Sometimes I wonder how US
Presidents used to get around. Before the invention of the limousine, the
private jet, or even the car, what exactly set the President's mode of transportation
apart from the mode of the regular citizen?
Armored cars are now considered almost essential for all high-profile
figures in dangerous parts of the world. A Presidential Limousine has become
virtually synonymous with the word "Armored Car," in essence it is a
vehicle of hardcore protection.
The Presidential limousine may seem like a recent invention, something that
came about within the past few Presidential terms. This, however, is a
misconception. Officially, the first President to ride in what has become known
as the Presidential limousine was Woodrow Wilson. Taking the streets during a
parade celebrating the US
victory in World War I, he was honoring the end of the war and, unknowingly,
starting the beginning of a transportation tradition.
Protecting world leaders is a serious business and there are only a handful
of companies around the world with the specialist engineering skills. One of
the first armored cars for a political leader is thought to have been a
limousine built by engineering firm O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt for President
Harry S. Truman in 1949.
Today, the technology has greatly moved on - and it has been shown to save
lives in the worst case scenarios. President George W Bush's vehicle is thought
to be the most advanced ever. Vehicle security works on three basic principles:
· Protection at point of attack · Ability to evade and escape ·
Counter-measures
Models openly advertised as having "presidential standard"
security come fitted with armor around the battery, radiator, engine block and
systems to automatically seal the fuel tank to prevent explosions. Another
measure appearing in the top-of-the-range models is night vision systems.
Limousines have long been viewed as a pinnacle of success. Presidential
limousines with bullet proof glass and numerous security features are produced
by automotive manufacturers and presented to the sitting president. Cadillac
limousines have been a favorite choice of U.S.
Presidents throughout the years as is illustrated by President Bush's new Cadillac
DTS Limousine.
It doesn't really matter - the last Presidential limo was a Cadillac and the
next one will be too. It's standard protocol for the head of State to drive a
vehicle from their country's most prestigious automotive manufacturer. In Britain,
that's a Jaguar, and in many countries it's a shared gig - Peugeot and Renault
in France, BMW and Mercedes in Germany,
and in Japan,
Emperor Akihito is currently driven in a Nissan Prince Royal and there's a
suitably up market Toyota under
development.
As we are saying <a
href="http://www.booklimo.co.uk/">Limousine</a> is a
luxury car which is often associated with the wealthy and hardcore protection. Therefore
limousines are owned not only by individuals, many are owned by governments to
transport senior politicians, by large companies to transport executives, or by
broadcasters to transport guests.
Other limousine related articles
you can find at www.booklimo.co.uk
Article Source: http://www.theukarticledirectory.co.uk