshow

Marisa Nallana was the woman behind the one-and-only motorshow then known as Transhow. In 1989, she and a group of Philcite events organizers went on their own and established PETCO.

That year, Motorshow Manila and Cebu were born and took its stage at the Folk Arts Theater, for Manila and at the Sacred Heart Auditorium in Cebu. What followed took everyone by surprise, even its organizers. The show overflowed to the areas surrounding both venues attracted crowds of motoring enthusiasts from remote control car enthusiasts, karting racers, dirt bike riders, vintage cars collectors, even static car scale models. The FAT area in Manila looked like an automotive theme park!

Car Clubs and motorsports groups

Since then, PETCO's Motorshow established a venue for car and motorsports enthusiasts. Every show after that, the car clubs and motorsports groups scheduled events and races to coincide with the Motorshow and were held in the same venue for both Manila and Cebu.

In Manila, the various auto clubs came with their beautiful classic and exotic cars, parking them where the crowds could not miss the sight!

The RC (remote control) clubs put up courses in another area of the parking lot – again drawing its own kind of crowd.

The go-kart riders set up a track in another part of the lot. And occupying a large outdoor area were at least 200 used cars. A-1 condition being offered for sale by a group of used car dealers.

To facilitate the purchase, the Philippine National Police had a desk where the cars could be checked for its clean history. In those days, hot cars (carnapped vehicles) sometimes found their way in the used car for sale lots.

The 90s roll in

When the automotive assembly plants started to roll in the early nineties. Motorshow set aside a huge part of the exhibition hall for the locally assembled vehicles. Automotive manufacturers and dealers began to compete for visitors attention by bringing in special vehicles specifically for their Motorshow booths. The most attractive and remains in the memories of many was the Formula One car which was displayed by Shell, and then Marlboro. The Motorshow was also the venue of the very first PMA car excellence award (by then PMA President, Atty. Dodo Ayuyao)

Motorshow structures rise

Incidentally, the exhibitors were also learning from the motorshows in Tokyo, Frankfurt and Geneva. Booths started to rise into two-story structures, or were landscaped to create the outdoor environment for the great looking 4x4’s. Motorshow had taken an international flavor not only from the well designed exhibition structures but also with the participation of companies operating in the Asia Pacific region. Finally, in 1997, PETCO boldly declared its “international” tag. That year, they moved the exhibit to the World Trade Center in the Financial Area of the CCP Complex.

From the beginning of Transhow, the following organizations provided generous support: the Philippine Motor Association (PMA), NOW AAP, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), LTFRB, LTO and MMDA (in the 90’s).