[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/potusmobiles-exactly-powerful-drive\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/potusmobiles-exactly-powerful-drive\/","headline":"POTUSmobiles – What Exactly Do The Powerful Drive ?","name":"POTUSmobiles – What Exactly Do The Powerful Drive ?","description":"With all the hype and excitement surrounding the upcoming US presidential election, perhaps it got you thinking\u00a0 – \u2018what kind of car does the President of the United States of America drive?\u2019 The blunt reality is they don\u2019t drive anything. Each POTUS is carted around in a virtually indestructible official state car, equipped with rocket-propelled grenades, a tear gas cannon, bulletproof glass, eight-inch thick doors, and an airtight interior designed to withstand a chemical attack. No serving president is allowed […]","datePublished":"2016-08-18","dateModified":"2016-08-19","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/feature-33.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/feature-33.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/potusmobiles-exactly-powerful-drive\/","about":["LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":702,"keywords":["2005 Chrysler 300C","Amphicar","Fiord","Ford Escape Hybrid","History of Presidential Cars","Presiddential History","Presidential Cars","Presidential Motoring","US Cars","US Presidents","What do Presidents Drive"],"articleBody":"With all the hype and excitement surrounding the upcoming US presidential election, perhaps it got you thinking\u00a0 – \u2018what kind of car does the President of the United States of America drive?\u2019The blunt reality is they don\u2019t drive anything. Each POTUS is carted around in a virtually indestructible official state car, equipped with rocket-propelled grenades, a tear gas cannon, bulletproof glass, eight-inch thick doors, and an airtight interior designed to withstand a chemical attack.No serving president is allowed to drive – the Secret Service straight up forbids it – which means the only time any POTUS gets behind the wheel, it\u2019s either a photo opportunity or a golf cart.That doesn\u2019t make for a very interesting feature but winding the clock back a bit further, what did presidents drive when they weren\u2019t busy being one of the most powerful people in the world? Barack Obama – Ford Escape HybridYou\u2019d expect arguably the coolest President to occupy the Oval Office\u00a0 to have owned some equally cool rides in his time but lower your expectations, Obama\u2019s taste in cars has been disappointingly lame.His first car was his grandmother\u2019s Ford Granada that \u201crattled and shook\u201d and didn\u2019t help his chances when it came to picking up girls (Obama\u2019s words, not ours).Things haven\u2019t got much better since. Late in his term as state senator in 2004, he leased a grey 2005 Chrysler 300C, which failed to attract any bids when it was listed on eBay for a cool $1 million in 2012.With presidential candidates\u2019 vehicles facing plenty of scrutiny in the run-up to the 2008 election, he eventually traded the thirsty wagon for a much more economical Ford Escape Hybrid in 2007; a move which virtually doubled his combined fuel return from 18mpg to 30mpg. Baller.Lyndon B.Johnson – AmphicarFrom the coolest President to what has to be the coolest car on this list. What you are looking at is the \u2018Amphicar\u2019, a two-door cabriolet that can seamlessly switch from road-driving to sea-sailing.Powered by a 1.15-litre 38.3bhp Triumph engine, it wasn\u2019t particularly fast and it wasn\u2019t much cop on the water, achieving top speed of 70mph on land and 7 knots on the water.However, that didn\u2019t matter to prankster Johnson, who would scream to guests at his Johnson City Ranch in Texas that the car\u2019s brakes had failed and roll into a lake before casually sailing about. What a joker.Harry S. Truman – Ford Super DeluxeWorld War Two saw the production of new cars grind to an immediate and abrupt halt as car makers pumped their resources into helping with the war effort. However, once the war was won, the first car to roll off Ford\u2019s reactivated assembly line was gifted to then-President Truman, who held office between 1945 and 1953.The moonbeam gray 1946 Ford Super Deluxe Tudor Sedan was Ford\u2019s most popular model that year.Bill Clinton – Ford Mustang Convertible The 42nd President of the United States claims that leaving behind his 1967 Mustang Convertible was the hardest part of moving into the White House.Clinton picked up the clearwater aqua Mustang with white rag-top and white interior while serving as the Governor of Arkansas, and refurbed the 120bhp drop-top not long after taking ownership.It now resides in Arkansas\u2019 Museum of Automobiles, but before taking office, Clinton was frequently spotted cruising from Little Rock to Hot Springs. With the top down, obvs.George W. Bush – Triumph TR4AClinton\u2019s successor also drove a convertible – a 1966 Triumph TR4A – which was bought for him as a college graduation present by his dad and former President George H.W. Bush. As first cars go, they don\u2019t get much cooler than this.Ronald Reagan – Subaru BRATRelations between the US and Japan were still understandably frosty after the Hiroshima\/Nagasaki atomic bomb \u00a0incident during the closing stages of WW2.So soon-to-be-president Reagan wisely kept quiet about his Subaru BRAT, which he kept at his California ranch. The station wagon-cum-pick-up was restored in 2009, and there are plenty of pictures of it here.Sources:www.articles.chicagotribune.com |\u00a0http:\/\/content.usatoday.com\/ |\u00a0media.ford.com |\u00a0http:\/\/www.trbimg.com\/ |\u00a0scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net |"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"POTUSmobiles – What Exactly Do The Powerful Drive ?","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/potusmobiles-exactly-powerful-drive\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]