Although it seems like we know everything about our president, we probably only know what he wants us to know. However, there is one particularly intriguing part about it, the president’s limo. Due to the vast number of celebrities and wannabes, we see limos cruising through the streets all the time, but rarely we see one taking a spin around the famous Daytona 500 track and opening a NASCAR race. After that one lap, the world went crazy about Trump and his limo, so let’s find out why.
For every president, his car represents an integral part of his public image. In most cases, world leaders ride in brand new limousines to make a grand entrance wherever they show up. It has to show off power, class, and security. Hence, these limousines are far from those that people rent for sweet 16, bachelorette, and other party-related occasions. But can you imagine cruising down the most famous routes in the United States in one of the most extravagant and most expensive cars in the world? Donald Trump can.
Becoming the president of the US comes with a lot of perks. You can move into the White House, get your private jet, helicopter, and a new car. Trump’s extravagant auto was introduced in September 2018, replacing the similar model that Barack Obama had previously used. Many people are curious about the nickname that is often mentioned in the news, but actually, this vehicle has several of them: The First Car, Cadillac One, etc. However, The Beast stood out and became widely accepted. But this is not the first Beast on the road. The first presidential vehicle named the Beast was the one that belonged to George W. Bush. Obama inherited that nickname, and it’s still in use by Donald Trump in 2020.
Living without a car is pretty much impossible for world leaders. Vehicles got their honored space in the White House during the 1910s when William Howard Tuft turned his stables into garages and purchased four new presidential vehicles. The rest is history. Others continued to invest in their fleet and in custom-made vehicles. Franklin Roosevelt rode in a Ford Phaeton, the presidential limo of Harry Truman was a Lincoln, just like Kennedy’s and Johnson’s. But in the ’80s, a new presidential car was introduced, and it was a Cadillac. From then on, with a few minor exceptions, Cadillac remained the official presidential car.
Donald Trump’s latest limousine debuted in 2018, and it is still in use in 2020. Built by General Motors, this Cadillac is everything but a Cadillac, since it has been customized to the point that it is a new, unique vehicle. The most significant advantage of this car is its safety. So there are not a lot of reasons to get driving anxiety or driving stress except the fact that you have Donald Trump in your back seat. Since the windows are made of 5 layers of glass, they cannot be opened, and they are, of course, bulletproof. More than eight-inch thick doors are also bulletproof and armored, tires are resistant to puncture, etc. Overall, the presidential car is one very safe place to be in and features some of the most advanced security systems and technology.
We can often find news about this limousine since people are so intrigued by it. If this were your vehicle, you would probably be wondering how to ship your luxury car safely and securely. Since Trump travels a lot, his presidential limo goes everywhere with him, of course. If you were wondering how this exotic auto is transported around the world, know that it has its own plane. Is there a better enclosed trailer than that? The Secret Service provides a special aircraft to transport it whenever and wherever the “Leader of the Free World” is traveling.
We all have some things we tend to keep in the car, but instead of a spare shirt and shoes, this limousine carries bags with Rh-negative blood type, in case an urgent transfusion is necessary. There is also a panic button, oxygen supplies, and probably many more secret buttons and cool features we are not supposed to know about.
There are some extras built in this car specifically for Trump. For example, a personal fitted seat with a satellite phone and a direct line to the Pentagon and Vice President. A glass board separates the driver from the passengers, but only one person can control whether the glass will come down. Guess who.
Besides the fact that this car is fully armored, it carries some curious defense equipment. On the front, we have fitted tear gas grenade launchers. The fire fighting system is in the rear part, while shotguns and smokescreen dispensers are in the back. Besides ballistic, this vehicle is protected from chemical weapon attacks, too.
Not everyone can get a chance to drive this one-of-a-kind Cadillac. Only those who pass the Secret Service extensive driving training can get permission to operate it. Since this car looks more like a fully-armored school bus, its operator has to be so much more than a skilled driver. He has to be prepared for various unexpected situations during the service.
Curiously, presidents can’t drive – that is an official rule and recommendation from the Secret Service. They are not allowed to operate any vehicle even after they have finished their term and left the office.
It is not a secret that world leaders, especially the presidents of the USA, are frequent targets of assassination attempts by domestic and foreign players alike. Just remember what happened to Lincoln, Kennedy, and Reagan. That’s why institutions such as the Secret Service have to go the extra mile in keeping the president safe. The technology is nowadays, of course, more advanced and it allows some new measures of precaution and higher safety standards. Hence, this one-of-a-kind four-wheeler continues to attract attention with its specific purpose, looks, size, specifications, secret weapons, and of course, passengers.
