Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)
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Above is President Dwight Eisenhower and the first lady in a 1953 Eldorado. This photo was shot during their Inaugural parde in January of 1953. Though the Eisenhower administration sported many presidential vehicles during its term in office, perhaps the most famous of all were a pair of 1956 Cadillac convertibles christened, quite appropriately due to their immense proportions, the Queen Mary II and Queen Elizabeth II. Used as parade cars, each was 21 feet long and weighed more than 7,000 pounds.
Dark blue in color with beige leather interiors, the cars featured the latest
in security technology. Considered to be an "arsenal on wheels," the Queen
Elizabeth II boasted pistol holders and a rifle rack, wireless phones and a
large, extra-loud siren with an oscillating rear light. Despite its weight, the
vehicle could travel at speeds up to 115 mph...so fast that Secret Service
agents were given extensive training to assure they could handle the car during
all possible emergency situations. In later years, both cars also served
Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and the Queen Mary II was reportedly carrying
Secret Service agents directly behind the Kennedy car the day he was
assassinated in Dallas, Texas.
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