Weird Facts About Presidents and Their Cars

William Howard Taft

Taft was not only the fattest President of the United States; in 1909 he became the first one to ride in an official presidential limousine. In fact there were four official presidential limos: a White Steamer, a Baker Electric, and two Pierce-Arrows. From this selection, it's obvious that Taft was an early proponent of no-fossil fuel vehicles (more than many subsequent occupants of the White House).

William McKinley

In 1899, McKinley was actually the first president to take a ride in a car, a steam-powered Locomobile.

Warren Harding

Harding was the first president who knew how to drive a car before taking office. He was also the first president to ride to his inauguration in a limo.

Calvin Coolidge

Typical of Calvin Coolidge's reputed stingy demeanor, he rented his presidential limousines to save money.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Roosevelt's official presidential limo was a Ford equipped with hand controls because he enjoyed driving despite his polio affliction. He only stopped driving himself after experiencing a 1933 assassination attempt in Chicago. From then on, his limousines were armor-plated.

An additional note: on December 8, 1941, one day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Roosevelt rode to Congress to deliver his declaration of war in gangster Al Capone's armor-plated limo. The car was then owned by the Department of Treasury following Capone's tax evasion conviction.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Eisenhower was the first president to have a Plexiglass bubble installed on the roof of his limousine in order to be seen by crowds even in bad weather.

John F. Kennedy

A sign of his times, JFK's Lincoln Continental was tricked-out and gadget-laden much like a James Bond vehicle. It had removable roof panels that could be configured in various ways, and the back seat could be raised more than 10 inches. The car also came with a two-way radio and a telephone.

It was leased to the White House for a mere $500.

Lyndon Johnson

After Kennedy's assassination, Lyndon Johnson had the presidential Lincoln overhauled, adding 1600 pounds of steel plating and bullet-proof glass, and a non-removable top.