This is a list of official vehicles of the

president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

, past and present.

State vehicles

*1939

Lincoln K-series The Lincoln K series (also called the Lincoln Model K, in line with Ford nomenclature) is a luxury vehicle that was produced by the Lincoln Motor Company. The second motor line produced by the company, the Model K was developed from the Model L ...

'' Sunshine Special'', used by

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

. *1942

Lincoln Custom The Lincoln Custom is a custom limousine and long-wheelbase touring sedan that was built by Lincoln in 1941 and 1942 and the lower level series Lincoln produced in 1955. Initially it was a replacement for the previous Model K Lincolns (produced ...

, used by Franklin D. Roosevelt and

Harry Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

. *1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan, used by Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, and

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

. Currently on display at the Henry Ford Museum, this vehicle was the first to use a bulletproof "bubbletop" canopy, which was added in 1954. The car remained in service until 1967. *1961

Lincoln Continental The Lincoln Continental is a series of mid-sized and full-sized luxury cars produced by Lincoln, a division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. The model line was introduced following the construction of a personal vehicle for Ed ...

SS-100-X The United States presidential state car (nicknamed "the Beast", "Cadillac One", "First Car"; code named "Stagecoach") is the official state car of the president of the United States. United States presidents embraced automotive technology in ...

, used by

. Currently on display at the Henry Ford Museum. *1965 Lincoln Continental, used by

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

. *1969 Lincoln Continental, used by

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

. *1972 Lincoln Continental, used by Gerald Ford,

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

, and Ronald Reagan. It was ordered as a 1970 model (it has a 1970 serial number) with the 1972 body style, and updated later to match 1977-1979 models. It was involved in the 1975 assassination attempt of President Ford, as well as the 1981 assassination attempt of President Reagan. It is currently on display at the Henry Ford Museum. *1983

Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham The Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham was a luxury car manufactured by Cadillac from 1977 through 1986. In 1987, the Fleetwood Brougham name was shortened to simply Brougham, with production continuing through 1992 with only minor updates. Cadillac ...

, used by Ronald Reagan. *1989

Lincoln Town Car The Lincoln Town Car is a model line of full-size luxury sedans that was marketed by the Lincoln division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. Deriving its name from a limousine body style, Lincoln marketed the Town Car from 1981 to ...

, used by George H. W. Bush. *1993

Cadillac Fleetwood The Cadillac Fleetwood is a model of luxury car that was manufactured by the Cadillac division of General Motors between 1976 and 1996. The "Fleetwood" name was previously used as a prefix on several of Cadillac's models dating back to 1935. F ...

, used by

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

. This was the first Cadillac that was designed from the ground up for use as a state car. Previous models were modified production units. It is on display at the Clinton Presidential Library. *2001 Cadillac de Ville used by

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

* 2005 Cadillac DTS Presidential State Car, used by

and

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

. *2009 Cadillac "Cadillac One", used by

and

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

. *2011 Ground Force One, a

Prevost Car Prevost (, , formally known as Prevost Car) is a Canadian manufacturer of touring coaches and bus shells for high-end motorhomes and specialty conversions. The company is a subsidiary of the Volvo Buses division of the Volvo Group. History ...

chassis-based bus used by Barack Obama. *2018 Cadillac used by

and Joe Biden. '' Road & Track'' reported that "the design appears to be a simple evolution of the old model with more current Cadillac design cues, like an Escalade sedan. It weighs between 15,000–20,000 pounds. (6,800–9,100 kg).

Yachts

* USS ''Despatch'' (1873? – 1891), the first presidential yacht; lost off Virginia in 1891 * USS ''Dolphin'' (1897 – 1920), used by

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in ...

and later

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

* USS ''Sylph'' (1902 – 1929) * USS ''Mayflower'' (1905 – 1929), used by every president from

to Calvin Coolidge. * USS ''Sequoia'' (1931 – 1977), used by every president from

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...

, who ordered the aging yacht sold in 1977 * USS ''Potomac'' (1936 – 1945), used by

* USS ''Williamsburg'' (1945 – 1953), used by

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...

retired it as a "symbol of needless luxury". *a yacht variously named: **''Lenore II''. Truman used it as a tender for the ''Williamsburg''. **''Barbara Anne'', by Eisenhower. **''Honey Fitz'', by

. The name was retained by

. **''Patricia'', by

. It was sold in 1970 to a private individual. *

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

cutter/yacht ''Manitou'', chosen by Kennedy in 1962; sold in 1968 to the Harry Lundeburg School of Seamanship.

Aircraft

Although "Air Force One" is commonly used to refer to the president's primary aircraft, the designation is, strictly speaking, a call sign used to identify any U.S. Air Force aircraft the president is aboard, rather than the name of a particular aircraft. (See below.) Franklin Roosevelt was the first president to fly in an aircraft while in office. In January 1943 he flew in a

Pan American Airways Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and commonly known as Pan Am, was an American airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial overseas flag carrier of the United States ...

Boeing 314 The Boeing 314 Clipper was an American long-range flying boat produced by Boeing from 1938 to 1941. One of the largest aircraft of its time, it had the range to cross the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. For its wing, Boeing re-used the design from ...

flying boat, named ''Dixie Clipper'', to Casablanca to meet with British Prime Minister

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...

. It was soon realized that the president would need a dedicated aircraft and a C-54 transport was converted serve as the presidential aircraft and named ''Sacred Cow''. Roosevelt made only one trip in the ''Sacred Cow''. That was to the

Yalta Conference The Yalta Conference (codenamed Argonaut), also known as the Crimea Conference, held 4–11 February 1945, was the World War II meeting of the heads of government of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union to discuss the post ...

in February 1945 to meet with Churchill and Soviet leader

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...

to make plans for the reconstruction of Europe after the impending Allied victory. Aircraft used as the primary presidential aircraft: * ''Sacred Cow'', VC-54C used by presidents Roosevelt and Truman from 1945 to 1947. * ''Independence'', VC-118A (46-505) used by presidents Truman and Eisenhower from 1947 to 1953. *''

Columbine II ''Columbine II'' is a Lockheed VC-121A-LO Constellation (Air Force Serial Number 48–0610, Lockheed Model 749-79-36); the aircraft that was to become the first plane to use the Air Force One callsign and the only presidential aircraft ever sol ...

'', VC-121A (48-0610) used by President Eisenhower from 1953 to 1954. *'' Columbine III'', VC-121E (53-7885) used by President Eisenhower from 1954 to 1959. * SAM 970, VC-137A/B (58-6970) used by presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy from 1959 to 1962. * VC-118A, (53-3240) used by President Kennedy from 1961 to 1962. * SAM 26000, VC-137C (62-6000) used by presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon from 1962 to 1972. *

SAM 27000 ''SAM 27000'' was the second of two Boeing VC-137C United States Air Force aircraft that were specifically configured and maintained for the use of the president of the United States. It used the call sign Air Force One when the president was o ...

(''Spirit of '76''), VC-137C (72-7000) used by presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan and George H. W. Bush from 1972 to 1990. * SAM 28000, VC-25A (82-8000) used by presidents George H. W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden from 1990 to the present. Its sister aircraft, SAM 29000 (82-9000), serves as the primary backup presidential aircraft. (The dates shown above are the dates when the aircraft was used as the primary presidential aircraft. Most were retained in service for several years after the dates shown.) Other presidential aircraft In addition to the above, a number of other aircraft have been used by presidents for trips of short duration. Below is a listing of aircraft types assigned to the 89th Airlift Wing for use by, or in support of, the president or other senior government officials. * VC-118A (53-3240) – A military variant of the

Douglas DC-6 The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and cargo aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with t ...

, in service from 1947 to 1965. Used to access airfields with shorter runways. * U-4B – Two Aero Commander U-4Bs (55-4647 and 55-4648) were in presidential service from 1955 to 1960. * VC-137A/B – Three VC-137A/Bs (58-6970, 58-6971 and 58-6972), a military variant of the Boeing 707, were in service from 1959 to 1996. These were the first jet aircraft used to transport the president of the United States and also provided transportation to very senior government officials (i.e. first ladies, vice presidents and secretaries of state) during their service. * VC-137C – Four VC-137Cs, a military variant of the Boeing 707, were acquired in 1962 (62-6000), 1972 (72-7000), 1985 (85-6973) and 1987 (85-6974) respectively and served to the early 2000s. The two acquired in 1962 (62-6000) and 1972 (72-7000) served respectively as the primary presidential aircraft until the acquisition of two VC-25As in 1990. * VC-140B – Six VC-140Bs (61-2488, 61-2489, 61-2490, 61-2491, 61-2492 and 61-2493), a military variant of the

Lockheed JetStar The Lockheed JetStar (company designations L-329 and L-1329; designated C-140 in US military service) is a business jet produced from the early 1960s to the 1970s. The JetStar was the first dedicated business jet to enter service, as well as t ...

, were in service from the early 1960s to the 1980s. * VC-6A - One VC-6A (66-7943), a Beechcraft King Air B90, was used to transport President Johnson between

Bergstrom Air Force Base Bergstrom Air Force Base (1942–1993) was located seven miles southeast of Austin, Texas. In its later years it was a major base for the U.S. Air Force's RF-4C reconnaissance fighter fleet. History Bergstrom was originally activated on ...

and his family ranch near Johnson City, Texas from 1964 to 1969. * Boeing VC-135B - Five VC-135 aircraft (62-4125, 62-4126, 62-4127, 62-4129 and 62-4130), converted from KC-135 tankers, were in service with the 89th MAW from 1968 to 1992. All were converted to other configurations. * VC-9C – Three VC-9Cs (73-1681, 73-1682 and 73-1683), a military variant of the

McDonnell Douglas C-9 The McDonnell Douglas C-9 was a military version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 airliner. It was produced as the C-9A Nightingale for the United States Air Force, and the C-9B Skytrain II for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The final flight of t ...

, were in service from the 1976 to 2011. * C-20C – A military variant of the

Gulfstream III The Gulfstream III, a business jet produced by Gulfstream Aerospace, is an improved variant of the Grumman Gulfstream II. Design and development The Gulfstream III was built at Savannah, Georgia, in the United States and was designed as an i ...

, upgraded and with secure communications, often utilized as backup aircraft accompanying the VC-25A aircraft when it is operating as Air Force One * C-32 – Four C-32As, a military variant of the ( Boeing 757-200), were acquired in 2002 (98-0001, 98-0002, 99-0003 and 99-0004), three more in 2010 (09-0015, 09-0016, 09-0017) and an additional one in 2019 (19-0018). * C-40B – Two C-40Bs (01-0040 and 01-0041), a military variant of the Boeing 737-700C have been in service since 2002. * C-37A – Three C-37As (one delivered in 2005 and two in 2006), a military variant of the Gulfstream V, are currently in service. The president and other senior executives have also frequently made use of the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane outfitted with "comfort pallets" to provide basic amenities while travelling into war zones undercover with normal non-prioritzed call signs so not to draw attention to the fact that a high value target is in the area. C-17's also typically proceed presidential travel by bringing the presidential limousine, Marine One, and other

United States Secret Service The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting U.S. political leaders, their families, and ...

vehicles and equipment to an area for a visit. Call signs The following air traffic control

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assign ...

s designate aircraft transporting the president: * Air Force One, any U.S. Air Force aircraft with the president on board. * Marine One, the presidential helicopter. *

Army One Army One is the callsign of any United States Army aircraft carrying the president of the United States. From 1957 until 1976, this was usually an Army helicopter transporting the president. Prior to 1976, responsibility for helicopter transpo ...

, usually a helicopter. The Army shared the duty of transporting the president by helicopter with the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

until 1976, when the latter took on sole responsibility. * Navy One, this designation has been used only once, when in 2003 an

S-3 Viking The Lockheed S-3 Viking is a four-crew, twin-engine turbofan-powered jet aircraft designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Lockheed Corporation. Because of its characteristic sound, it was nicknamed the "War Hoover" after th ...

airplane flew then President

to the aircraft carrier USS ''Abraham Lincoln''. * Coast Guard One; this call sign has not yet been used, although then-Vice President Joe Biden did fly on Coast Guard Two in 2009. * Space Force One; this call sign has not yet been used. * Executive One, any civilian aircraft carrying the president. This designation has been used only once, when in 1973

flew with a

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

DC-10 The McDonnell Douglas DC-10 is an American trijet wide-body aircraft manufactured by McDonnell Douglas. The DC-10 was intended to succeed the DC-8 for long-range flights. It first flew on August 29, 1970; it was introduced on August 5, 19 ...

from

Washington Dulles International Airport Washington Dulles International Airport , typically referred to as Dulles International Airport, Dulles Airport, Washington Dulles, or simply Dulles ( ), is an international airport in the Eastern United States, located in Loudoun County and Fa ...

to Los Angeles International Airport.

Rail cars

*''United States'' (1865), constructed in 1863 and 1864. Abraham Lincoln never used the "elaborately appointed" car. After his assassination, his body was transported to Springfield in it. *''

Ferdinand Magellan Ferdinand Magellan ( or ; pt, Fernão de Magalhães, ; es, link=no, Fernando de Magallanes, ; 4 February 1480 – 27 April 1521) was a Portuguese explorer. He is best known for having planned and led the 1519 Spanish expedition to the Eas ...

'' (1943–1958, 1984), used by presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower and Reagan for his whistlestop across Ohio in 1984.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Official vehicles Transportation of the president of the United States

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Lists relating to the United States presidency Vehicles of the United States

State vehicles

Yachts

Aircraft

Rail cars

See also

References