About this episode
Soon after the American takeover of the Philippines, Manila witnesses the coming of its first-ever car—a three-and-a-half horsepower, single-cylinder, wire-wheel Richard-Brasier. From then on, it’s full speed ahead for the wide-scale adoption of the automobile in the capital city and beyond. Packards and Studebakers roar through newly constructed Manila streets, while Stanleys chug up the Benguet highlands to reach Baguio. But what does the coming of the automobile mean for the former kings of the colonial roads—the coachman, the carriage, and the horse?Follow us on IG: @thecolonialdeptFollow us on TikTok: @thecolonialdeptEmail us: thecolonialdept@gmail.comAdditional audio from the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Back to the Future Part 2 © 1990 Universal Pictures.References:Spector, Robert M. (1966). “W. Cameron Forbes in the Philippines: A Study in Proconsular Power.” Journal of Southeast Asian History, 7(2), pp. 74-92Carlova, John (February 1959). “The Stanleys and their Steamer.” American Heritage. https://www.americanheritage.com/stanleys-and-their-steamer“Ex-St. Louisan Listed as Held by Japanese” (31 March 1942). St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The United States v. Otis G. Freeman. G.R. No. L-3779 (13 November 1907). Cole-Jett, Robin (15 September 2023). “The Good Roads Movement.” Red River Historian. https://www.redriverhistorian.com/post/the-good-roads-movementThe American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands (July 1926). “Yesterday and Today in Manila’s Motor World.” The American Chamber of Commerce Journal.Clymer, Floyd (1971). Treasury of Early American Automobiles, 1877-1925. Bonanza Books.LaFontaine Automotive Classic Cars (3 May 2024). “The History of the Packard Car Company.”Zaldarriaga, Joe (18 April 2024). “On track for positive change.” The Philippine Star. Brigham, Albert Perry (1904). “Good Roads in the United States.” Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, 36(12), pp. 721-735.Gamble, Adrian (2017). “Manila's Long-Lost 'Tranvias' Once the Envy of Asia.” Skyrise Cities. https://skyrisecities.com/news/2017/03/manilas-long-lost-tranvias-once-envy-asiaPante, Michael D. (2022). “The Calesa Vote: Street Politics and Local Governance in 1930s to 1940s Manila.” Sojourn: Jou
