Pat Nixon's White House Limo

[David Smith]

President Reagan waving from the 1983 Cadillac limousine in Fairfield, Connecticut. 10/26/84.

[Charles D. Barnette]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you to each who have contributed to this thread. Please keep the Presidential Limousine pictures coming. My thought was to use the Pat Nixon Cadillac pictures to launch off into Presidential Limousine pictures to help us welcome onto the historical automotive scene the new Cadillac Presidential Limousine to appear in January of 2009 for the inauguration of President Elect Obama. The pictures received thus far have exceeded my wildest imagination! These cars are very special, and to me they encapsulate our country's history as no other medium could do. Look at the post by Jessie with regard to the picture of President Ford in 1975. The Cadillac he is getting into appears to be the Pat Nixon Limo I started this thread with. It is certainly a 1973 Limo. With regard as to what happens to these cars after use, it is my understanding that the rule is that after the saving of the 1972 Lincoln used by Reagan all of these vehicles thereafter are subject to being destroyed by the Secret Service in testing the cars for security purposes. The saving of the Clinton Cadillac Limousine however is a notable exception! Charles D. Barnette

[Charles D. Barnette]

Apparently the very first Cadillac used by a President in office was a 1919 Cadillac used by President Woodrow Wilson. Mention needs to be made also of the 1979 Cadillac Presidential Limousine used by President Carter. Charles D. Barnette

[David Smith]

Does anyone know where First Lady Mamie Eisenhowers Limo ended up?

I saw it forsale a dozen or so years ago.  But never found out where went.

It is easy to distiguish from a regular series 75 by it's Coupe Deville hardtop rear roof.

[Joe Manna]

David,the Mamie Eisenhower car was featured in the SS a while ago.If I'm not mistaken,it went overseas.Joe

[David Smith]

David,the Mamie Eisenhower car was featured in the SS a while ago.If I'm not mistaken,it went overseas.Joe

Thanks Joe.  That'll teach me to let my subscription lapse off and on.

You'd think the car would have ended up in the Eisenhower Museum.   I hope it is on display over there.

[Otto Skorzeny]

Hi Charles,

Look again at Pat Nixon's car and Gerald Ford's. Pat's has a single seam down the center of the vinyl top. Ford's has two seams - one on each edge. Probably not the same car.

[Eric S. Maypother #15104]

If you notice on the Reagan Limo the picture by plane it has the correct grille and parking lights, then in the museum it has the 81, 87/88 grille and amber parking lights. They must have updated it to the latest style while it was in service, I think they did that on a few other Presidential Limo's also.

I have a newspaper clipping from back in 83 or 84 my mother cut out for me telling about Reagan's new Limo with a picture, I'll have to post it if I find it in my dozens of boxes of Cadillac memorabilia.

Theirs a video I see on amazon I may get called Presidential Movers (Modern Marvels)

I got all the Cadillac Presidential Limo's in scale die-cast models. On the model of the 1983 LImo has the newer grille and amber parking lights also. On the model boxes I see they call a 1972 Lincoln the Reagan Limo and the 1983 Cadillac a Presidential Limo, I haven't seen a model made yet for Clinton of the 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood thought they have the Bush Limo, and others going back to the 1938 Cadillac.

[Walter Youshock]

Although JFK was fatally wounded in SS-100-X, after that and the Warren Commission's release of the car, it was actually returned to service under LBJ's administration.

The car was renumbered and reinforced, yet, its original configuration is what remains on view at the Greenfield Village Museum.

[Joe Manna]

David,when you renew your subscription,I will try to dig out the issue and let you know so you can get a copy.Joe

[David Smith]

If you notice on the Reagan Limo the picture by plane it has the correct grille and parking lights, then in the museum it has the 81, 87/88 grille and amber parking lights. They must have updated it to the latest style while it was in service, I think they did that on a few other Presidential Limo's also.

I have a newspaper clipping from back in 83 or 84 my mother cut out for me telling about Reagan's new Limo with a picture, I'll have to post it if I find it in my dozens of boxes of Cadillac memorabilia.

Theirs a video I see on amazon I may get called Presidential Movers (Modern Marvels)

I got all the Cadillac Presidential Limo's in scale die-cast models. On the model of the 1983 LImo has the newer grille and amber parking lights also. On the model boxes I see they call a 1972 Lincoln the Reagan Limo and the 1983 Cadillac a Presidential Limo, I haven't seen a model made yet for Clinton of the 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood thought they have the Bush Limo, and others going back to the 1938 Cadillac.

Good observations Eric.    Indeed the White House Limos did get cosmetic updates as needed.     I wish the scale model of the 72 Lincoln Limo was done in it's original 72 configuration.   That was the version most of us remember.   The 78-79 update was long overdue, but of course as we know it was quickly taken out of service.   I'm sure by then it had some serious miles on it.   To me that will always be the "Nixon" Limo.

As for the earlier question of what happens to retired Presidential limos... a while back it was said by the Secret Service that the 72-79 Lincoln would be the last one sent to the Henry Ford Museum as the future ones get destroyed in Secret Service tests.  But obviously that isn't true.   We know where the Reagon and Clinton Limos are.  In their respective Museums.    So which ones are missing then?

[Barry]

A little off topic, but I have never seen a color picture of Ike in his '53 Eldorado during the parade. That would be a treat if anyone has a color picture--there must have been some published somewhere !

[Johnny]

Pope John II 's custom parade car.





Whether you "Liked IKE" or not, you've gotta love his Cadillac convertible!

[David Smith]

A little off topic, but I have never seen a color picture of Ike in his '53 Eldorado during the parade. That would be a treat if anyone has a color picture--there must have been some published somewhere !

There are pics of it in color.  Unfortunately the only one I found in my collection is in a book and it is very small.  About 2 inches long by 1 inch tall.   I'm not even going to try and scan it.    The photo credit is the Cadillac Historical Services.   So they must have more in color.

[Charles D. Barnette]

In regard to the Ottoskorzeny post about the different number of seams to the vinyl top between the current pictures of the Pat Nixon car and the 1975 picture of President Ford with a similar car, it might be that the car's top was recently restored and could only be done with a single seam. Good eye, I had not noticed the difference. I will need to ask the current owner which would be Daniel Jobe of Capitol Cadillac about this. I wish we could see around the hood ornament of the Ford picture to see if the extra hood chrome is present. Until the seam question is settled, it may still be the same car. Charles

[Walter Youshock]

Also, note the interior door panel on the Reagan limo.  It's the 1979-1980 style.

And doesn't that interior look rich in velvet!

[Charles D. Barnette]

The automotive historical time-line (a road paved with Lincolns and Cadillacs) of Presidential vehicles with personality begins with FDR's 1939 Lincoln Special K convertible which was updated in 1942 and called the "Sunshine Special" (the Secret Service became involved in Presidential vehicles first with this car). The personality baton passed next to the Truman/Eisenhower 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan "Bubble Top", then to the 1961 Lincoln Continental convertible (the Kennedy assassination car which was the last Presidential convertible vehicle) later updated in 1964 with permanent hardtop and bullet proofed and used until the time of President Carter (the car was originally dark blue until after the 64 redo when it was painted black like everyone of the Presidential vehicles), then to the 1972 Lincoln Continental (the car that both Ford and Reagan took refuge in after respective assassination attempts), then to the Carter 1979 Cadillac, then to the Reagan 1983 Cadillac, then to the Reagan/George H. W. Bush 1989 Lincoln Town Car, then to the Clinton 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood, then to the George W. Bush 2001 DeVille, and finally to the George W. Bush 2006 DTS. Up to this point not counting doubles or triples or supplements or those designed primarily for Secret Service use, there are 5 Cadillacs and 5 Lincolns on this historic chain of vehicles. For President Elect Obama there will be it is believed a new 2009 Cadillac which has been described as more truck than car. We shall hopefully see it on Jan. 20, 2009, at the inauguration. I personally cannot wait to see it on TV. For those of you lucky enough to attend the 2009 inauguration, please post here any pictures of the new Cadillac you take. Please be mindful not to upset the Secret Service in the process of taking your pictures however. Charles D. Barnette

[Otto Skorzeny]

a new 2009 Cadillac which has been described as more truck than car.

What else would we expect from today's Cadillac?

[Charles D. Barnette]

Speaking of being mindful of the Secret Service, in 1999 after President Clinton had been cleared in the US Senate of impeachment charges, he came to Hope, Arkanasas, and then to Texarkana, Texas/Arkansas. He was using the 1993 Presidential Cadillac both in Hope and in my hometown of Texarkana. I desparately wanted a picture of the car as well as of the President. He went to Hope first. I was later told by an acquaintance that my acquaintance was able to get close to the vehicle in a crowd situation but my acquaintance happened to notice red light dots dancing all over his chest (obviously he was in some Secret Service person's gun sights). I wished I had known that because when the President came to Texarkana I had devised a good plan I thought to get a picture of the car and of him speaking at a local hotel. I asked my friend to get a picture of the car outside while I was attending the inside event trying to find a good location to take a picture of the President. My friend told me that when the procession arrived the Presidential car went to the back of the hotel where the President disembarked. When my friend approached the car a Secret Service agent came up and told my friend that if he took one more step toward the car my friend would be shot. My friend looked at the top of the hotel and saw a sharpshooter aiming right at my friend. Needless to say I got no pictures of the car from my friend. I had unintentionally put my friend in harm's way. Later after thinking about the matter I realized that the so called "black box" that the President has near him at all times to destroy the world if needs be may be housed in the Presidential Limo! Does anyone else have similar stories? Charles D. Barnette

[Eric S. Maypother #15104]

I was searching the web trying to find a picture of Carters 1979 Limo, haven't found 1 yet but I did find a web site of Presidential limo's.

http://my.net-link.net/~dcline/limopres.htm

President Carter came to my town for a town hall meeting back in March 77, my mother was 1 of the raffle winners to attend the town hall meeting, Carter stayed at a house a few blocks from me because the owner had connections, in the morning he was about a block from my bus stop, my friend ran up and shook his hand, by the time I found out about it I didn't have a chance to or I would missed the bus, my friend told me about it when he came back, he ran to catch the bus himself, their was news vans and crowds all around.