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Though few of the viewing millions may notice, as Barack Obama takes the oath of office Tuesday to become the 44th President of the United States, his journey toward destiny will venture forth on Goodyear tires.
The incoming President’s official limousine is continuing a decades-long tradition for Goodyear as the exclusive tire provider for the presidential limo, and the company also remains the standard tire supplier used by the U.S. Secret Service.
Obama’s new presidential limousine, a heavily customized Cadillac DTS, has been fitted with a set of Goodyear Regional RHS tires. These are actually truck tires in a 285/70R19.5 size, necessary because of the limo’s extra load that includes a heavy-duty chassis, extended length and armored material. It weighs more than three tons.
As with military combat vehicles, the presidential limousine runs on standard tires, but the rims contain a run-flat device made by Hutchinson Industries that enables the vehicle to be driven even with zero air pressure in all four tires.
In the past, Goodyear’s high-profile fitment on presidential limos has been featured in print advertisements, reminding consumers that the four things every president has in common with his predecessor are the Goodyear tires transporting him. The company’s current marketing campaign – “Goodyear ‘Get there’” – promotes the concept of helping drivers “get there” to their destinations, even if that destination happens to be the White House.
The latest limo replaces a 2004 Caddy DTS placed into service for George W. Bush.
“Cadillac is honored to again provide a new presidential limousine,” says Mark McNabb, the carmaker’s vice president for North America. “This is a great American tradition that we’re delighted to renew with an all-new car featuring the best of Cadillac’s dramatic design and technology.”
Though Lincoln limos may be more well-known based on the Ford vehicle’s connection with John F. Kennedy, the image of an American president greeting crowds from a Cadillac limousine dates to Woodrow Wilson and the early days of the automobile.
The latest Cadillac presidential limousine is a completely new design, succeeding the 2004 model. “The new car incorporates many of the dramatic design and technology features of new and highly acclaimed Cadillac vehicles in a purpose-built format tailored to specific and exacting specifications befitting presidential transport,” according to McNabb.
The vehicle includes many of the marque’s signature design elements, such as an intricate dual-textured grille; other design features, as with the car’s front and rear lighting, also mirror those used on production models.
For largely functional reasons, such as optimal outward visibility, the car is slightly more upright than its predecessor. However, the new vehicle occupies roughly the same overall footprint on the road as the previous model, with a similar size and proportion.
“Inside the cabin, the car includes the finest examples of Cadillac’s recent renaissance in design, technology and craftsmanship,” McNabb reports. “The cabin blends modern design and technology with old-world craftsmanship. Major aspects of the cabin are cut and sewn by hand, the same process used in popular Cadillac models such as the CTS sport sedan,” he adds.
An embroidered presidential seal is positioned in the center of the rear seat back panel, as well as on each rear door trim panel. Presidential seals are also affixed to the exterior rear doors. The U.S. flag is placed on the right front fender, and the presidential standard is located on the left front fender when the president travels in the vehicle. High-tech LED spotlights illuminate the flags at night.
“Naturally, many purpose-built aspects of the car are specially designed and prepared for presidential use. The rear passenger area includes an extensive executive compartment with ample seating space, outward visibility and useful mobile office features,” McNabb continues.
“The car was designed, developed and tested by specialists who adhered to an extensive set of specifications. It was subjected to an extreme testing regimen to ensure performance that achieves precise functional requirements. In doing so, security provisions were undertaken at all times during development to ensure the car’s functional capabilities are preserved and confidential,” he points out.
The company has built limousines and special vehicles for U.S. presidents, diplomats, ambassadors and foreign dignitaries since the early 20th century. Some of the more visible features have included elongated running boards and special handholds to accommodate dSecret Service agents.
Cadillac’s central role began during World War I, when many Cadillac engines and cars were transferred to military and government service because of their durability and power. One of the first chief executives to use a Cadillac was President Wilson, who rode through the streets of Boston during a World War I victory parade in 1919. A lavish 1928 Cadillac town car was used in the Calvin Coolidge administration.
In 1938, two Cadillac convertibles, dubbed the “Queen Mary” and “Queen Elizabeth,” were delivered to the U.S. government. Named after the great ocean liners of the time, the vehicles were 21.5 feet long, weighed 7,660 pounds and were equipped with a full ammunition arsenal, two-way radios and heavy-duty generators. Durable and reliable, the two “Queens” served Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Eisenhower, known as a car buff, rode in one of the first Cadillac Eldorado models ever produced during his 1953 inaugural parade. The Eldorado represented a high point in automobile design history, as it had the first wraparound windshield, a feature quickly adopted on other new production models, according to McNabb.
In 1956, the Queen Mary II and Queen Elizabeth II convertibles replaced the original series. The vehicles were slightly smaller, but like their predecessors, were fully armored and featured state-of-the art communications. Moreover, the vehicles were fitted with narrow rims inside the tire in case the tires were shot out. The Queen Mary II and Queen Elizabeth II served not only President Eisenhower, but also Presidents Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Both vehicles were retired in 1968.
The Ronald Reagan administration used a 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine, and a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham - Presidential Series was delivered to the Bill Clinton administration in 1993.
Unlike previous models that typically were Cadillac cars adapted and modified by independent limousine companies, the 1993 Presidential Brougham was designed, developed and manufactured totally within General Motors and Cadillac. This included an extensive set of security measures to maintain confidentiality, a process that continues today.
Currently, the 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine resides at the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Calif., while the 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham is at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark.
Cadillac has produced two presidential limousines this decade that remain in service. The first was a Deville Presidential model delivered to Bush in 2001. In 2004, Bush debuted a new DTS Presidential model. It was the first application of a new design that launched later that year for the production DTS full-size sedan.
For more information, visit www.goodyeartires.com and www.cadillac.com.
