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Presidential limousine

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The 2006 Cadillac Presidential Limousine is a hand-crafted and armored version of the Cadillac DTS (DeVille Touring Sedan) stretch sedan for the President of the United States.

The new Cadillac DTS was first utilized during the second inauguration of George W. Bush in the January 20, 2005 parade.

The vehicle was custom built by O'Gara, Hess, and Eisenhart, armored vehicle builders who have been building armored presidential limousines since the 1960s. The base platform is a Cadillac DTS, but little of the original vehicle remains. For example, DeVille's flush-style door handles have been replaced by a loop-type design apparently borrowed from the 1992-99 generation Buick LeSabre, doubling as grab-handles for the Secret Service agents running alongside the car. Exterior examination suggests that the head/tail lights, and the wreath-and-crest emblem atop the grille are some of the few stock components.

Similar to its precessedor, the 2001 Presidential Limousine, the stretch Cadillac features an executive leather interior with a rear foldaway desktop, an extensive entertainment system featuring a 10-disc CD changer, and adaptive, massaging cushions. The president sits in the rear, facing a console-mounted secure communications panel connected to five antennas mounted on the trunk lid. The vehicle has a flag of the United States mounted on the right front fender, and a Presidential flag on the left front fender. Flush-mounted high intensity discharge (HID) spotlights illuminate the flags at night. Like a standard Cadillac DTS, the presidential limo is said to have a night vision system, but the camera moved to an undisclosed location.

This is the most heavily armored presidential vehicle to date. The jet-black skin has 5 inches worth of ballistic armor, and is said to be able to withstand anti-tank grenade launchers. The underside of the car is also armored. The windows, which do not open, are transparent armor thick enough to block sunlight, which is the reason the interior is illuminated with fluorescent lighting. The vault like doors require automatic systems to open. Any casual observer can see the rolling fortress with the white rims on the tires, completing the armoring with a run-flat tire system. The limousine is also environmentally sealed against chemical and biological attacks.

A secret service communications vehicle (toting most of the commmunications equipment) and a paramedic-equipped ambulance aides the limousine as a part of any presidential motorcade.

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Previous Presidential Limousines

One of the first chief executives to ride in a Cadillac was President Woodrow Wilson, who rode through the streets of Boston during a World War I victory parade. A lavish 1928 Cadillac town car was used extensively throughout the Coolidge Administration. 
In 1938, two Cadillac convertibles dubbed the "Queen Mary" and "Queen Elizabeth" were delivered to the U.S. Government. Named after the great ocean liners of the time, the 21.5 feet (6.55 m), 7,660 pound (3470 kg) vehicles were equipped with a full ammunition arsenal, two way radios, and heavy duty generators. Durable and reliable, the two "Queens" served Presidents Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower.


The first car specially built for Presidential use was the 1939 Lincoln V12 convertible called the "Sunshine Special" used by Franklin D. Roosevelt. It remained in use until 1950.


A 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan called the "Bubble Top" was used by Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and once by Johnson. It was retired in 1965.

President Eisenhower, who was known as a "car buff," had ridden in one of the first Eldorados during the 1953 Inauguration Day Parade. The vehicle was unique as it had the first wrap around windshield, which quickly became a standard in domestic and foreign automobiles.


The John F. Kennedy car was a 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible. It was in use from 1961 to 1977, having undergone extensive alterations which made it an armor-plated sedan after Kennedy's assassination. A 1969 Lincoln was used by Nixon and a 1972 Lincoln used by Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan and Bush. A 1989 Lincoln was the last Presidential Lincoln as of 2004. 

The Reagan administration was delivered a 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine while a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham - Presidential Series was delivered to the Clinton Administration in 1993. Unlike previous models, the Presidential Brougham was designed, developed and manufactured totally within General Motors. Moreover, the vehicle was designed to provide unquestionable protection. Minimizing exposure to external threats, no sunroof or running boards were installed on the vehicle.

Currently, the 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine resides at the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in California while the 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham is located at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The predecessor to the current Presidential limousine was the 2001 Cadillac DeVille limousine. The vehicle was retired when a new vehicle, the 2006 Cadillac DTS was introduced.



Presidential Motorcade

Since 2001, when the President travels out-of-town, his motorcade consists of about 35 vehicles. Listed here is the approximate order of a typical presidential motorcade, and indicates the vehicle number, occupants and purpose:





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