US Presidents Love their Cars

We all know our Presidents of the United States are chauffeured in state of the art limousines, but what about their own personal fleet? I loved looking into what vehicles were owned by our Presidents both before and after they were elected. I hope you enjoy the journey down memory lane!


Automobiles arrived in the White House a little over 100 years ago, with William McKinley being the first president to ride in an automobile in 1899 (a Locomobile steam carriage). Take a look at some of our President’s vehicles:

WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT:

He had the White House stables replaced with a garage. The first Presidential fleet included two Pierce-Arrows, a White Steam car, and a Baker electric car.

WOODROW WILSON:

Wilson owned a Pierce Arrow and a Rolls Royce.

HERBERT HOOVER:

Hoover owned a variety of cars including Chevrolets, Fords, and Packards. His favorite is said to have been his 1932 Cadillac V16 Fleetwood.

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT:

FDR realized that vehicles with hand controls allowed him to get out and meet people despite the limitations of his wheelchair. He had a variety of cars including Cadillacs, Fords, Lincolns, Packards, and Plymouths.

The most famous car of the Roosevelt administration was the Sunshine Special. It was a 12-cylinder 1939 Lincoln convertible. This car was the first vehicle designed and built to Secret Service specifications for a President.

HARRY TRUMAN:

Truman’s personal vehicles included Dodge, Chryslers, and Plymouths. One of his very first cars was a 1917 Dodge. His last vehicle was a 1972 Chrysler Newport.

Two of his cars, a 1941 Chrysler coupe and a 1941 Chrysler sedan are on display at his Presidential Library in Missouri.

DWIGHT EISENHOWER:

Eisenhower’s personal vehicles included a 1940 Chrysler Royal, a 1949 Chrysler Windsor, and a 1968 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron.

JOHN F. KENNEDY:

JFK owned a 1959 Pontiac convertible before he was elected President. For his inauguration, he requested Ford Thunderbirds be used. Ford had a difficulty finding 25 of the vehicles for the parade because the restyled T-bird was such a hot car. Customers were actually put on hold for their new T-birds until after the inauguration.

GERALD FORD:

His first car was a 1924 Ford coupe. He purchased it in 1930 for $75. His later vehicles included a 1968 Chrysler, 1969 Ford Mustang, and a 1972 Jeep.

JIMMY CARTER:

Carter’s first personal car was a 1947 Studebaker.

RONALD REAGAN:

Reagan’s personal vehicles included a new 1934 Nash, which was his first car. He later owned a 1946 Cadillac convertible, a 1965 Lincoln stretch limousine, a 1969 Ford station wagon, and a 1976 Mercury Monarch sedan.

GEORGE BUSH:

His first car was a 1947, red Studebaker Champ. A restored Studebaker, identical to this, is on display at his Presidential Library.

BILL CLINTON:

Clinton’s father ran a Buick dealership in Arkansas, where President Clinton actually worked in the parts department. His parents gave him a 1963 white Buick LaSabre when he enrolled at Georgetown University. Clinton also owned a Gremlin, Chevrolet El Camino, and his favorite – a 1967 Ford Mustang.

GEORGE W. BUSH:

In his younger days, he owned a Triumph sports car and an Oldsmobile Cutlass convertible.

BARACK OBAMA:

President Barack Obama’s first car was his grandfather’s Ford Granada. He drove a Toyota Tercel while attending law school, and later drove a Jeep Grand Cherokee. His next vehicle was the Chrysler 300!

Thank you for looking back at our President’s vehicle history with me. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Contact me at kori@getdodge.com.