The Presidential State Car is the official state car used by the President of the United States. A variety of vehicles have both officially and unofficially been acknowledged as the presidential vehicle. Since the late 1930s, the U.S. government has specially commissioned vehicles for presidential use, often specifying advanced communications equipment, special convenience features, armor plating, and defense countermeasures. American cars are traditionally chosen for the role. The most recent vehicle to be customized as the presidential car is a GMC Topkick-based, Cadillac-badged limousine often referred to as "Cadillac One" (a reference to the U.S. presidential aircraft, Air Force One) or as "The Beast."
Current model
The current presidential limousine entered service on January 20, 2009. According to the manufacturer, General Motors, the "2009 Cadillac Presidential Limousine" is the first not to carry a specific model name. The vehicle's outward appearance carries many current Cadillac styling themes, but doesn't exactly resemble any particular production vehicle. The body itself seems to be a modification of the immediately previous DTS-badged Presidential limousines, but the vehicle's chassis and driveline are assumed to be sourced from the GMC Topkick commercial truck. Many body components are sourced from a variety of Cadillac vehicles; for example, the car apparently uses Cadillac Escalade headlights, side mirrors and door handles. The tail of the car seems to use the taillights and back up lights from the Cadillac STS sedan. Although a price tag has not been announced, according to London-based newspaper The Guardian, each limousine costs US$300,000.[citation needed] During his presidency, Barack Obama has also used the limousine of former President George W. Bush consistently, during visits nationwide and internationally.
General specifications
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Most details of the car are classified for security reasons; however, it is known[by whom?] that it is fitted with military grade armor at least five inches thick, and the wheels are fitted with run flat tires that makes the vehicle drivable for a certain period of time.[citation needed] The engine is equipped with a Eaton Twin Vortices Series 1900 supercharger system.[citation needed] The vehicle's fuel tank is leak-proof and is invulnerable to explosions.[citation needed] Due to the thickness of the glass, much natural light is excluded, so a fluorescent halo lighting system in the headliner is essential.Unseen at a glance are two holes hidden inside the lower part of the vehicle's front bumper, which are able to emit tear gas.[citation needed] The vehicle can also fire a salvo of multi-spectrum infrared smoke grenades as a countermeasure to an RPG or ATGM attack and to act as a visual obscurant to operator guided missiles.[citation needed] This is fired remotely by the USSS countermeasures Suburban which trails the limo and contains the sensors to detect the launch of such an attack.[citation needed] The limo is equipped with a driver's enhanced video system which allows the driver to operate in a infrared smoke environment.[citation needed] Kept in the trunk is a blood bank of the President's blood type.[citation needed]
The car can seat seven people, including the president. The front seats two, and includes a console-mounted communications center. A Remington shotgun is kept beneath the driver's seat, stashed between his seat and door.[citation needed] A glass partition divides the front from back. Three rear facing seats are in the back, with cushions that are able to fold over the partition. The two rear seats are reserved for the president and another passenger; these seats have the ability to recline individually. A folding desk is between the two rear seats. Storage compartments in the interior panels of the car contain communications equipment which is called the Limousine Control Package and is operated by the White House Communication Agency. This is the voice and data device that links the vehicle to the WHCA Roadrunner at the rear of the motorcade allowing C2 functions to be performed from the limo. The Secret Service refers to the heavily-armored vehicle as "the beast"
On domestic trips, Cadillac One displays the American and Presidential Standard flags, which are illuminated by directional flood lights mounted on the hood. When the President performs a state visit to a foreign country, the Presidential Standard is replaced by the foreign country's flag.[8] The limousine is airlifted for domestic and international use primarily by a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III.[10]
The United States government also operates similarly designed limousines for VIP guests, visiting heads of government, and heads of state.
Presidential motorcade
See also: Motorcade
Since 2001, when the president travels out of town, his motorcade has consisted of about 45 vehicles. While the limousine itself is maintained by the Secret Service, motorcade support vehicles are maintained by the White House Military Office. At times, the president travels in the presidential Suburban, one of two Chevrolet Suburbans with the presidential seal on the sides.
Previous presidential limousines
Early vehicles (1910s–1950)
President William McKinley was the first president to ride in an automobile, but it was not until the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt that the first government-owned automobile was used, a white Stanley Steamer.Roosevelt's successor, William Howard Taft purchased a White Motor Company Model M Steamer as his official car, and converted the White House stable into an automobile garage. Taft also ordered a pair of Pierce-Arrows to be used for official state occasions. President Woodrow Wilson also favored cars over horse-drawn carriages, and was one of the first chief executives to ride in a Cadillac during a World War I victory parade through the streets of Boston. In 1921, President Warren Harding was the first to ride to his inauguration in a car, a Packard Twin-Six, and a lavish 1928 Cadillac town car was used by his successor, President Calvin Coolidge.
In 1938, two Cadillac convertibles dubbed the "Queen Mary" and "Queen Elizabeth" were delivered to the U.S. government. Named after the great ocean liners of the time, the 21.5 ft (6.55 m), 7,660 pound (3,470 kg) vehicles were equipped with a full ammunition arsenal, two way radios, and heavy duty generators. Durable and reliable, the two "Queens" served Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The first car specially built for presidential use was the 1939 Lincoln V12 convertible called the "Sunshine Special", used by Franklin D. Roosevelt. The limousine was originally equipped with a siren, running lights, a 2-way radio, extra-wide running boards, and grab handles for Secret Service agents. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Secret Service became more concerned about potential assassination attempts against President Roosevelt. The following day, 8 December 1941, a heavily armored 1928 Cadillac 341A Town Sedan, originally belonging to gangster Al Capone, was pressed into use to transport the president to the Capitol to deliver his "Infamy" speech. The car had been confiscated by the Treasury Department following Capone's arrest and stored in an impound lot until its ironic final duty. Roosevelt used the Capone car until his "Sunshine Special" was modified to be bulletproof, with armor plating for the doors, bullet-proof tires, inch-thick windows and storage compartments for sub-machine guns. The Ford Motor Company leased the car to the office of the president for $500 a year. It remained in use until 1948, and is now on permanent display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.
The Secret Service would later use custom-bodied 1956, 1976, and 1983 Series 75 Cadillac convertibles as follow-up command cars into the 1990s.
Age of automobiles (1950–1969)
Two custom built 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan limousines were delivered to the White House in 1950 for use by President Truman. At the suggestion of President Eisenhower one was fitted with a glass roof and was dubbed the "Bubble Top". It was later used by John F. Kennedy[11] and once by Lyndon B. Johnson. It was retired in 1965 and is now on permanent display at the Henry Ford Museum. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was known for being fond of automobiles, rode in one of the first Cadillac Eldorados during the 1953 Inauguration Day parade.
President John F. Kennedy's limousine, in which he was assassinated, was a 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible, which also came with a Plexiglas bubble top in the event of inclement weather. The vehicle was custom built by Hess and Eisenhart of Cincinnati, and was known as the SS-100-X. The car was retrofitted with armor plating, a permanent sedan roof, a new interior, an improved air-conditioning system, electronic communications equipment, bulletproof glass, a new paint treatment and cosmetic alterations to remove damage incurred during the assassination, among other changes. The car is on display at the Henry Ford Museum.
The Johnson administration used three 1965 Lincoln Continental Executive limousines; two were for presidential use and one for Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. A 1968 stretch Lincoln was used in Washington, D.C. and Austin, Texas, Johnson's hometown. This vehicle is on display at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. The X-100 was modified again in 1967. Later, under President Richard Nixon, the large one-piece glass roof was replaced with a smaller glass area and a hinged roof panel. It remained in service until 1977 and resides in its final configuration at the Henry Ford Museum.
A symbol of the presidency (1969–present)
The White House ordered a Lincoln Continental limousine through Lehman-Peterson of Chicago, which was delivered in 1969 model year trim. This vehicle also had an added sunroof so that Nixon could stand upright when appearing before parade-goers if desired. It was equipped with several features, such as retractable hand grips and running boards, that were later copied by Hess and Eisenhart. This car is now located at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California. President Nixon also ordered a 1972 Continental model that was stretched to 22 ft (7 m), outfitted with armor plating, bullet resistant glass and powered by a 460 cubic inch (7.5 liter) V8 engine mated to a C-6 3-speed automatic transmission. This model was also altered a number of times during its history, including replacement of the front fenders and grille, in addition to modification of the rear taillight and reflector assembly to match the updated 1977-1979 models. It was used by Presidents Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan; it was the limousine that Reagan was about to enter at the time of his assassination attempt in 1981.[citation needed] The car is on display at the Henry Ford Museum.
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