Presidents Day is here, so why not talk about presidential rides? Here are ten stories from Cadillac about the presidential luxury cruisers from the past and present.
President Woodrow Wilson rode in a 1916 Cadillac Series 53 , back in 1919 during the World War I Victory Parade. During the War, mass produced V8 Cadillac models were used, and demonstrated incredible power and durability.
Cadillac’s 1928 Series 341 was used late in the Calvin Coolidge era. It featured a 90-horsepower V8, with a three-speed manual transmission. Cadillac says it embodied master craftsmanship and artistry and was fit only for for the President of the United States of America.
Legend has it a 1928 Cadillac Town Sedan that was originally owned by gangster Al Capone was used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
A pair of Cadillac Convertibles served three Presidents: Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower. The two convertibles were named after two great Ocean liners of the day: “Queen Mary” and “Queen Elizabeth.” The durable Cadillacs were 21.5 feet long, and included heavy duty generators.
President Eisenhower was known as a pretty big car enthusiast. During his 1953 inaugural parade he rode in one of the first Cadillac Eldorado models.
In 1956 the Queen Mary, and Elizabeth convertibles were replaced with newer models (named the Queen Mary II and Queen Elizabeth II) The new models served Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson and were retired in 1968.
The Ronald Reagan Administration had a 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine and Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. The limousine was believed to have been in in 1993 film In The Line of Fire, but due to security reasons all Presidential Vehicles are not used outside of their presidential duties. The Fleetwood that appeared in the movie was a replica.
The 1993 Cadillac Limousine used by the Bill Clinton was the first presidential limo to be developed, designed and built by Cadillac, instead of limousine companies.
The 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine used by the Ronald Reagan administration is now at the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Calif. The 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham used by the Bill Clinton administration is at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark.
The Cadillac Presidential Limousine, used by today’s administration first appeared in front of a huge audience during President Obama’s inaugural parade on Jan. 20, 2009. The car’s specifications are known only to the small team that designed it. The most visible difference is a more upright stance than predecessors, for improved outward visibility.