Custom-made limousines for Bush

Three custom-made Cadillac deVille limousines, specially flown in from the United States, were waiting to ferry visiting President George W Bush from the airport to the luxury hotel, which would be his home during his stay in New Delhi.

The Presidential limousine, a special version of the Cadillac deVille, boasts of a five-inch thick armour that can withstand attack of rocket propelled grenades. The President chooses the car to travel in at the last minute.

The car has special safety devices that protects its passengers from chemical and biological attacks. The tyres of the car are designed to function even when they are punctured and an armour-plated undersides further enhances the safety of six passengers it can ferry at a time.

Cadillac has been building limousines and special vehicles for US presidents and leaders since the early 1900s. One of the first chief executives to ride in a Cadillac was President Woodrow Wilson, who rode through the streets of Boston during a World War I victory parade.

A lavish 1928 Cadillac town car was used extensively throughout the Coolidge Administration. President Eisenhower, who was known as a car buff, had ridden in one of the first Eldorados during the 1953 Inauguration Day Parade.

The vehicle was unique as it had the first wrap-around windshield, which quickly became a standard in domestic and foreign automobiles.

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