Ground force one: Presidents’ cars built for safety, comfort

By Larry Printz / The Virginian-Pilot

After Barack Obama takes the oath of office Tuesday, he’ll ride to the White House in a new custom-built Cadillac limousine that, other than larger windows, isn’t dramatically different from the presidential limo built for President George W. Bush in 2005.

But that doesn’t mean the car isn’t unique.

"Making comparisons to any other car falls apart because there is no comparable car," said Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell.

The specifications and construction of presidential cars are overseen by a small government group that has run the program for years.

GM declined to say much about the specifications for Obama’s car or how many of the models are being built.

Meanwhile, Bush’s limousine will remain in use in the White House fleet.

Cadillac has supplied presidential vehicles for years, and it’s a job the company takes pride in. "It’s an assignment that we treasure as a part of our heritage," Caldwell said.

Cadillac isn’t the only brand that provided presidential transportation.

One hundred years ago, Congress first approved money for a White House automobile fleet for President William Howard Taft. The first presidential garage would please environmentalists of today - it included a steam-powered, 40-horsepower White Model M seven-passenger touring car and a Baker Electric.

After signing the armistice agreement that ended World War I, Taft’s successor, Woodrow Wilson, first rode in his 1919 Pierce-Arrow Vestibule Suburban Limousine. Wilson never drove the car; he didn’t know how to drive. After leaving office, he bought the car for $3,000.

The Pierce-Arrow can be seen at Wilson’s presidential library in Staunton, Va.

Two years after acquiring the Lincoln Motor Car Co., Ford supplied President Calvin Coolidge with a 1924 Lincoln Model L. His successor, Herbert Hoover, was a Cadillac man, and he purchased his presidential 1930 Cadillac V16 after leaving office. Unlike eight-cylinder models, V16 Cadillacs were almost entirely custom-built.

Ground force one....