Methods were different and attempts on the president's life were and still are one of the most effective ways. After the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901, Congress directed the Secret Service to protect the President of the United States. Protection remains a key mission of the United States Secret Service and that is why all Presidents are armed with the most advanced and reliable security technologies. Reliable cars for politics were one of the main aspects when assuring the safety for person number 1. Since late 30s, the U.S. government has specially commissioned vehicles for presidential use, which were traditionally chosen among American cars. To make them reliable the cars for politics were upgraded with special car accessories like advanced communications equipment, defense countermeasures and armor plating.
Since the 1910 The Presidents of the USA began to ride luxury and reliable vehicles which were available at that time. Here is the short overview of the rides which served for the nation:
- Stanley Steamer was the first government-owned automobile used by Theodore Roosevelt during his presidency.
- Model M Steamer by White Motor Company was official president car for Roosevelt's successor, William Howard Taft, who has reorganized the White House stable into an automobile garage and enlarged the automobile collection by two Pierce-Arrows which where driven on official state occasions.
- Cadillac was firstly used during a World War I victory parade by the President Woodrow Wilson at Boston.
- Packard Twin-Six was used by Warren Harding at his inauguration in 1921.
- 1928 Cadillac Town Car was an official car for Calvin Coolidge.
- In 1938 the U.S. Government has ordered two Cadillac convertibles: "Queen Mary" and "Queen Elizabeth", named after the great ocean liners of the time. The cars were equipped with Cadillac Accessories like full ammunition arsenal, two way radios and heavy duty generators. The two "Queens" were used during Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower presidencies.
- The 1939 Lincoln V12 convertible titled the "Sunshine Special" was the first vehicle specially deigned for presidential purposes, used by Franklin D. Roosevelt. The limousine was originally equipped with car accessories like a siren, a 2-way radio, running lights, extra-wide running boards, and grab handles for Secret Service agents. After the attack on Pearl Harbor a heavily armored 1928 Cadillac 341A Town Sedan has been delivered to transport the president, originally belonging to gangster Al Capone. Roosevelt used the it until his "Sunshine Special" was modified to be bulletproof, with armor plating for the doors, bullet-proof tires, inch-thick windows and storage compartments for sub-machine guns.
- In 1950, a newly made Lincoln Cosmopolitan also known as "Bubble Top" was delivered to the White House and used Truman, Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was fond of cars, had ridden in one of the first Cadillac Eldorado in 1953 during the Inauguration parade. The vehicle had the first one-piece "wrap-around" windshield, which quickly became a standard in domestic and foreign automobiles.
- 1961 Lincoln Continental SS-100-X convertible was the car of President John F. Kennedy. It was that one car in which he was attacked. The car had Lincoln Accessories like armor plating, a new interior, a permanent sedan roof, an improved air-conditioning system, bulletproof glass and electronic communications equipment.
- Three 1965 Lincoln Continental Executive limousines were ordered by Johnson's administration. The X-100 was modified in 1967. The large one-piece glass roof was replaced with a smaller glass area and a hinged roof panel.
- 1969 Cadillac Continental limousine model was ordered through Lehman-Peterson of Chicago by President. It had a sunroof and several Cadillac accessories such as retractable hand grips and running boards. President Nixon also ordered a 1972 Continental model that was stretched to 22 ft (7 m), outfitted with armor plating, bullet resistant glass and powered by a 460 cubic inch (7.5 liter) V8 engine mated to a C-6 3-speed automatic transmission. It was used by Presidents Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan; it was the limousine that Reagan was about to enter at the time of his assassination attempt in 1981.
- In 1983, Cadillac Fleetwood limousine was built for the Reagan administration. It was the last GM car equipped with the Turbo Hydra-Matic 400 3-speed automatic transmission.
- President George H. W. Bush used a 1989 Lincoln Town Car with a 460 Cu. in. EFI V-8 out of a Ford F-250 Heavy Duty pickup truck and an E4OD 4 speed automatic transmission.
- A Presidential Series Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham was created for the Clinton Administration in 1993. To minimize external threats no sunroof or running boards were installed. It was upgraded with a 7.4 l Chevrolet V-8 Engine mated to a 4L80E 4 speed automatic transmission.
- A 2001 Cadillac DeVille limousine was delivered to the Bush administration and was replaced in 2005 by a Cadillac DTS (DeVille Touring Sedan). The 2005 Cadillac DTS limousine is a hand-crafted, custom built, armored version of the stretch Cadillac DTS built on a GM four-wheel drive platform.
