The President's limo, code-named "Stagecoach," looks more like a tank truck than a car, even with a Cadillac grille, headlights and taillights. The current model entered service in 2018. This 20,000-pound vehicle is built on a GM Kodiak heavy-duty truck chassis and costs about $1.5 million per unit; the number of limo units delivered to the Secret Service for chauffeuring is classified. However, it is believed there are nearly a dozen, secretly located at military bases nationwide. Drivers are highly trained and qualified to operate the Beast, which has its own C-17 Globemaster Air Force transport to haul the brute.
This rolling bunker is a testament to modern defense technology. It is an anti-ballistic marvel, protected by eight-inch military-grade steel and ceramic armor. The five-inch-thick, layered, transparent armor windows can withstand armor-piercing bullets. Massive Kevlar-reinforced, run-flat Goodyear tires, powered by a GM Duramax diesel engine, keep "Cadillac One" on the road. Oversized wheel wells provide clearance for driving over obstacles, and reinforced steel plating underneath shields the vehicle from roadside bombs. An armor-plated fuel tank is encased in foam to prevent explosions. Agents can also deploy an oil slick and a smokescreen behind them if pursued.
Step inside the 'Stagecoach,' and you enter a world of comfort and security. The seven-seat interior is a sealed sanctuary designed to protect the President from biological or chemical attacks. The vehicle is equipped with tear gas cannons, night-vision cameras, automatic handheld weapons, shotguns, an onboard oxygen supply and medical provisions, including a refrigerator stocked with bottles of the President's blood type. Communication is vital, and the 'Stagecoach' is equipped with a direct line to the Vice President, a satellite telephone and other highly classified communication equipment. If an intruder tries to open a door, they will receive an electrical shock upon touching a door handle. Except for the driver (only halfway), the windows do not open, ensuring the President's safety while allowing communication.
The front fenders carry small flag stanchions and miniature spotlights that illuminate the Presidential and American flags—the front bumper sports fog lights, red-and-white flashers, and super-bright high beams. The night-driving camera is concealed in the grill. Five antennas are arrayed under the rear trunk lid. The President can dispatch codes from his seat to launch a nuclear weapon. As for executive comfort, I am told the car has an integrated 10-disc CD changer, reclining rear seats with massaging adaptive cushions and a foldaway desktop. The President has the switches for the climate control and sound systems at his fingertips. If the head of state is in an infodemic, tweets can also be transmitted from the vehicle.
A small, dark blue flag bearing the official Presidential Seal is meticulously hand-stitched and flown from the driver's front fender stanchion. Two identical flags are hand-stitched back-to-back, and fringed silk is added to the edges with gold and white loop threads. This official flag is never for sale. While working in Washington, I was fortunate to obtain one through sources I have never disclosed. This column includes a photo of that flag, framed in my office in SaddleBrooke, with four Secret Service badges, including two from ceremonial Presidential Inaugurals, a Uniformed Division Secret Service badge and the badge carried by non-uniformed agents protecting the President.
When I worked in Congress in Washington, I never tired of watching a Presidential motorcade. They moved swiftly through the city like an intricately choreographed ballet. First, you hear it coming. Then you see the flashing red, blue and white lights from escort motorcycles, followed by the Presidential limo and a decoy replica car. One never knows which vehicle carries the President. The ubiquitous black Chevy Suburban, packed with communication equipment and heavily armed Secret Service Agents, quickly shadows the limo. Press vehicles, an ambulance and additional security follow, with cars bringing up the rear. I have never had the privilege of riding in a Presidential limo. I did stand near one with the back door open and could see where President Ronald Reagan had been sitting when he returned to the White House after meetings on the Hill.
Cadillac has built the President's entire vehicle fleet since 1993 because no other manufacturer was interested.
Jerry Wilkerson, winner of the State of Arizona Press Community Column Writers Award, lives in SaddleBrooke. He served as a press secretary for two U.S. congressmen and as a correspondent for CBS NewsRadio Chicago and the Chicago Daily News. He has served as a police commissioner and is a Navy veteran. Email: franchise@att.net
