Vintage photos show how presidential limousines have changed, from open convertibles to Biden’s $1.5 million armored Cadillac known as ‘The Beast’
October 24, 20240
The 13,000-pound car cost $500,000, or around $3.7 million in today’s dollars.
The bullet ricocheted off the right side of the rear door before hitting Reagan. The car’s body damage was repaired and it remained in use until 1992.
The 214-horsepower car featured a sunroof panel, a communication system, and fluorescent lighting to help the president be seen inside the vehicle.
In 1983, the Reagan administration switched from Lincoln cars to Cadillacs.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the 22-foot vehicle, a modified Lincoln Town Car, cost $600,000 and took three years to build.
At the 2005 inauguration, President George W. Bush rode in a 2006 Cadillac DeVille Touring Sedan, or DTS.
The new model sported 19.5-inch tires and larger windows than previous presidential limousines.
The interior featured plush leather seats decorated with the presidential seal, a fold-out desk, and room for five passengers.
Despite the Cadillac exterior, the frame of the car is the same as the Chevrolet Kodiak truck produced by General Motors. The vehicle can seat up to seven people and cost around $1.5 million to build.
The US Secret Service has called The Beast “the most technologically advanced protection vehicle in the world.”
The Beast includes a night-vision system, a secure communications system, tear-gas firing capabilities, door handles that can deliver electric shocks, and refrigerators with the president’s blood type. With 3-inch thick windows and 8-inch thick armor, it’s also bulletproof and sealed against biochemical attacks.