DEADLY SERIOUS BUT ULTRA-COOL: PRESIDENTIAL AND 'VIP' LIMOUSINES

Take a gander...check it out. YOU paid for both of them (if you pay taxes to Uncle Sam!). In our last post (just scroll down a bit) we took a good, long look at a Mercury Mariner Hybrid SUV which is being presented to President Bill Clinton by the Ford Motor Company ... And using our knowledge of Presidential vehicles and the requirements of the Secret Service, we stated our opinion of whether or not Our Main Man Bill will be as comfortable or as safe as he needs to be in a gussied-up and way-overweight All-Wheel Drive Ford Escape with a throbbing 145 horsepower. Now, in this posting, let's concentrate on the Cadillac DTS limousine with which we're all somewhat familiar. Looking more like a tank than a car, the new DeVille limo has drawn some criticism for its "militaristic" look. Used by President Bush for the first time in his Inaugural Parade, the ominous-looking Caddy conversion looks very capable and frightening at the same time. All we know is that every time the car appears in the press anywhere in the world, the Caddy execs get a BIG kick out of it!

"Functional" is probably an understatement! The car is the first in a series to fill the White House fleet, though the actual number of cars ordered is a secret.

Parade cars of all kinds have unique needs. They must be able to idle for very long times and drive at very low speeds for long periods of time without overheating, not an easy thing in a vehicle this size and weight. The powerful V8 engine is probably based on the General Motors 502 cubic inch marine engine block. It's the largest Presidential limo ever built, both inside and out.

President Clinton did say that the work space in the rear of this limo was huge and much more comfortable than the previous model. This limo was delivered to the White House fleet about a week before President Bush took office, so President Clinton got to road test it for a few days (at least he didn't take it with him when he left Washington!). And whether he took any White House interns out for some late-night joy-riding is not known. But we would not bet against it ... that dog!

The last limos were delivered for White House use by Cadillac in 1993. Those three vehicles delivered are estimated to have cost a total of near $10 million. We can guess some of the defensive and offensive items on-board. Run-flat, bullet-proof tires. Bullet-proof and shatter-proof glass all around. Layers of kevlar and other high-strength, blast- and bullet-proof materials under all of the car's sheetmetal from roof to under-carriage. Gun ports. Tear gas cannons. Redundant state-of-the-art communications systems. We do know there are TVs, VCRs and CD players in the rear for the passengers' enjoyment. (Photo: Pres. Clinton washing the limousine ... really!).

The "retired" cars from the White House fleet are sent to US government stations around the nation and the world for use by ambassadors and other VIP's and dignitaries as they are replaced by new models. Cars from the 1960s are still in use by the US government around the world. We can guess there are two of these new limos in the White House motor pool. One is kept in DC, and another is flown ahead to wherever the President is traveling in a military C5A transport plane, arriving just before Air Force One.

Some of the conversion work is completed by O'Gara, Hess and Eisenhardt, a company which in various forms has been building VIP transportation for various governments and VIPs for almost 100 years. All the work is overseen by the Secret Service and no one without proper credentials gets too close to any of the cars.

When Clint Eastwood directed and starred in "IN THE LINE OF FIRE", a movie about a Secret Service agent, he tried to get the government to loan his production company one of the real limos for use in the film. The agency declined that request, though they did give much technical assistance to the production...but no one spends any time near the car other than officials. The agency does not want anyone getting too good a look at the vehicle's armoring, weapons and other systems.

But Eastwood did finally fool the government...turns out the company which built the actual Presidential limo keeps a look-alike model on-hand for their own use, trade shows and the like...and that's the car Eastwood used in the move, visually a double of the real thing! When the Secret Service agents helping with the filming saw the car on the set for the first time, they couldn't believe their eyes! They thought Eastwood had indeed gotten the actual Presidential limo for his film! It wasn't the real McCoy...but Eastwood fooled the Secret Service...and the rest of us, too! (Photo: Agent Clint).

Years ago, while working as a volunteer in election campaigns (I was about the only Democrat in Orange County, CA), I had the chance to ride in Secret Service motorcades twice. The Secret Service cars were, as they say, literally bristling with every kind of offensive weapon you can imagine which would fit into the trunk. I'll never forget being in the back seat of one of the cars and seeing an M16 rifle stuffed into the space between the front seat and the door! And realizing...it was loaded, and the guy sitting in front of me would use it in an instant!

And that's not even to mention the full-size four-wheel drive van with US government plates which contains an array of communications equipment that would make a TV station proud, which is part of every Presidential motorcade. And of course at the rear of any Presidential motorcade is a paramedic-equipped ambulance. (Photo: Canopies are often used to cover the area around VIPs as they enter or exit vehicles. Here W's limo heads for cover!).

And if you think this car is interesting as far as weaponry and other cool stuff, if you ever get a chance to see a Presidential motorcade, check out one of the Chevy Suburbans directly behind the President's car. Inside you'll see a group of very scary-looking guys dressed in scary-looking SWAT-like costumes, carrying a bunch of scary-looking weapons. One can only image the arsenal in those vehicles!

  Also on the C5 plane…the PRESIDENTIAL HELICOPTERS! Yep, they fly them in right in the belly of those planes! Always at least TWO, one for real use, one as a decoy. One are known as “Marine 1” when the President is on-board. That’s the answer to the 747 airplane’s coding of “Air Force 1” whenever the Prez is on-board…there is a lot of jealousy between the military services in this country. Everyone wants (and gets) a piece of the pie! Recently it appears that has been a third helicopter added when the President is in flight using "Marine 1". It's a larger ship, one of those "Jolly Green Giants", and it probably is used as a weapons platform as well as probably loaded with electronic countermeasures for the possibility of Stinger missiles, etc. (Photo: Air Force 1 used by the Presidential detail which visited Palm Springs, CA in 2006; Palm Springs AF1 and C5 photos by Carey Parker).

On a personal note, I always found the Secret Service agents to  be very friendly, surprisingly normal people with very difficult, VERY tiring jobs.

There are many, many dangers outside of possible assassins. On August 17, 1996, President Clinton  was vacationing in Jackson, WY. Just before 11pm, eight members of the Air Force and one Secret Service agent left the Jackson Hole airport in a C-130 plane carrying a variety of equipment that most of those close to the event described as "classified" or "items for national security." The airplance might have experienced engine problems and it appeared that it tried to return to the airport, turning east instead of south, which was the usual route out of the area. It creashed into a mountain peak and all abord were killed. The plane was headed to JFK Airport in NYC, which was the Presdient's next stop on that trip. (Photo: C5 cargo plane used by Presidential detail in Palm Springs, CA, 2006).

That plane included vehicles - Suburbans - designed for a President's motorcade, and was said to house sensitive military equipment for protection. One of the vehicles was ID'd as a large four-wheel drive van with "communications" equipment aboard. All the flights, with all the dangers that are very real, and accidents are unfortunately bound to happen.

1970 Presidential Limousine

                                          1989 Presidential Limousine

Comments

[Steve Parker]

Hi Michael-

You're referring to the obituary I wrote about your dad, Bud Furillo, the best radio sportscaster and newspaper sports guy in Los Angeles history. How your message got moved to this section I'm not sure and will try to fix it, but I ain't no genius (as your dad might have said)!

Thanks again for stopping by and writing to us!

Steve

[Michael Furillo]

Hey Steve-

I just came across the great article you wrote about my father.

Thank you for the kind words as they are very much appreciated.

All the very best,

Michael Furillo

[steve parker]

Rodney-

Thanks for stopping by and especially for writing that great note! Maker it a habit!

I’ll post your info but please let us know --- How did you come to know all this interesting info?

Thanks again!

Steve Parker

[Rodney Pendell]

Regarding the Presidential Hearse, you will be interested to know that the hearse for Gerald Ford was built by S & S (Sayers and Scovill), and was only built when the hearse builder was notified that the President's death was imminent. The hearse used was actually being built for the Young Funeral Home in Linden, TN, and the owner, David Young, was informed that because of the expected death of the President, his hearse would be built AFTER the President's. David Young was pleasantly surprised to learn in early January that the President's hearse, identical to the Masterpiece the funeral home was waiting for, was to be sold to Young's. As a result, the Presidential hearse is now owned by a funeral home in a town of about 1,000 in rural Tennessee. When the hearse was delivered, Mr. Young was also presented with a handsome framed certificate concerning the hearse's proper place in history as having been used to transport the President.

[steve parker]

Sorry, don’t know any of the specific book names … But there are plenty of them! Just click your way through Amazon or Ebay, or visit your local bookstore … Also visit the website of motorbooks.com … I know between all that, you’ll find more than you’re looking for! Let us know what happens!

Steve Parker

[Dale Adam]

Thanks Steve, But do you know any names of the books? Dale.

[steve parker]

Dale-

There are many books available which detail all the Presidential "fleet vehicles" on land, sea and in the air. Check out AMAZON.COM or visit a local bookstore to find them. Thanks for stopping by! Hope this helps!

Steve

[Dale Adam]

Does anyone have any photo's of the older pres. fleets? Thanks Dale.

[steve parker]

Hi Ed! What a great note and addition to our BLOG! Have you written a book about your experiences there? Certainly people with less info than you have written books and magazine articles … ! You stop by here anytime and drop us a note whenever you have anything to share!

[Ed Michaels]

In 1993 and 1994 when O'Gara Hess & Eisenhardt was still owned by the O'Gara family, I consulted with Guy O'Gara and Jim Salscheieder on the PSVII (High Handgun Threat/anti physical assault-kidnap package weighing only 300lbs.) armored Cadillac STS Seville. During that time I was exposed to many confidential and many simply "not publicized" information on the "Parade Cars". At the time the United States Presidents Parade Cars and those of "approved" foreign heads of state were built on GM truck chasis with any of 23 different engine and transmission combinations.As a result of all the custom "metal bending" and custom coach work so the cars would look like a geometrically correct production car the build time was 2 years per car with much of the exterior metal being worked in Italy. The only part of the Parade Car fleet in use in 1993 that was factory was the trunk lid! I have much more I could write about two armored VW Passats that stop 7.62 Armor Piercing riunds from AK-47s for the president of VW Mexico etc.

[steve parker]

Hi Frank! Thanks for checking us out and sending your note!

As far as that hearse, my (somewhat educated) guess is that it is part of the Secret Service’s VIP/Presidential motor pool. I note what you say about the license plates … I always found it kind of funny that the Presidential limo and all the other motorcade vehicles have Washington, DC license plates. Is that just to show that the Feds obey the traffic laws, too? I guess some people WOULD complain if they didn’t use them!

There are a few stories on my BLOG about these vehicles and how they are ‘converted’ to security use. The company outside DC which you speak of is probably part of the worldwide ‘Hess, O’Gara and Eisenhardt’ company which builds the secure cars and trucks for all sorts of governments, VIPs, corporations and their executives and private individuals around the world. Google their name and you’ll find their site which explains a lot and shows more than you might expect to be made public about these ‘conversions’.

The government uses the Suburbans for what they call “Battle Wagons”; Loaded-up with Secret Service or, for State Department use around the world, with members of the Diplomatic Security Service, these things are bristling with men and women, sharpshooters, radio equipment, guns, heavy machinery of all sorts, even radio transmitters which send out signals on cell phone and other frequencies because many terrorists set-off their bombs via cell phone --- If you’re ever lucky enough to see, for instance, a US Presidential motorcade, try using your cell phone … It probably will NOT work while the car is within a ¼ mile or so!

The Ford Econoline full size vans which I have seen in motorcades are used to carry radio equipment, including the necessary radios for the President to send satellite “flash” messages used to communicate with nuclear forces and nuclear force commanders (and they used to be able to talk with the ‘Looking Glass’ planes, Air Force planes which were flying command centers in the air 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but after the end of the Cold War, their use was reportedly discontinued). These trucks also seem to carry the ‘repeaters’ needed by the Secret Service so their small, encrypted hand-held radios have a much larger service range than would be normal.

One of those vans (and its crew) were on-board an Air Force jet carrying it and other vehicles and security staff members, which crashed several years ago flying out of Jackson Hole, WY, while Bill Clinton was President.

When you say “ready for Baja racing” … Yep, many of these vehicles are ‘stripped’ down the frame, suspension and engine (and usually they are cut into two or three large sections) --- And often they get replacement engines, too. For instance, the big VIP limos used by the government probably have GM ‘Big Block’ 454 cubic inch V8s … And maybe even more … They might even be equipped with nitrous oxide for those rare times when these 6,000 pound beasts (and did you know that is the Secret Service codeword for the Pres’ limo is “The Beast”?) have to “get off the line” a bit faster than the typical Cadillac limousine!

Thanks again for writing and stop by anytime! And, again, I think the hearse is owned by We the People!

Steve Parker

[Frank McGrath]

How about the presidential hearse? I noticed it did not have license plates. Is it a loaner, or is it in the Secret Service fleet program? There is a place outside of DC that converts state dept vehicles into bullet proof vehicles. I have seen a lot of vehicles arrive looking loke they were pprepped for Baja racing and leave looking like low riders. Cads, trucks, subburbans, and even an econoline or two.