Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[REPORT: Secret Service vehicles strike and kill pedestrian]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/13/report-secret-service-vehicles-strike-and-kill-pedestrian/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/13/report-secret-service-vehicles-strike-and-kill-pedestrian/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/13/report-secret-service-vehicles-strike-and-kill-pedestrian/#commentsFiled under: ,

Presidential Limousine - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Tragedy struck the streets of Maryland Wednesday when a pair of heavily armored Secret Service vehicles designed to escort the Vice President struck and killed a pedestrian at an intersection. Inside Line reports that the unfortunate accident occurred at 2:27 am Wednesday morning in rainy conditions as the armored Cadillac limo and Chevrolet Suburban were en-route from Andrews Air Force base to a secure storage location. Vice President Joe Biden was not on board when the incident took place.

The armored vehicles, which weigh over 13,000 pounds, are driven by employees who have taken a special protective operator's driving course. The Washington Post has quoted a Secret Service official as saying the vehicles' added heft makes the vehicles "trickier to handle than ordinary vehicles." The incident is currently under investigation by the U.S. Park Police.


Gallery: President Obama Inauguration Limo Ride


Gallery: 2009 Cadillac Presidential Limousine


[Source: Inside Line]

REPORT: Secret Service vehicles strike and kill pedestrian originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armored carArmoredCarcadillac limoCadillacLimochevy suburbanChevySuburbanpresidential limoPresidentialLimosecret servicesecret service limoSecretServiceSecretServiceLimoFri, 13 Nov 2009 13:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Dubya's DTS and other presidential conveyances]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/05/dubyas-dts-and-other-presidential-conveyances/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/05/dubyas-dts-and-other-presidential-conveyances/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/05/dubyas-dts-and-other-presidential-conveyances/#commentsFiled under: ,



In a rare behind-the-scenes look, the Cadillac & LaSalle Club's Potomac Regional Director, Vince Taliano, was granted permission to spend a day in the Secret Service motorpool garages. Fortunately, he documented the day in pictures, and shared the experience with Hemmings and therefore all of us on the interweb.

Taliano got to see the current fleet of cars, including Dubya's personal Caddy. It's based on the Cadillac DTS and was first unveiled at the 2005 Inauguration Parade. General Motors says it is hand-built with a jet-black clearcoat finish. This particular DTS is also a lot longer, wider and taller than the one you can get at your local Cadillac dealer. In the interest of national security, the limo features state-of-the-art protection and communications systems. And to make it a better rolling office, the interior has been redone to include a hidden foldaway desktop and reclining adaptive rear seats, which "senses the position of the occupant in the seat and automatically adjusts the cushion for added comfort." Pretty slick. Click the read link for more photos and personal observations on the cars and the trip. We found it a good read worth our time.

[Source: Caddie Chronicle via Hemmings]

Dubya's DTS and other presidential conveyances originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Mar 2007 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Presidential limoPresidentialLimoSecret ServiceSecretServiceVince TalianoVinceTalianoMon, 05 Mar 2007 19:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Clinton receives first presidential hybrid]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/07/clinton-receives-first-presidential-hybrid/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/07/clinton-receives-first-presidential-hybrid/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/07/clinton-receives-first-presidential-hybrid/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



President Clinton will be the first U.S. president ever to use a hybrid outfitted for presidential service thanks to Ford, who will be presenting our 42nd president with a Mercury Mariner Hybrid "Presidential Edition" at the Clinton Global Initiative conference later this month in New York City. The Mariner Hybrid has been modified to include LED interior lighting, a 110-volt outlet and a writing table. Everything else on the vehicle, including the hybrid powertrain that delivers 32 mpg in the city, is supposedly stock.

We say supposedly because most presidential vehicles are heavily modified with armor and other technologies to thwart assassination attempts. The LED interior lighting installed in Clinton's Mariner Hybrid suggests the window glass is either heavily tinted for privacy or has been replaced with a transparent armor similar to the kind used on President Bush's armored Cadillac DTS limo that's so thick it blocks natural sunlight.

Speaking of presidential vehicles, did you know that the presidential motorcade is typically 35 cars long? A lot of gas could be saved by switching that fleet over to a next generation powertrain. Follow the jump to see what vehicles follow the president when he's out on the town and in what order.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Clinton receives first presidential hybrid

Clinton receives first presidential hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Sep 2006 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>armorarmored limoarmored vehicleArmoredLimoArmoredVehicleclintonhybridmariner hybridMarinerHybridpresidentpresidentialsecret serviceSecretServiceThu, 07 Sep 2006 17:02:00 EST