What Happens To Decommissioned Presidential Limos?



The largest collection of retired presidential limousines is housed at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. The exhibit begins with Theodore Roosevelt's 1902 horse-drawn carriage and ends with Ronald Reagan’s 1972 Lincoln Continental. The past 30 years have seen a total of five presidential limousine designs, representing an evolution of one of the most secure cars for heads of state ever built. After several previous administrations had used Cadillac limousines, the George H. W. Bush administration switched to a Lincoln Town Car limousine. The 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood limo was the last car-based presidential limousine that would be designed for a president's use, with all subsequent models being based on SUV or truck platforms. Today’s presidential limousine is a Cadillac CT6 — commonly referred to as “The Beast.” The Beast is loaded with James Bond-style gadgets believed to include smoke screens and door handles rigged to send a 120-volt electric shock to ward off attackers. It can also reportedly lay down an oil slick to send enemy vehicles spinning out of control. Pump-action shotguns, rocket-powered grenades, night vision equipment, and tear gas grenades are all said to be onboard. In 1989, the government began dismantling presidential limos with explosives to destroy the secrets of their manufacturers, as well as their armoring and defensive abilities.