It is impossible to miss when you see it. It’s modern, elegant, stylish and aggressive at the same time. The car transporting US Presidents at home and abroad is not just an ordinary one. Some have compared it to a tank. It can provide a cover and shelter if needed. It is the safest car in the world.

It is not surprising that automobiles have been popular with American presidents. After all, America is a country that championed the concept of an affordable vehicle that many could own. It was Henry Ford’s vision that came in to a reality in a relatively short period of time thanks to unparalleled ingenuity and economic innovation of US entrepreneurs.

The very first President who drove an automobile was William McKinley, but it was not a state car, it was his personal vehicle. Theodore Roosevelt was the first American president to ride in a state owned car, which was a white Stanley Steamer, similar to the red one shown here. There were several other makes and models that the Whitehouse used over the years, but the long legacy of service belongs to Cadillac and Lincoln, icons of the world’s automobile heritage.

 

It was not until Woodrow Wilson’s administration, that Cadillac was first introduced to the presidential fleet. He used one to ride in a 1921 parade commemorating WW I. Ever since, Cadillac has been one of the favorites of the US Presidential fleet. In 1938, two Cadillac convertibles were delivered to the White House equipped with ammunition, two way radios and generators. This marked the first time cars came with defense capabilities; signs that Secret Service was becoming concerned about Presidential security. These cars were nicknamed “Queen Mary” and Queen Elizabeth” and served three presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Even though the cars were custom made and outfitted with the state of the art gadgets, they were not built exclusively for the Whitehouse.

 

 

The first car specially built for the US president was a 1939 Lincoln V12 convertible, named “Sunshine Special”, shown here. It was built for Franklin D. Roosevelt and was equipped with sirens, running lights, wider running boards and grab handles for the Secret Service agents. However, on December 8, 1941, the day after the Pearl Harbor attack, the Secret Service was so concerned about the president’s safety, they used a 1928 Cadillac 341A Town Sedan, which originally belonged to none other than Al Capone! It was ironic that the President was driving in a car that once belonged to the biggest gangster in the US, but it was an armored vehicle, and offered more safety than the standard Presidential issue Lincoln.

 

Eventually the Presidential Lincoln was modified to have armored tires, one inch thick window glass and compartments for the machine guns.

 

In 1950 two custom-built 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitans were introduced to the Presidential fleet. They were used by presidents Truman, Kennedy and Johnson.

 

The car that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in was a 1961 Presidential Lincoln Continental convertible. It is probably one of the best known and the most viewed presidential vehicles in US history. It was available with a Plexiglas roof for protection in case of a bad weather and came with all the custom built features that were available at that time. It included, among other things, sirens, custom air conditioning system, radios, and custom interior. Armor and bullet proof windows were standard on all vehicles in the Presidential fleet; however, the details and armor grades were not available for the public. Shown here is a replica, with the Texas School Book Depository in downtown Dallas, the building where Lee Harvey Oswald fired a fatal shot from that killed the President.

 

 

Since 1969 to the present day, the only cars used by the Whitehouse were Lincoln and Cadillac. President Nixon ordered a 1969 model limousine, which had a sunroof in case the president wanted to greet the people lined up to see him. It had several noteworthy features, such as retractable handgrips and running boards for the Secret Service as well as the standard safety components.

 

Nixon also ordered a custom-built 1972 Continental, equipped with bulletproof glass, armored plates, a 7.5 liter V8 engine and C-6 3 speed automatic transmission. It was the car that Ronald Reagan rode in during his assassination attempt in 1981.

 

 

In 1983, President Reagan received a Cadillac Fleetwood limousine shown here, which came with a Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 3-speed transmission. The car was state of the art at the time, equipped with all the available technology and defense mechanisms. It had an armored body, bulletproof glass and specially designed interior that allowed for an individual under the protection to stay in the car unharmed even in the case of an attack with a large caliber, high powered weapon. Again, due to the security concerns, caliber and armor ratings are not released when it comes to the presidential limousines.

 

To give you a general idea on the armor and how it is rated, here is a short summary; usually, armor is graded on the scale of 1 to 10. 10 been the highest available for a civilian vehicle, which is somewhat comparable to the military standards. It would not be unreasonable to assume that US Presidents have the highest and the best available armor in the world installed on their limousines.

 

In 1989, President George H. W. Bush used a modified 1989 Lincoln Towncar, with a 460 CI V-8 with an E4OD 4 transmission.

 

As usual, secret service released only the general description of the car and its characteristics. But it is known that, it didn’t differ by much from its predecessor, Reagan’s Cadillac.

 

 

Due to the advance in communications and media, today people have the opportunity to learn more about cars used by the President. In the ‘80s it was much harder to get this type of information.

 

 

Since President Clinton, The Whitehouse has used Cadillacs for the President’s transportation. In 1993, the Whitehouse received a Presidential series Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, with a 7.4 liter V-8, and a 4L80E 4 speed automatic transmission. The car did not have a sunroof or running boards due to the security concerns. The car is shown here at the White House entrance.

 

Each of these cars are located either at the Presidential libraries or in the manufacturer’s museums.

 

Unfortunately, due to the security implications, the Secret Service has requested that all future presidential automobiles be used for testing in order to increase and improve safety and security. Although replicas will be kept, there is a good chance that the originals will be destroyed during the testing process.

 

When looked at from the today’s perspective, one will be surprised by the advancements made in the field of security and particularly in the Secret Service equipment used in protecting the President. Very first limousines that American presidents rode in, were just regular, serial production custom built cars. When compared to the modern Presidential limo, it is stunning to learn how much the technology has changed, and the degree that US Presidents are protected today.

 

The Secret Service is very reluctant to disclose the details of these cars, and understandably so.  It is classified information that may compromise the President’s safety. But let’s look at what information is available for public; it will give us a better understanding of the evolution process of the Presidential fleet.

 

The Secret Service name for the vehicle is “beast”. Although not much information is available on the car, when it was first described in 2009, it was mentioned that it is protected by five inch armor used in military vehicles, run flat tires, and bulletproof glass. Due to the fact that glass prevents much of the natural light to enter the vehicle, florescent halo lights are used to light the interior. The car seats seven, and the two rear seats are reserved for the President and his passenger.

 

It is completely protected from chemical and biological weapons. In case of a biological or chemical attack, the Secret Service activates a lock down mode, which converts the car in to a completely air tight capsule; it has enough of a reserve of gas, air and water to be driven to a safe location and remain in lock down mode for 24 hours.

 

It can withstand an attack by a rifle, high powered assault weapon and rocket propelled grenade. It is equipped with a night vision system, run flat and puncture and shred resistant tires on steel rims that allow a driver to escape even in the case when the rubber tire is completely destroyed. The gas tank is completely armored, and equipped with foam that prevents fuel from exploding even in the case of a direct hit. The doors are made of eight inch thick armored material. They weigh the same as those on a Boeing 757 jet. The windows are bullet proof and the only one that opens is a driver’s window. It opens only three inches, so the driver can communicate with the Secret Service. The driver is equipped with GPS and an on board control system located in the dashboard.

 

Defense accessories include: night vision cameras, shotguns, and tear gas. There are bottles of the President’s blood stored in the vehicle in case an emergency transfusion is needed.

 

Some of the luxury items are a folding computer table, satellite phone connected to the Vice President’s office and Pentagon and luxury reclining seats.

 

Materials used in the car include: steel, aluminum, titanium and ceramic. The car is equipped with 6.5 liter diesel engine, but due to the heavy armor, the maximum speed is 60 mph. Gas mileage averages eight MPG.

 

Then the President is traveling abroad, it is airlifted by C-17 GlobeMaster III military planes.

 

100 years have passed since the first US President drove a car, and there is now no world leader better protected using his limo and accompanying Air Force One airplane and Marine One helicopter.

 

The US Secret Service has been one of the most successful organizations in the world when it comes to protecting the heads of state, and the Presidential limo is one of the most important parts of the operation. It is a symbol of an American power, security and professionalism.

By K. Habesh

K. Habesh is a freelance writer.

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