Sarao Motors Jeepney 

Sarao Motors Jeepney 

The jeepney is one of the most iconic modes of public transportation in the Philippines, known for its bizarre yet uniquely vibrant decorations and illustration that animate Filipino streets.

Sarao was one of the first to initiate the idea of the jeepney in the Philippines.

According to the recently made interview, he was a hardworking man from a young age leaving school around the 6th grade, to help provide for his family. He took on various low-income wobs until the outbreak of war, during which he worked as a laborer for the Americans. During an attack, he was injured and abandoned by his labourer colleagues, but later found and rescued by the American forces, who transported him to the nearest hospital using a Willys Jeep, the same vehicle that Filipinos would eventually transform into the jeepneys we know today.

Leonardo Sarao, became the founder of Sarao Motors, among the first to convert these vehicles into practical passenger carriers for the local population. Officially founded in 1953, Sarao Motors is a jeepney manufacturing company based in Las Piñas, Metro Manila, specialized in jeepney design, engineering, production and distribution. The word “jeepney,” mixes “jeep” and “knee,” referencing the close seating arrangement inside, where passengers sit knee-to-knee.

The jeepney is widely known for being a peculiar moving canvas, a vehicle where filipino cultural, religious, and personal identities are visually expressed. Each jeepney is unique, custom-built by Sarao Motors according to the client’s needs and intended use (public, private, or commercial), and hand-painted to reflect the owner’s vision. Decorations can include various imagery, from religious references, landscapes and even family portraits.

Many of the jeepney’s visual features, particularly its vibrant colors and stylized lettering, draw inspiration from the traditional decoration of the kalesa, the horse-drawn carriage that preceded the jeepney.

Its hand-painted details and expressive calligraphy helped shape the visual language that jeepneys still carry today.

Among the artists contributing to this visual language of the jeepeneys, Nardo de la Cruz [1] made most of the art works for Sarao Motors, affectionately called by them “Nardo de Vinci”. Most of the times, the contributors that collaborate on making the visual detail such as calligraphy work on the jeepney are local third parties called by them.

When it comes to Sarao Motors’ visual identity, they never established a formal system in the way corporate branding is typically structured in western contexts. Instead, the company identified itself through its signature metal nameplates, which were produced in the 1950s and 1960s by local craftsmen or neighborhood metalworkers who were not officially connected to the company. These plates typically featured the name “Sarao” embossed in slab serif type on a silver-toned metal surface. One of the most used nameplates was placed in the front of the jeepney [3], now not as often used because was made in limited quantities, it was framed within a wide pentagon shape and mounted on the front of the vehicle. The letterforms were custom-adjusted to fit the frame, creating a composition that was both dynamic and functional. The design that remains in use today is attached to the fender [2], it features the same embossed slab serif “Sarao,” followed by the phrase “CUSTOM BUILT” written below. All design decisions were based on what was locally available and feasible to manufacture, depending on the tools, materials, and typefaces each craftsman had access to.

There are also other cases, where enthusiasts, like in this case Sarao Originals [4], design with their interpretations, logos for Sarao Motors, these visual implications are very common in the car communities, where different groups share their interest through customizing their own vehicles.

In the early days, vanity nameplates where also used as a way to get recognized, where these were also produced by a external supplier also by using a template available, and later printed in a limited quantities.

Based on the interview, it appears that Sarao Motors never felt the need for a formal visual identity. Their recognition relied heavily on community familiarity and presence, this informal and resourceful approach reflects a Filipino practice of creating what is needed through local networks, emphasizing the importance of word of mouth and the importance of the “Do It Yourself” practice, over structured branding.

In recent years, government modernization efforts have placed increasing pressure on the traditional jeepney. Manufacturing costs have risen sharply, reaching up to 2.5–4 million PHP for electric models and making them unaffordable for many small operators and less accessible to everyday commuters. At the same time, new regulations have imposed design standards that strip away the jeepney’s original character, making them resemble generic minibuses and threatening a unique visual and cultural identity.

As a result, production has shifted toward custom, private orders, serving clients both in the Philippines and abroad.

Despite these changes, Sarao Motors remains active. Its factory is still open to visitors, schools, and enthusiasts, continuing to share its legacy and celebrate the cultural significance of the Filipino jeepney.

Interview with Leonard John Sarao, Interviewed by the author, Online, June 7th 2025 at 11:26 Rome Time