An armoured Cadillac originally built for President Bill Clinton in 1996 could be the premier addition to your car collection in 2025.
The car is actually one of three Beasts built for the 42nd President, with one still held by the CIA and the other in the Clinton Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas. According to Mecum Auctions it is the only example of a fully-armoured presidential limousine to have escaped the garages of government and find its way into private hands.
Based on the Fleetwood Brougham this Cadillac One is seriously stretched, extending to 270 inches in length, on a 167.5-inch wheelbase. That makes it 45 inches longer than the civilian model and it’s three inches taller as well, so that the President would be more visible behind the three-inch thick bullet-proof windows.
Clinton’s Caddy was built with the aid of GM’s Advanced Engineering Division and its 454 cubic inch (7.4-litre) V8 engine was hand-assembled by Jack Roush to cope with the increased weight of the car’s security systems. The bodywork was reinforced to be blast-proofed to B6 standards, an onboard oxygen and fire-suppression system was installed and it rode on special run-flat tires. Also fitted were emergency lights and siren, a public address system and telephone (presumably the number has been changed), plus halogen lighting and flag mounts to fly the Stars and Stripes on the front wings.
Inside there’s a combination of dark blue cloth and leather trim and seating for six in the rear compartment, where there’s also a TV and video for in-car entertainment. Up front is a suite of custom gauges by Delco to monitor the engine, plus controls for all the advanced security features.
Mecum estimates that more than $6 million was spent on building the trio of First Cars for Clinton. The one headed to auction at Kissimmee on January 18 has completed just 626 miles and bidding candidates will be glad to know it comes with a clean CarFax report.
