Obama to get new truck-based Cadillac limo
11-07-08, 05:24 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Obama to get new truck-based Cadillac limo
Cadillac testing new Obama limo
GM rumored to be finishing truck-based armored DTS
By Gregg D. Merksamer, New York Times News Service | November 6, 2008
After President Obama takes the oath of office in January, he may have a new black limousine to go along with his not-so-new White House. General Motors is believed to be putting the final touches on a new First Car.
An analysis of unauthorized photographs taken while the car was being tested last summer on public roads suggests that the presidential ride will be a truck-based Cadillac. It will presumably replace the Cadillac that President Bush has used since 2005.
This new car will be a Caddy like no other. Photos by a spy photographer who hunts future models that haven't been publicly revealed for magazines and websites, provide clues about how specialized presidential transportation has become since the first White House fleet was ordered for William Howard Taft in 1909. Taft rode in a stock White steam car or a conventional Pierce-Arrow, but the next president will travel in a fortress-like vehicle that was mostly built from scratch.
The photographer noted that the limousine was being tested with a pair of GMC Topkick medium-duty trucks. The limousine seemed to be riding on the same 19.5-inch Goodyear Regional RHS tires as the trucks, indicating that it is far heavier than a civilian Cadillac. Indeed, it is believed that the limo is based on GM's 2500 line of trucks, which includes an extra-heavy-duty version of the Suburban.
Although the raised roof and wide windshield pillars are inherited from the ultra-armored limousines that entered presidential service in 2001, only educated guesses can be made about the technical details. Because neither the Secret Service nor General Motors will discuss the car, or even confirm that a new one has been under development, it is impossible to provide basic specifications or dimensions. Calls to Cadillac's media relations department were not returned, and the Secret Service declined to comment.
So people who are curious about such things look for clues and make deductions. I have spent almost 30 years paying close attention to presidential vehicles as part of my interest in what are called professional cars, which also include hearses and ambulances. (I am the author of "Professional Cars: Ambulances, Hearses and Flower Cars," Krause Publications, 2004.)
Other sources I have consulted on cars used by past presidents include "Presidential Cars and Transportation" by William D. Siuru Jr. and Andrea Stewart and "Presidents on Wheels" by Herbert Ridgeway Collins. But my interest has me looking for clues wherever I can find them.
For example, television clips showing George W. Bush entering and exiting the rear doors of his limos indicate that the windows are at least 5 inches thick, nearly twice the depth of what was used on presidential limousines in the 1980s and '90s.
While I do not know what type of weapons such thick windows are designed to guard against, a half-inch of transparent armor is enough to stop a .44 Magnum round at point-blank range; at a thickness of 1.25 inches to 1.5 inches, the same material can withstand bullets fired from military assault rifles.
In an attack, the ballistic forces of bullets fired into the windows would be absorbed within a succession of glass and plastic layers, after which a flexible inner coating known as an antispall shield would keep glass from entering the passenger compartment.
Though the materials protecting the car's body are also classified, they are probably intended to break up incoming projectiles with a hard substance before their energy is dissipated by a softer one. Material traditionally used for this purpose includes dual-hardness steel, aluminum, titanium, and ceramics.
Large steel overlaps are also typically added to the body openings of armored autos to deter attackers who might try shooting through the door gaps.
Denied convertible tops and sunroofs, and seated behind glass that is half as transparent and several times as sound-absorbent as that of a standard car, the president has limited interaction with the public. But he can make his presence known by turning on fluorescent interior lighting that makes him visible to bystanders, or by using the built-in public address system.
Aircraft tie-downs welded to the chassis allow the limousine to be transported aboard a military cargo jet, which also often carries the Secret Service's Suburban escort vehicles and at least one limo used as a backup or decoy.
On television footage of a trip to Pakistan in March 2000, it appeared as though President Clinton's motorcade used five decoy cars.
Thus, it is likely GM is building not just one new presidential limousine, but perhaps two or three that can be used as backups or decoys. There will be no way of knowing until the cars are seen together.
Presidential limos would have great appeal to collectors. But the Secret Service has shown no enthusiasm for letting recent White House cars fall into private hands. When the cars are retired, they often disappear, to be destroyed or used in Secret Service training.
The Department of State also uses specialized vehicles, and the agency's disposal methods have been detailed in a document entitled "Bureau of Diplomatic Security's February 2004 Armored Vehicle Program." Methods include burial at sea, explosive demolition, burning, crushing, or burial on land controlled by the federal government.
In the same spirit, the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Ark., was not given the keys to the 42d president's 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood, which is displayed there.
"We can dust the outside of the car, but if we needed to get inside it, we would have to contact the regional Secret Service office," Christine Mouw, the library curator, said in an interview. "We've had requests from people to exhibit it with the doors open, but we're told we can't do it for security reasons, which is logical."
http://www.boston.com/cars/new..._limo
11-07-08, 06:03 PM
#3
Super Moderator
All the presidents' cars
All the presidents' cars
Odd choices . . . but then, who would have dared argue that?
Nigel Matthews, Special to The Province
Published: Friday, November 07, 2008
Barack Obama now owns the keys to the White House, and on that same fob are the keys to the enviro-friendly 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid he shares with his wife, Michelle.
As far as I'm aware, it's not armoured, so I guess the First Lady will get the keys more often to bundle the kids into the sport-ute and head out to soccer practice followed, of course, by Secret Service guys in big gas guzzlers.
Obama's green choice may have swung some votes though, I suspect, there were one or two other public policy matters that had a greater influence on the voters' choice. I can reveal that Obama wasn't always so green. When he acquired the Escape, he traded in his gas-guzzling, Hemi-powered, Canadian-built 2007 Chrysler 300. By the way, he acquired his driving skills behind the wheel of his grandfather's big mid-1970s Ford Granada, so he's coming home to Ford.
John McCain drives a 2004 Cadillac CTS. The media have made a meal out of his 10 or 11 homes, 13 cars and executive plane. But it may be they're blowing smoke, because the Caddy, and perhaps his ex-military ****** Jeep, seem to be the only vehicles registered in his name.
Indeed, it may be his car-enthusiast wife, Cindy, who was the liability on that front, as it seems she has the heavier key fob.
Mind you, if you have 10 homes, does it not make sense to have at least one car in each garage? In passing -- extremely quickly -- it should be mentioned that McCain has enjoyed a long relationship with General Motors products and his first car was a hot 1958 Corvette.
Now, as you know, I am a classic car guy so I poked my nose around the garages of the past presidents and unearthed some fascinating facts you auto know about.
The first president to ride in a motorized emergency vehicle was No. 25, William McKinley. During the latter part of 1901, he was attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, N.Y. The president was at the Temple of Music greeting the public.
Waiting in line with a pistol concealed by a handkerchief was Leon Czolgosz who fired two shots at the president -- one grazed his shoulder, but the second shot was more accurate, passing through his stomach, colon and spleen.
McKinley was rushed to hospital in a Riker electric ambulance that had a top speed of less than 50 km/h. In an odd twist of fate it was President McKinley who championed their use -- neither the Riker Motor Company, nor McKinley survived.
William H. Taft was the first president elected in the car era and was as green as Obama. In 1909, the coach houses and stables at the White House were converted into garages. Using $12,000 US approved by the Senate, Taft hired a chauffeur and gave him the task of selecting and purchasing four vehicles to make up the presidential fleet.
The choices included a White Steamer, two Pierce-Arrows and a Baker Electric powered by Edison batteries. It had a range of nearly 177 kilometres at the lightning speed of speed of 40 km/h.
Like most Americans, presidents have shown wide-ranging tastes in their choice of automobiles. Woodrow Wilson used a Pierce-Arrow limousine while Warren Harding was driven to his inauguration in a Packard Twin-Six supplied by the Republican National Committee. Calvin Coolidge also had a passion for Pierce-Arrows.
Herbert Hoover liked cars with a bit of get up and go, so he purchased a Cadillac V-16 for his official car.
Franklin Roosevelt, disabled by polio, enjoyed driving in spite of his affliction and preferred to give speeches from his car rather than his wheelchair.
He ordered a Ford and had it fitted with hand controls. When he was not driving himself, the White House chauffeur would transport him in a magnificent Packard V-12.
Automobile production ceased during the Second World War but the very first car off the Ford production line when production resumed was a 1945 Ford Super DeLuxe Tudor Sedan, which was presented to Harry S Truman to use as a personal vehicle.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a car enthusiast -- and a Hemi Mopar kind of chap -- he drove one of Virgil Exner's new "Forward Look" 1956 Chrysler Imperials.
This car laid claim to be the first American-built production car to be fitted with front wheel disc brakes. They would come in handy during bouts of a lead right foot, to slow down the three-speed, push-button trans-mission, Hemi powered beast.
Late-night TV talk show personality Jay Leno has the very same car in his collection and makes fun of the push-button gear selectors: "If you can type, you can drive this car," he will tell you.
John F. Kennedy had a certain charisma and charm; perhaps his white 1961 "Bullet Bird" Ford Thunderbird convertible was an extension of his personality.
The name Richard Nixon recalls the famous poster with the caption, "Would you buy a used car from this man?" If you had, it would have been his 1950 Oldsmobile.
I could not find a single car-related story about Jimmy Carter, but more than enough stories about his brother Billy. His 1977 "Redneck Power" Chevrolet pickup sold for $19,250 in 2006 at an auction.
Ronald Reagan was given a Jeep by his wife Nancy to use on his ranch. This vehicle suited him, and the characters he played during his Hollywood days. The ex-Reagan Jeep sold this May at an auction for $33,000. The Reagan ownership added $20,000 plus, to its realistic market value.
Bill Clinton drove a 1967 Ford Mustang convertible and said that driving it was one of the hardest things to give up when he moved into the White House.
George W. Bush's first car was a sporty Triumph TR3 -- a good choice.
Nigel Matthews is the manager of specialty vehicles (vintage and collector cars) for the Insurance Corp. of B.C.
© The Vancouver Province 2008
Odd choices . . . but then, who would have dared argue that?
Nigel Matthews, Special to The Province
Published: Friday, November 07, 2008
Barack Obama now owns the keys to the White House, and on that same fob are the keys to the enviro-friendly 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid he shares with his wife, Michelle.
As far as I'm aware, it's not armoured, so I guess the First Lady will get the keys more often to bundle the kids into the sport-ute and head out to soccer practice followed, of course, by Secret Service guys in big gas guzzlers.
Obama's green choice may have swung some votes though, I suspect, there were one or two other public policy matters that had a greater influence on the voters' choice. I can reveal that Obama wasn't always so green. When he acquired the Escape, he traded in his gas-guzzling, Hemi-powered, Canadian-built 2007 Chrysler 300. By the way, he acquired his driving skills behind the wheel of his grandfather's big mid-1970s Ford Granada, so he's coming home to Ford.
John McCain drives a 2004 Cadillac CTS. The media have made a meal out of his 10 or 11 homes, 13 cars and executive plane. But it may be they're blowing smoke, because the Caddy, and perhaps his ex-military ****** Jeep, seem to be the only vehicles registered in his name.
Indeed, it may be his car-enthusiast wife, Cindy, who was the liability on that front, as it seems she has the heavier key fob.
Mind you, if you have 10 homes, does it not make sense to have at least one car in each garage? In passing -- extremely quickly -- it should be mentioned that McCain has enjoyed a long relationship with General Motors products and his first car was a hot 1958 Corvette.
Now, as you know, I am a classic car guy so I poked my nose around the garages of the past presidents and unearthed some fascinating facts you auto know about.
The first president to ride in a motorized emergency vehicle was No. 25, William McKinley. During the latter part of 1901, he was attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, N.Y. The president was at the Temple of Music greeting the public.
Waiting in line with a pistol concealed by a handkerchief was Leon Czolgosz who fired two shots at the president -- one grazed his shoulder, but the second shot was more accurate, passing through his stomach, colon and spleen.
McKinley was rushed to hospital in a Riker electric ambulance that had a top speed of less than 50 km/h. In an odd twist of fate it was President McKinley who championed their use -- neither the Riker Motor Company, nor McKinley survived.
William H. Taft was the first president elected in the car era and was as green as Obama. In 1909, the coach houses and stables at the White House were converted into garages. Using $12,000 US approved by the Senate, Taft hired a chauffeur and gave him the task of selecting and purchasing four vehicles to make up the presidential fleet.
The choices included a White Steamer, two Pierce-Arrows and a Baker Electric powered by Edison batteries. It had a range of nearly 177 kilometres at the lightning speed of speed of 40 km/h.
Like most Americans, presidents have shown wide-ranging tastes in their choice of automobiles. Woodrow Wilson used a Pierce-Arrow limousine while Warren Harding was driven to his inauguration in a Packard Twin-Six supplied by the Republican National Committee. Calvin Coolidge also had a passion for Pierce-Arrows.
Herbert Hoover liked cars with a bit of get up and go, so he purchased a Cadillac V-16 for his official car.
Franklin Roosevelt, disabled by polio, enjoyed driving in spite of his affliction and preferred to give speeches from his car rather than his wheelchair.
He ordered a Ford and had it fitted with hand controls. When he was not driving himself, the White House chauffeur would transport him in a magnificent Packard V-12.
Automobile production ceased during the Second World War but the very first car off the Ford production line when production resumed was a 1945 Ford Super DeLuxe Tudor Sedan, which was presented to Harry S Truman to use as a personal vehicle.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a car enthusiast -- and a Hemi Mopar kind of chap -- he drove one of Virgil Exner's new "Forward Look" 1956 Chrysler Imperials.
This car laid claim to be the first American-built production car to be fitted with front wheel disc brakes. They would come in handy during bouts of a lead right foot, to slow down the three-speed, push-button trans-mission, Hemi powered beast.
Late-night TV talk show personality Jay Leno has the very same car in his collection and makes fun of the push-button gear selectors: "If you can type, you can drive this car," he will tell you.
John F. Kennedy had a certain charisma and charm; perhaps his white 1961 "Bullet Bird" Ford Thunderbird convertible was an extension of his personality.
The name Richard Nixon recalls the famous poster with the caption, "Would you buy a used car from this man?" If you had, it would have been his 1950 Oldsmobile.
I could not find a single car-related story about Jimmy Carter, but more than enough stories about his brother Billy. His 1977 "Redneck Power" Chevrolet pickup sold for $19,250 in 2006 at an auction.
Ronald Reagan was given a Jeep by his wife Nancy to use on his ranch. This vehicle suited him, and the characters he played during his Hollywood days. The ex-Reagan Jeep sold this May at an auction for $33,000. The Reagan ownership added $20,000 plus, to its realistic market value.
Bill Clinton drove a 1967 Ford Mustang convertible and said that driving it was one of the hardest things to give up when he moved into the White House.
George W. Bush's first car was a sporty Triumph TR3 -- a good choice.
Nigel Matthews is the manager of specialty vehicles (vintage and collector cars) for the Insurance Corp. of B.C.
© The Vancouver Province 2008
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11-07-08, 07:39 PM
#8
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Talk about class!
I remember watching the 2006 G7 in France on TV...You'd see dignitaries rolling down those streets in Range Rovers, BMW 5-Series, Audis, Phaetons...But a big long American parade of speeding Cadillacs and Suburbans means absolute business, make no mistake about it
The big boys of the world have arrived.
I remember watching the 2006 G7 in France on TV...You'd see dignitaries rolling down those streets in Range Rovers, BMW 5-Series, Audis, Phaetons...But a big long American parade of speeding Cadillacs and Suburbans means absolute business, make no mistake about it
The big boys of the world have arrived.
11-07-08, 08:05 PM
#9
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11-07-08, 08:54 PM
#10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-Hp9SSAmRo this is what obama needs, just cause it better and well, if you haven't realized it, there are a lot of people gunning for him unfortunetly
11-07-08, 09:17 PM
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Yeah, it would be quite the outrage if the US president drove around in a foreign car. Plus, I can only imagine how much these super armored versions cost (taxpayer money of course). Imagine a super armored S-class limo price tag. 
11-07-08, 09:22 PM
#12
While the Escalade is a step up from what it once was, it's still far from a class leader. For one, run your fingernail over the tops of the dash and doors and you will be left to wonder how big of a space there is between that and any mechanical components or metal. It's just...hollow. It looks nice but there are still a number of very cheap features on the interior.
11-07-08, 09:27 PM
#13
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US automakers don't build a car in the S, 7, LS, A8, ect. class because they know that an $80K American sedan wouldn't sell enough to justify it. Cadillac would have the best shot, but probably wouldn't prove successful.
I'd still like to see Cadillac try though especially with their vast improvements in the last couple years. I think they'd be capable of building a formidable competitor. Think "Cadillac Sixteen" [2003 concept]. But updated.
