Each country has a world leader that travels frequently by car to various important meetings and functions. Being as high profile and important as they are means they need their transportation to include certain features that ensure they reach their destination safely.
Most people have a preference when it comes to cars, and world leaders are no different. Chill Insurance have picked out five world leaders and focused on the ceremonial cars they travel in, looking at the different specifications of each car and ranked them out of 10.
In this post, we’re going to look at some of the different features of each vehicle used by these world leaders
The President of the United States – Cadillac One
The US president faces an unimaginable amount of pressure in his role, with the eyes of the world watching his every move. Therefore, his car needs to include heavily armoured safety features.
The Cadillac One, nicknamed the Beast, has 8 inch-thick doors, bulletproof glass for the windows, and a spacious boot that stores automatic weapons and a blood bank containing pints of blood matching the president’s blood type, should the car come under attack and the president be injured.
Queen Elizabeth II – Bentley State Limousine
The Queen of England will often be seen being driven around in a Bentley State Limousine which features rear-hinged doors as well as opaque rear window panels. These can be removed when the Queen is attending public events to allow for better viewing.
This ceremonial car is converted to run on biofuel, which gives it an eco-friendly boost. Like the President of the US, the Queen is a very high public profile, meaning that her car needs to be as safe as possible. One standout safety feature of the Bentley State is its blast-resistant cabin that can be sealed air-tight should it come under a gas attack.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland (Taoiseach) – Lexus LS Hybrid
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland is driven around in a Lexus LS Hybrid and often travels in a convoy of other armed vehicles. Specially trained members of the Garda Special Detective Unit drive the Taoiseach to different events to ensure high-level security measures are always met.
What’s interesting about this vehicle is that the Prime Minister will always use the same colour bodywork – dark blue – as previous prime ministers’ vehicles to keep in line with tradition.
The Prime Minister of Australia – BMW 7 Series
One of the main safety features of the Australian Prime Minister’s BMW 7 Series is its inbuilt sensors that can detect toxic gas, and it also has a two-hour oxygen supply. If this vehicle were to be hit, it has a self-deploying fuel cell to heighten the security.
The BMW 7 Series also has white bodywork with thick, overlapping armoured plates.
The President of China – HongQi L5
China’s president is chauffeured around in a 1950s retro-design vehicle, the HongQi L5. Featured on the bonnet of the car is a red-flag-shaped emblem, and the vehicle also has heavily armoured windows and doors.
Inside, the car there is a stylish natural wood interior to give it an aesthetically pleasing look and it also features secure communications equipment.
It’s interesting to know the different features of each of the world leaders’ cars and the safety measures taken to ensure the person inside is well protected. To find out which ceremonial car was rated the highest by Chill Insurance, check out the blog post on their website.
