An advocacy by Sunshine Television (STV) spearheaded by Chairman / CEO Ray "Butch" Gamboa, the AFPC Awards is on its eighth year of giving the motoring public a voice as to the most liked vehicles on the road. Service to both the automobile industry and the motoring public has always been the advocacy of STV or Sunshine Television. 'Motoring Today', STV's maiden television venture and now in its'
25th year, is acknowledged as the country's leading and longest-running industry-focused TV program. In 1998 a second show, "Auto Focus", was launched to further provide motoring aficionados as well as manufacturers and distributors a more product-oriented media forum. A fitting complement to these was the weekly column in the motoring section of the Philippine Star bylined by STV's own Chairman and CEO, Ray "Butch" Gamboa. While it appeared that STV was on the right "mission" track, Gamboa strongly believed there was still more to serve on the table. As Gamboa put it: "Our TV programs were certainly imparting relevant information on prevailing industry developments and issues. But it seemed this indirect manner of engagement between automobile manufacturers/distributors and the motoring public didn't come full circle. We felt that the car owner/buyer could perhaps be empowered to express general preferences and likes more openly, in a way that manufacturers and distributors would be happy to support...and more importantly, hear, listen to and learn from!"
From this thought developed the idea of an "Automobile of the Year" selected by no other than the "guy behind the wheel". Such "first-person" expression would be of more value to an industry that was becoming increasingly competitive and whose customers were looking for more cost-efficiency and overall utility.
