We all know our Presidents of the United States are chauffeured in state of the art limousines, but what about their own personal fleet? I loved looking into what vehicles were owned by our Presidents both before and after they were elected. I hope you enjoy the journey down memory lane!
Automobiles arrived in the White House a little over 100 years ago, with William McKinley being the first president to ride in an automobile in 1899 (a Locomobile steam carriage). Take a look at some of our President’s vehicles:
WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT:
He had the White House stables replaced with a garage. The first Presidential fleet included two Pierce-Arrows, a White Steam car, and a Baker electric car.
WOODROW WILSON:
Wilson owned a Pierce Arrow and a Rolls Royce.
HERBERT HOOVER:
Hoover owned a variety of cars including Chevrolets, Fords, and Packards. His favorite is said to have been his 1932 Cadillac V16 Fleetwood.
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT:
FDR realized that vehicles with hand controls allowed him to get out and meet people despite the limitations of his wheelchair. He had a variety of cars including Cadillacs, Fords, Lincolns, Packards, and Plymouths.
The most famous car of the Roosevelt administration was the Sunshine Special. It was a 12-cylinder 1939 Lincoln convertible. This car was the first vehicle designed and built to Secret Service specifications for a President.
HARRY TRUMAN:
Truman’s personal vehicles included Dodge, Chryslers, and Plymouths. One of his very first cars was a 1917 Dodge. His last vehicle was a 1972 Chrysler Newport.
Two of his cars, a 1941 Chrysler coupe and a 1941 Chrysler sedan are on display at his Presidential Library in Missouri.
DWIGHT EISENHOWER:
Eisenhower’s personal vehicles included a 1940 Chrysler Royal, a 1949 Chrysler Windsor, and a 1968 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron.
JOHN F. KENNEDY:
JFK owned a 1959 Pontiac convertible before he was elected President. For his inauguration, he requested Ford Thunderbirds be used. Ford had a difficulty finding 25 of the vehicles for the parade because the restyled T-bird was such a hot car. Customers were actually put on hold for their new T-birds until after the inauguration.
GERALD FORD:
His first car was a 1924 Ford coupe. He purchased it in 1930 for $75. His later vehicles included a 1968 Chrysler, 1969 Ford Mustang, and a 1972 Jeep.
JIMMY CARTER:
Carter’s first personal car was a 1947 Studebaker.
RONALD REAGAN:
Reagan’s personal vehicles included a new 1934 Nash, which was his first car. He later owned a 1946 Cadillac convertible, a 1965 Lincoln stretch limousine, a 1969 Ford station wagon, and a 1976 Mercury Monarch sedan.
GEORGE BUSH:
His first car was a 1947, red Studebaker Champ. A restored Studebaker, identical to this, is on display at his Presidential Library.
BILL CLINTON:
Clinton’s father ran a Buick dealership in Arkansas, where President Clinton actually worked in the parts department. His parents gave him a 1963 white Buick LaSabre when he enrolled at Georgetown University. Clinton also owned a Gremlin, Chevrolet El Camino, and his favorite – a 1967 Ford Mustang.
GEORGE W. BUSH:
In his younger days, he owned a Triumph sports car and an Oldsmobile Cutlass convertible.
BARACK OBAMA:
President Barack Obama’s first car was his grandfather’s Ford Granada. He drove a Toyota Tercel while attending law school, and later drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee. His next vehicle was the Chrysler 300!
Thank you for looking back at our President’s vehicle history with me. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
Contact me at kori@getdodge.com.
