Mini 4WD model cars styled after the Philippines’ iconic jeepney buses are drawing strong interest from hobbyists, boosted by a recent reissue in Japan of brightly colored replicas.
Powered by two AA batteries, the small plastic racers are designed to run on specialized tracks and have long been popular across Asia.
Their jeepney-themed variants, produced by Japanese model manufacturer Tamiya, faithfully reproduce the vehicle’s protruding engine compartment and square front end, details that capture the essence of the real thing.
At The Brickyard, a Tamiya specialty store inside a shopping mall in Makati, Metro Manila’s central business district, two jeepney Mini 4WDs zipped around the in-store circuit.
Store owner Ferdie Khan, 59, a long-time Mini 4WD devotee, said the model has become a standout.
“I went several times to Japan to see the prototypes. The jeepney has a very old-fashioned body and we designed this feature very well,” he said with a smile. “It’s still one of our better selling ones.”
Mini 4WD racing first surged in the Philippines in the mid-1990s, according to Khan. The hobby later drew a third wave of fans in the late 2010s, many of them adults who had raced the cars as children.
“Maybe about 2017 it started to become popular (again). And so far, it’s still pretty popular. Now so many girls are big fans. This is a big difference.”
Tamiya introduced the jeepney version in 2019 to mark Manila’s hosting of a regional Mini 4WD tournament featuring competitors from across Asia. Khan brought photos of real jeepneys to Tamiya meetings, contributing to the model’s accurate reproduction.
Since then, it has become a fixture at local events. Priced at about 800 pesos (around 2,100 yen), the kits are available in red and silver.
Khan and other organizers hold regular tournaments that include race categories limited to the jeepney design. For many enthusiasts, the model carries an appeal that goes beyond its performance on the track.
The jeepney itself traces its roots to U.S. military jeeps left behind after World War II.
Filipino mechanics and fabricators transformed the vehicles into shared public transport by extending the chassis and adding long bench seats.
Over the decades, jeepneys became known for their affordability and the flamboyant, personalized designs that turned them into mobile cultural landmarks. Each vehicle has a fixed route but no timetable.
Today, jeepneys remain woven into daily life across the Philippines, but their future is uncertain.
Concerns about pollution from aging engines have prompted the government to press for a shift to modern, lower-emission vehicles.
While the transition aims to reduce environmental impact, the potential disappearance of traditional jeepneys has sparked debate among commuters, drivers and cultural advocates.
Khan said he supports efforts to address pollution but hopes the historic vehicles survive in some form.
“I think there is a challenge…it is part of the Philippines, part of the culture,” said Khan. “If you’re going in the main street and you don’t see a jeepney, that’s like going to San Francisco and there’s no cable car. Or maybe going to Japan and there’s no shinkansen, right?”
“Anyway, I think the jeepney should stay. Maybe make it a little cleaner, (like) an e-jeepney.”
For now, the miniature versions continue to race around tracks in malls and hobby shops—small plastic reminders of a Philippine icon whose real-world future remains in flux.
