A Presidential Limo: The Most Famous of All Limos

Limousines are very popular among politicians and celebrities. For the highest official in the country like the president, he will surely get his own luxurious limousine. Barack Obama, as the U.S. presidents gets his ultra-modern and high-tech limo, a 2009 Cadillac, manufactured by General Motors. Mum is the word when it comes to its features and amenities, primarily because of security reasons. In truth, it was after JFK’s assassination while riding his limo back in 1963, that the presidential limo was outfitted with many protective features. According to speculation, Obama’s limo is made of a five inches heavy armor, with bulletproof glass, and can run on flat tires.



Moreover, it is believed to be able to withstand a chemical attack. These are just speculations, but for sure the presidential limo is perhaps the most technologically advanced when it comes to offering protection to its riders.

For a glimpse of another very popular presidential limo, JFK’s ill-fated limo, a 1961 Lincoln Continental, is in the Henry Ford Museum. If you review the footage, you would notice that the limo is a midnight blue, but the one in the museum is black. Lyndon Johnson had it re-painted in 1964, perhaps to give the car a new look and hide its scars, literally of the Americans who mourned the death of their beloved leader. The JFK limo remained in the White House well into 1978 during the Carter presidency. When the car was retired, it was returned to its maker, Lincoln, which donated the limo to the museum.



The JFK limo did not bear any security features, which only tells us that the world we know now is very much different back in 1963. The car did not even have a fixed roof for it was a convertible with detachable steel and transparent plastic roofing, which were not bullet-proof. The only distinguishing feature of the car back then was a 430 cubin inches V8 engine, which can supply a 300 horsepower, later on improved to 350. Instead of bullet-proof doors or steel undercarriage, it has tiny step ups and handles for the secret service. It can also carry more weight with its especially durable suspension, brakes, tires and axles.



Back then, Lincoln car makers leased the car as parade vehicles, but with the additional stipulation tht the Secret Service can make some adjustments to it. It was in the Lincoln plant in Wixom, Michigan in January 1961 that the limo was assembled. It was Hess and Eisenhardt, the customizing specialist in Ohio, that made enhancements in the car. The car was first cut in two so as to lengthen it by 3 ½ half feet, then re-assembled by putting in an extra metal sheet right in the middle. The total cost of the customization reached almost $200,000.



If many of the younger museum visitors are not at all impressed by JFK’s limo, giving it a double glance, it is because we expect the car to be more. It was actually the assassination of JFK, which prompted the government to pay close attention to the security details of the presidential car. Armored plates and steel top with bullet-proof glass were then the fad in customizing the presidential limo.