The Top Presidential Limousines of All Time

While the historic inauguration of Barack Obama will be full of ceremony and celebration, there’s one event on January 20 that will go by with little notice. And yet that event will usher him into the world of the presidency in a way nothing else will. It will be the very first time a Secret Service agent opens the door to the presidential limousine and Obama steps inside. His new ride, a specially built beast nominally identified as a “Cadillac,” is just the latest in a long line of presidential rides stretching back to 1899 and the Locomobile President William McKinley rode in. But the Secret Service didn’t really get serious about presidential over-the-road transportation until 1939 when they acquired…well, that’s where this list begins.

Limousines for presidents of the United States. The magazine Popular Mechanics has prepared a rating of the best limo U.S. presidents: from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama

1939 Lincoln “Sunshine Special”

Limousine Lincoln Sunshine Special built on the basis of Lincoln K for Franklin Roosevelt. Limousine was in the presidential fleet until 1950, but now it can be seen in the Henry Ford Museum in Dirborne, Michigan.

1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan

Car of President Harry Truman was the Lincoln Cosmopolitan, 1950 release. This limousine has retired in 1965 and also at the Henry Ford Museum.

1961 Lincoln Continental SS-100-X

Since this was the car in which John F. Kennedy was riding in on November 22, 1963 when he was assassinated, it will forever be entangled with tragedy. Still, it’s a car worth appreciating outside the context of that grim day.

Lincoln Continental, 1972

Car Lincoln Continental in 1972 opposite the famous order that saved the life of President Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan.

Cadillac Fleetwood 1983

In the early 80’s Lincoln limousine was replaced by a presidential car Cadillac Fleetwood .This limo can be seen in the film On the line of fire in Klintom Istvudom

2009 Cadillac Presidential Limousine

President Obama’s new ride isn’t much larger than Bush’s Cadillacs, but it’s apparently much heavier. A look at photos released by GM reveal a limo-looking behemoth running on Goodyear Regional RHS tires—that’s rubber usually reserved for medium- and heavy-duty trucks.

Prototypes of the new Cadillac Presidential Limousine (there’s no claim from Cadillac that it has any relationship with a production car) were often seen in the company of GM’s TopKick medium duty trucks leading many to believe that under the new skin of Obama’s commuter is the frame and drivetrain from the TopKick. That would make sense, since the weight of this giant has to be somewhere beyond 15,000 pounds and may be approaching a full ten tons.

Secrecy abounds about the latest POTUS ride, but rumors are that this one is the first to be diesel powered. The engine may be GM’s familiar 6.6-liter Duramax turbodiesel V8, or it could be some even more powerful diesel build for large commercial trucks. While the chassis, suspension and drivetrain of the new limousine is all new, most of the body seems to derive directly from the previous DeVille and DTS limousines. However the styling has been revised using pieces from Cadillac’s current line. For instance, the headlights, side view mirrors and door handles all come from the Escalade SUV. Meanwhile, the taillights, rear back up lights and third brake light all come from the STS sedan. In all, it’s a surprisingly handsome conglomeration of pieces, even if it lacks the sheer beauty of Kennedy’s Lincoln or friendly disposition of Roosevelt’s Sunshine Special.

The Secret Service isn’t saying how many of the new limousines are being built, but probably at least a dozen. And no, you can’t have any of them. Unless of course, you’re elected in 2012.

Barack Obama limousine Cadillac One in action – the inauguration of 44 th U.S. President

Source : Popularmechanics

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