John F. Kennedy: Ford Thunderbird

Forbes: Personal Cars of the Presidents

John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) obviously knew a looker when he saw one, as his ride of choice was a 1961 Ford Thunderbird convertible. That was the first year for the T-Bird’s renowned “Bullet Bird” styling that sported a dramatic spear-like silhouette and packed a choice of V8 engines. It was featured prominently in Kennedy’s inaugural parade.

(Photo by Wieck)

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Cars of the Comm... U.S. presidents almost never take the wheel of a car, rather they're chauffeured in limousines for obvious reasons, with latter-day commanders in chief riding in specially equipped models like Barack Obama's custom-built Cadillac pictured here. With doors that are said to be eight inches thick and the weight of a cabin door on a Boeing 757 jetliner, and bulletproof glass that measures a full five inches thick, the presidential limousine is able to withstand substantial armament. However, many presidents in the modern era owned their own cars, or at least did before taking office. Here's a look at some of the presidents' personal rides...

(AP Photo)

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William Taft: Ba... William Taft (1909-1913) was our first motoring president, and one of the more interesting cars he owned was a Baker Electric. Truly high-tech for the times, it was a popular choice, though not necessarily just because it ran on battery power. Unlike most cars of the time it didn’t require a hand crank to start, which was a major advantage. With a top speed of 14 mph it was anything but fast, but it was virtually maintenance free. The above picture is of Jay Leno and his wife Mavis driving a vintage 1909 Baker Electric to a Hollywood function.

(AP Photo)

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Franklin D. Roos... Coming from an affluent background, Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) knew the virtues of riding in style. The de rigueur luxury car of his era was a Packard Twelve, which was both graceful and powerful and packed a V12 engine. Coincidentally, this particular model debuted in 1932 at the Hotel Roosevelt in New York City. FDR’s was fitted with bulletproof glass, making it the first presidential armored car.

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Harry S. Truman:... Harry S. Truman (1945-1953) was a product of the middle-class Midwest, and his taste in cars reflected this. HST was presented with the first Ford to roll off the assembly line after production resumed following World War II (during which automakers suspended car building to support the war effort). It was a moonbeam gray 1946 Ford Super Deluxe Tudor Sedan, which was the automaker’s most popular model that year (a Super Deluxe Sportsman Convertible is pictured here).

(AP Photo)

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John F. Kennedy:... John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) obviously knew a looker when he saw one, as his ride of choice was a 1961 Ford Thunderbird convertible. That was the first year for the T-Bird’s renowned “Bullet Bird” styling that sported a dramatic spear-like silhouette and packed a choice of V8 engines. It was featured prominently in Kennedy’s inaugural parade.

(Photo by Wieck)

More from Forbes:
Most Beautiful Cars of 2012
The Future of Transportation
The Cars We Miss the Most

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
Richard Nixon: O... Along with his wife’s “respectable Republican cloth coat,” Richard M. Nixon (1969-1974) referred to his trusty 1950 Oldsmobile 98 in the infamous “Checkers” speech, which was made to refute his acceptance of illegal campaign contributions to help obtain the nomination for vice-president in 1952.

(Photo via Forbes)

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Lyndon B. Johnso... While Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969) was probably more associated with the block-long Lincoln Continental convertible with which he traversed his ranch in Stonewall, Texas, LBJ also owned an Amphicar, which was at home in the water as was on the road. Only 3,878 of these amphibious autos were built between 1961 and 1968 and his still resides on the ranch. Johnson was said to play practical jokes on unsuspecting guests with his Amphicar by pretending to lose control of the vehicle and veering into a lake on the premises.

(Photo via Forbes)

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Ronald Reagan: U... Ronald Reagan's (1981-1989) most prized personal car was said to be a 1952 U.S. Army Jeep. It was given to him as a gift to Reagan by his wife Nancy in the late 1970s for use at his California ranch. Simply put, this could not be a more macho ride, and was probably Reagan's alternative to riding a horse. This was one of the later versions of the iconic military vehicle that would ultimately be built and sold for civilian use, like the early Willys Jeep pictured here.

(Photo via Forbes)

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Bill Clinton: Fo... Always a cool character, Bill Clinton (1993-2001) owned a 1967 Mustang Convertible – ice blue with a white interior (a coupe is pictured here) – as a collector’s car when he was Governor of Arkansas. It was said to have been the hardest thing to leave behind when Clinton moved into the White House. The ‘67 vintage was the first model year for the Mustang’s second generation; Lee Iacocca, who would later run Chrysler Corp. pioneered the original “pony car” into production in 1964.

(Photo via Forbes)

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Barack Obama: Fo... At about the time Barack Obama (2009- ) threw his hat into the ring to run for the presidency he traded in his urban chic Chrysler 300C sedan for a fuel-efficient and more politically correct Ford Escape Hybrid crossover SUV. Nearly a century after the country's first automobile-owning president drove an electric car, the cycle came full circle, as our 44th commander in chief rode into the White House owning a vehicle that was at least partially powered by electricity. And yes, that's Kermit the Frog in the above image, not Obama.

(Photo via Forbes)

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Mitt Romney: For... As of this writing he remains former Governor Mitt Romney, but the man who still might be our next president has gone on the record as being a car-guy, and a fan of good old Detroit iron at that. After all, his father George Romney ran American Motors before seeking political office and Mitt is said to be a big fan of the vintage Nash Ramblers and Metropolitans of his dad's era. While someone of his financial stature usually writes six-figure checks for an exotic sports car or sedan, Romney's personal fleet is said to include a proletariat Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck. His wife Ann, on the other hand, is said to ride a bit more stylishly – though still modestly – in a Cadillac SRX crossover SUV.

(Company Photo)

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