The new President of the United States, Barack Obama, will be driven in a completely redesigned Cadillac Presidential Limousine after he is sworn in today.
Built by General Motors the armoured vehicle has been nicknamed ‘The Beast’. It is the latest in a line of cars built by Cadillac for the First Fleet, though historically the President has also been driven in Ford’s luxury brand, Lincoln. The latest Cadillac is reported to have military-grade armour at least eight-inches thick. The car is also said to be fitted with tear-gas cannons, reinforced tyres and a wheelbase built to resist bomb and missile attacks.
It has been 100 years since Congress approved funding for a presidential motor pool. President Wilson rode in a Cadillac during a parade marking the end of World War I and President Coolidge drove a 1928 Cadillac Town Car.
In 1938, the US government received two Cadillac convertibles – the Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mary which were named after the ocean liners. Both were fitted with two-way radios, powerful generators and a huge array of weaponry. They continued to serve presidents Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower. Eisenhower also rode in a Cadillac Eldorado during his 1953 inaugural parade.
Cadillac next appeared in 1983, when President Reagan was driven in a Fleetwood which was the last equipped with the Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 3-speed automatic transmission. President Clinton rode in a Fleetwood Brougham powered by a 454 cubic inch (7.4 liter) V8.
Two presidential limousines have been used by the Bush administration. The first was a Deville Presidential model in 2001. President Bush updated it in 2004 with the DTS Presidential model.
The Secret Service is said to destroy all Presidential Limousines after their retirement to preserve their secrets.
1 comment:
Maybe we should get this vehicle for FRED!
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