Official state car
Secured vehicles used to transport heads of state or government From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An official state car is an automobile used by a government to transport its head of state or head of government in an official capacity, which may also be used occasionally to transport other members of the government or visiting dignitaries from other countries. A few countries bring their own official state car for state visits to other countries, for instance, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Germany and Japan. It also may serve as an automotive symbol of the head of state and their country. An official state car must have adequate security, capability and stateliness for its duty. A limousine or other high-end vehicle is usually selected.
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Due to the high security risk of the passengers, these vehicles are often heavily secured and protected. Vehicles may be armored by the manufacturer or an after-market specialist. In this article the term "armored car" invariably means a reinforced civilian vehicle, not a military vehicle. When carrying an important passenger, state vehicles may be surrounded by a motorcade consisting of police or military personnel. The vehicle's driver might also be from the law enforcement or military pool. The driver of the United States presidential state car is an experienced agent from the Secret Service, the British prime minister is driven by a Specialist Protection officer from the Metropolitan Police Service, and the Canadian prime minister is driven by a Protective Services officer from the RCMP.
In some cases state cars may bear standard number plates; in others special or no plates are used.
Sourcing
Summarize
Perspective
In countries that have domestic automobile manufacturers, the government will usually commission one of the national automakers to provide a state car, or allow several to provide cars for an official state fleet. It is considered an honour for a car manufacturer to be selected to provide a state car for their respective country and a demonstration of the confidence of a government in their national industry.[1] For example, the president of the United States currently uses a Cadillac with special undisclosed security features commissioned by the United States government, built by General Motors. Historically the president also used Lincoln, manufactured by Ford Motor Company and also Chrysler vehicles having been used in the past, representing the Detroit Three of American manufacturers.[citation needed]
Soviet leaders used custom-built limousines made by the ZiL company, and though the Russian presidents switched to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class due to ZiL's decline after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Putin commissioned a new official state car from the national automotive establishment, which was delivered in early 2018.[citation needed]
In 2018 the Government of South Korea commissioned a highly modified Hyundai Nexo SUV to serve as the official state car of South Korea.[citation needed]
The emperor of Japan uses a Toyota Century, the prime minister of Italy uses a Maserati, the prime minister of Malaysia uses a Proton Perdana, the president of the Czech Republic is driven around in a Škoda Superb, and the British monarch uses a Bentley.[1] Members of the British Royal Family are driven in Jaguars, though other makes may be used in other Commonwealth realms.[citation needed]
The president of France can choose from cars manufactured by Renault or PSA Peugeot Citroën, and all major German manufacturers (Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Volkswagen Group) are represented in Germany's pool of vehicles available for use by state officials. The prime minister of India uses a Land Rover Sentinel high security edition as Jaguar and Land Rover are owned by Tata Motors, an Indian automobile company though they are manufactured in the UK.[citation needed]
For countries without major indigenous manufacturers, an official state car may be purchased from a suitable manufacturer in a nation with strong economic and diplomatic ties. Canada typically aims to exclusively use state cars manufactured by the Detroit Three, many of which are made in Canadian factories, with the United States and American car manufacturers having a historically strong relationship with Canada. These companies have a well established and rich manufacturing history dating back to the 1920s in Ontario.[citation needed]
Cars by state
Summarize
Perspective
The following provides a list of state cars and their respective users, belonging to various sovereign states and territories around the world. Please note that this list may be subject to change and could be outdated in some instances, as both the individuals holding official positions and the vehicles themselves are regularly updated.
| State | Users | Cars | Motorcade or support vehicles | License plates | Image | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | former president Ashraf Ghani | convoy of armored Toyota Land Cruiser J200s, Mercedes-Benz W221[2] | None | |||
| Albania | President Bajram Begaj | Mercedes-Benz S350 | Mercedes-Benz GLS | |||
| Algeria | President Abdelmadjid Tebboune | black armoured Mercedes-Benz S600 | Toyota Land Cruisers J200s and Hyundai Palisades | |||
| Andorra |
| Audi A8 | Audi Q5 and Seat Leon | |||
| Angola | President João Lourenço | an armored Mercedes-Benz S-Class and a Toyota Land Cruiser | ||||
| Antigua and Barbuda | Prime minister Gaston Browne | Ford Expedition | Toyota Land Cruiser Prado | |||
| Argentina | President Javier Milei | Peugeot RCZ,[3] Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W210)(the last one was saw in Milei's presidential inauguration) [4] | Toyota Hilux SW4, Toyota Corollas | Milei also has a small car collection consisting of cars such as:a 1961 Cadillac DeVille a 1988 Mazda MX-5 Miata and his Peugeot RCZ.[5] while the former Argentine president Alberto Fernández had a Toyota Corolla (in which he drove himself) also a Audi A8L was used by Mauricio Macri for more details, see Presidential car (Argentina) | ||
| Armenia | President Vahagn Khachaturyan | Mercedes-Maybach S560 | Toyota Land Cruiser | |||
| Artsakh | former president of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan | Hyundai Ioniq [6] | ||||
| Australia | King Charles III | During King Charles III's 2024 official visit to Australia, the king and queen were driven in an Audi SQ8 e-tron. | Tudor Crown instead of number plates[7] | Flies the King's Personal Australian Flag. | ||
| Australia | Governor-General Sam Mostyn | Rolls-Royce Phantom VI (ceremonial occasions) white armoured BMW 7 series (official business) | Tudor Crown instead of number plates[8] |  | The official cars of the governor-general fly the flag of the governor-general. A similar arrangement is used for state governors.
| |
| Australia | Prime Minister Anthony Albanese | white armoured BMW 7 Series | armoured BMW X5 | number plate C1 (meaning "Commonwealth One")[9] | .jpg) | Prior to 2013, vehicles in the prime ministerial fleet were white armored Holden Caprice and Ford Territory.[10] For more details, see Prime Ministerial Limousine (Australia). |
| Austria | President Alexander Van der Bellen | Armored BMW 7 Series xdrive |
| Senior government figures in Austria drive in the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class | ||
| Azerbaijan | President Ilham Aliyev |
| ||||
| Bahamas | Prime Minister Philip Davis | BMW I7 |
| Davis's previous vehicle was a Mercedes W221 S500. | ||
| Bahrain | King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa |
|
| |||
| Bangladesh | Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus | BMW 7 Series and a Mercedes-Maybach W222[14][15] | ||||
| Barbados | President Sandra Mason | white Mercedes-Benz S-Class W222[16] |
| |||
| Barbados | Prime Minister Mia Mottley | gray Mercedes-Benz S-Class W222 | ||||
| Belarus | President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko | armored Mercedes-Maybach W222 S600 Pullman | police cars Lexus LX570 | |||
| Belgium | King Philippe | Mercedes-Benz S-Class or a BMW 7 Series Range Rover | number plate '1'[a] | .jpg) | For his inauguration, a Mercedes-Benz 600 landaulette was used. King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola used a 1955 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible, with a bulletproof bubble-top. | |
| Belgium | Prime Minister Bart De Wever | Audi A6 | Federal government officials: number plates starting with an "A" followed by 1–3 numbers. Regional government officials: number plates starting with an "E" followed by 1–3 numbers. Members of parliament and the senate: number plates starting with a "P" followed by 3 numbers. | |||
| Belgium | Queen Paola of Belgium | Fiat 500 (personal car) | diplomatic plates | |||
| Belize | Governor-General Froyla Tzalam and prime minister Johnny Briceño | convertible Genesis EQ900 | Ministers generally use the Toyota Prado or the Ford Excursion | |||
| Bhutan | King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck | Lexus LX570 |
| The former King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, drove a Toyota Land Cruiser. Ministers and senior government officials are assigned Toyota Land Cruiser Prado for official use. | ||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Members of the presidency | Audi A8 | Volkswagen Passat | |||
| Republika Srpska | President Milorad Dodik | armored Mercedes-Benz S-Class W 221 | ||||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Other government officials | Volkswagen Passat or Škoda Superb | ||||
| Bolivia | President Luis Arce | armoured Lexus LS 460L[17] | four Toyota Land Cruisers[18] | |||
| Botswana | President Duma Boko | Toyota Land Cruiser J200 and Mercedes-Benz W221 |
| |||
| Brazil | President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva |
| The federal government's most important officials use yellow-green brass plates with the coat of arms of Brazil and their titles. | .jpg) | The Fusion was first used in June 2008.[21] In February 2012 the Brazilian government bought 12 Canadian-built Ford Edge models for the use of President Dilma Rousseff and her security team.[22] For more details, see Presidential State Car (Brazil). | |
| Brunei | Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah | 1992 state landaulette Rolls-Royce Phantom VI (ceremonial) black Mercedes-Benz M-Class W163 ML55 AMG, black Brabus G700, Maybach 62 (personal) | ||||
| Brunei | Queen Saleha of Brunei | 2012 Rolls Royce Phantom Series II | Volvo S80 V8 or Mitsubishi 380 | |||
| Brunei | Cabinet ministers and visiting foreign dignitaries | black Mercedes-Benz W221 S350L | ||||
| Brunei | Other senior ranking officials | black Mercedes-Benz W211 E280 | ||||
| Bulgaria | President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev |
| ||||
| Bulgaria | Prime minister Rosen Zhelyazkov | Toyota Land Cruiser, black BMW X5 | ||||
| Burundi | President Évariste Ndayishimiye | armored Toyota Land Cruiser 300 | Toyota Land Cruiser 300, Toyota Hilux | |||
| Cambodia | King Norodom Sihamoni |
| Royal Palace plate number | |||
| Cameroon | President Paul Biya | armoured Range Rover Sentinel[25] | Toyota Land Cruisers | |||
| Canada | Monarch and governor general Mary Simon | Lincoln Town Car | old St. Edward's Crown on a red field (monarch)[26] standard licence plate of the province of Ontario (governor-general) |  | Bears the flag of office affixed to the right front fender. For more details, see Royal and viceroyal transport in Canada. | |
| Canada | Prime minister Justin Trudeau | an armored Chevrolet Suburban or a long-wheelbase Cadillac DTS | motorcade of typically ten cars and four motorcycles, led by a Chrysler 300 | standard Ontario licence plate | Historically, prime ministers were usually driven in Cadillac limousines.[27] | |
| Chile | President of Chile Gabriel Boric | horse drawn "Bandeja" Carriage[28] or 1966 Ford Galaxie XL[29] (ceremonial)[30] Genesis G90[31] (daily transportation) | Hyundai Santa Fe and Hyundai Sonata[32][33][34] |  | For more details see Presidential car (Chile) | |
| China | Hongqi HQE limousine | Before the production of Hongqi began, Chinese leaders used various foreign luxury cars. When visiting a foreign country, Chinese leaders generally use vehicles supplied by the host country. This custom began to change in November 2014, when Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party, and current president used his own Hongqi L5 limousine on a state visit to New Zealand.[35][36] | ||||
| Colombia | President Gustavo Petro | four Israeli-made armored BMW 7 Series and several units of Toyota Land Cruiser Sahara | three BMWs and eight Toyota Saharas, all armored, plus a Prado armored level IIIA used by the National Intelligence Directorate, an ambulance and no less than eight motorcycles | presidential tags |  | |
| Costa Rica | President Rodrigo Chaves Robles | two Toyota Land Cruisers | Before, a Hyundai Equus limo, donated by the government of South Korea, was used as the Presidential State Car. | |||
| Croatia | President Zoran Milanović | armored black BMW 7 Series[37] occasionally a Volkswagen Passat or a Mercedes-Benz E250.[38] | marked and unmarked BMW and Audi models | These vehicles are part of the vehicle fleet of the Honor Guard Battalion. | ||
| Croatia | prime minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković and speaker of the Croatian Parliament | armored Black BMW 7 Series[39][38] | ||||
| Croatia | government ministers | BMW 5 Series and the Audi A6.[39][38] | These vehicles are part of the vehicle fleet of Ministry of the Interior's Department of Protection of Protected Persons. | |||
| Cuba | president of Cuba and First Secretary Miguel Díaz-Canel | Mercedes-Benz S-Class W220 | ||||
| Cuba | Fidel Castro | Soviet-made ZiL limousines GAZ-69 | ||||
| Cyprus | President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides | Mercedes-Benz W221 S600 | police bikes Mercedes-Benz GLE W164 | Coat of Arms of Cyprus | ||
| Czech Republic | President Petr Pavel | Škoda Superb in top-end 'Laurin & Klement' trim[40] |  | Historically, presidents of Czechoslovakia were driven in cars manufactured by Škoda (Hispano-Suiza and VOS), Praga (Grand and Golden), Tatra (80, 603 and 613), Daimler (EL24 and DE36), ZiL (110, 111, 114 and 115) and GAZ (12-ZIM and M13-Čajka). After 1989, Czech presidents used Renault 21, BMW 735i and 750i, Mercedes-Benz 600 SEL, Audi A8 4.2 and thereafter Škoda Superb.[41] | ||
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | President Felix Tshisekedi | Mercedes-Maybach S600 | Toyota Land Cruisers 70s | |||
| Denmark | King Frederik X | 1958 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith seven-seater limousine (LGLW 25 body no. 10181), commonly referred to as "Store Krone" (Great Crown)[42] Daimler DS420 eight-seater limousines Tesla Model S | Krone with a number[43][44] | .jpg) | ||
| Denmark | Prime minister Mette Frederiksen | Audi A8 L[45] | The ministers in the Danish government have different cars, including the VW Phaeton, BMW 5 Series, BMW 7 Series, Audi A6, Audi A8 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.[45] | |||
| Dominican Republic | President Luis Abinader | Black Lincoln Navigator (daily use) Black Tesla Model S (ceremonial activities) | Black Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Explorer, Ford Expedition, Toyota Landcruiser, and Toyota Sequoia. | 0–1 plate (Presidential Plate) | Previous presidents used Toyota Landcruiser and Lexus LX570 as official state cars | |
| Dominican Republic | Provincial governors | Mitsubishi L200 | Plate with the official government design, numeration varies | Previous vehicles are still use as were the Mitsubishi Montero. They could also use their own personal vehicles. | ||
| East Timor | President José Ramos-Horta | Toyota Land Cruiser (J70) | Toyota Land Cruiser J70 and Toyota Prado | |||
| Ecuador | President Daniel Noboa | armored Lincoln Town Car armored Chevrolet Trooper[citation needed] | In 2023 Guillermo Lasso was seen using a Kia Carnival Surrounded by its Security Guards [46] and Escorted by a Kia police Car and a Ford Explorer. | |||
| Egypt | President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi | black armored variant of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class | black number plate with the presidential crest above an Arabic 1 | |||
| Egypt | High-ranking officials | black BMW 7 Series, or Audi A8s | special government number plates | Parliamentary vehicles are often Mercedes-Benz E-Class. | ||
| El Salvador | President Nayib Bukele | Mercedes-Benz W220 (official), Lexus LX 570, Hummer H3, Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8, Chevrolet Suburban and a 200 Series Toyota Land Cruiser | six Toyota Land Cruiser Prados | |||
| Estonia | President Alar Karis | Mercedes-Benz S350dL | Audi Q7 | coat of arms of Estonia | ||
| Estonia | Prime minister of Estonia Kristen Michal | Audi A8L | ||||
| Finland | President of Finland Alexander Stubb | armored Audi A8 L Security quattro[47] | coat of arms of Finland[48] |  | A similar car is also used by the speaker of the Parliament. | |
| Finland | Prime Minister of Finland Petteri Orpo | grey armoured Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard | The Finnish cabinet's carpool consists of BMW 5-Series and Mercedes E-Class models.[49] | |||
| France | President Emmanuel Macron | Renault Rafale and DS 7 Crossback (investiture) open top Citroën SM Présidentielle models (ceremonial)[50] armoured Peugeot 5008, Renault Espace (daily travel) ACMAT military command car (parade)[51][52][53] |  | For more details, see Presidential car (France) | ||
| Gabon | Brice Oligui Nguema | armored Mercedes-Benz W222 S600 | Toyota Land Cruiser and Jeep Grand Cherokee | |||
| Georgia | President Mikheil Kavelashvili | Mercedes-Benz W221 S600 Pullman[54] | Audi Q7 Mercedes Benz E Class and Land Rover Range Rover | |||
| Germany | President Frank Walter Steinmeier | armored Mercedes-Benz S600 | 0–1 |  | The president is (besides the minister of defense) the only German official whose official car regularly shows a flag (a version of the president's standard) placed on the front of the hood. | |
| Greece | Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis | Lexus RX Hybrid |
Kyriakos Mitsotakis was also seen driving personally a Tesla Model 3.[55] | |||
| Greece | President of Greece Katerina Sakellaropoulou | armored Mercedes S-Class S500 (W 220), later S500 L (221 series) | ||||
| Grenada | Governor general of Grenada Cécile La Grenade | white BMW 750Li | crown license plate | |||
| Grenada | Prime minister Dickon Mitchell | black BMW 750Li | police motorcycle outriders and two black Toyota Land Cruiser Prado | Grenadian flag and a coat of arms | ||
| Guatemala | President Bernardo Arévalo | Chevrolet Suburban | black Toyota Land Cruiser Prado | |||
| Guyana | President Irfaan Ali | Toyota Crown or Lexus LS 460 Toyota Prado or a Toyota Land Cruiser (longer journeys) | presidential emblem of a gold cacique's crown | |||
| Guyana | Prime Minister Mark Phillips | Toyota Crown Toyota Prado or a Toyota Land Cruiser (longer journeys) | gold depiction of coat of arms of Guyana | |||
| Haiti | president of Haiti | armored Toyota Land Cruiser 200 series | motorcycles, Toyota Land cruiser 70 Series, Nissan Patrols and Nissan Frontiers | golden "President of the Republic" plates | ||
| Honduras | President Xiomara Castro | black armored Toyota Land Cruiser | police bikes, Toyota Fortuner, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado and Toyota Hilux | |||
| Hong Kong | chief executive of Hong Kong John Lee | BMW 7 Series (G11) Toyota Alphard | BMW R1200RT motorbikes | Emblem of Hong Kong | ,_2021_(1).jpg) | Senior government officials, including the chief secretary, Eric Chan chief justice Andrew Cheung are assigned a Lexus LS (XF50) while the commissioner of police Raymond Siu is assigned a BMW 5 Series (F10) with the number plate "1". The president of the Legislative Council Andrew Leung is driven in a Lexus GS450h, with the number plate "LC1". Other government vehicles in general have the "AM" prefix on their plates. |
| Hungary | armored Audi A8Ls, Audi A7, Audi Q7, and Audi A6 Škoda Superb | The Prime Minister Viktor Orbán rides in a Volkswagen Multivan and in December 2023 during its visit to Hungary the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gifted Orbán with a Togg T10X an electric car made by the Turkish Company Togg.[56] | ||||
| Iceland | President Halla Tómasdóttir | Lexus LS600hL Audi A8L 1942 Packard (ceremonial use)[57] | "1"[58] | |||
| India | president of India Droupadi Murmu | black Mercedes S600 Pullman Guard, custom-built to a BR7-level armour standard | the former presidential car, a black Mercedes-Benz armoured limousine, which is used as a spare vehicle | Emblem of India | ||
| India | vice president of India | BMW X5 | ||||
| India | prime minister Narendra Modi | Range Rover Sentinel with BR7-level BR7-level highly modified armoured BMW 7 Series armored Toyota Land Cruiser[59] Mercedes-Maybach S650 Pullman Guard | several Toyota Fortuners, Mahindra Scorpios, BMW X5s, Tata Safaris, Range Rovers, Toyota Land Cruisers, Mercedes-Maybach S650 Guards, and a jammer vehicle along with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter | When visiting a foreign country, Indian leaders generally use vehicles supplied by the host country.[59] | ||
| Indonesia | president of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto | Mercedes-Benz S680 Guard[60] Pindad Maung MV3 Garuda Limousine[61] Anoa (military exercises) | Mercedes-Benz GLS, Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Fortuner, or Mazda CX-9 models; Volkswagen Caravelle carrying a communications jammer device; Toyota HiAce and Toyota Alphard vehicles; Yamaha FZ1 motorcycles | "RI 1" or "INDONESIA 1" | The Vice President of Indonesia is driven in a similar car bearing similar attributes. | |
| Indonesia | Cabinet ministers | Toyota Crown, Hyundai Ioniq 5, or Genesis Electrified G80 models | black Nissan X-Trail or Toyota Fortuner | |||
| Iran | supreme leader and the current president of Iran | Toyota Cressida, BMW 5 Series, Peugeot 607 (the last one was driven by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) | ||||
| Iraq | President Abdul Latif Rashid | BMW E67 760 Li | Nissan Patrol | While in power, Saddam Hussein normally traveled in a white 1988 Mercedes-Benz W126, and also bought a large fleet of luxury cars for himself and his family. Some were classic American cars, many from the era of Al Capone of whom Saddam Hussein was an admirer.[62] | ||
| Iraq | Prime minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani | armoured Chevrolet Tahoe along with a Toyota Land Cruiser and Chevrolet Suburban | ||||
| Ireland | former Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar | dark blue 2019 Lexus LS hybrid | Audi A6 or a BMW 5 Series, motorcycle outriders, marked and unmarked patrol cars (for sensitive events or security risk) | |||
| Ireland | president of Ireland Michael D. Higgins | blue 2017 BMW 7-Series LWB Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith landaulette (ceremonial) | led by Garda Síochána motorbikes marked patrol car unmarked cars from the Special Detective Unit, usually BMW 5 Series, Volvo S90 and/or Audi A6 occasionally a vehicle from the Garda Emergency Response Unit (for increased security) Captain's Escort of Honour: motorcycles, currently 2019 Honda 750X models (ceremonial occasions) | ZJ 5000 (Presidential State Car) | When the president or Taoiseach visits Northern Ireland, they are driven in armoured vehicles and security in their motorcade increases. | |
| Isle of Man | lieutenant governor of the Isle of Man Sir John Lorimer | black BMW | MAN-1 | When the lieutenant governor is aboard, it flies the lieutenant governor's standard | ||
| Israel | prime minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu | Audi A8[63] | Toyota Land Cruisers, Lexus IS 250, and Volvo S80 | |||
| Israel | president of Israel Isaac Herzog | Volvo S80 stretch limousine and an Audi A8 | ||||
| Italy | president of Italy Sergio Mattarella | Lancia Flaminia 355 Presidenziale (important state occasions)[64][65] several armoured Maserati Quattroporte VI, a Lancia Thesis Stola S85 limousine and two identical Audi A8L[66] three-wheeled Piaggio Ape Calessino (at summer residence) | Alfa Romeo 159, 166, Stelvio and Giulia, Audi A6 and A8, Bentley Continental Flying Spur, BMW 5 Series and 7 Series, Lancia Thesis and Lancia Thema, Maserati Quattroporte V and VI, Mercedes-Benz W212 and W221 models | .jpg) | ||
| Jamaica | governor-general of Jamaica Patrick Allen | modified BMW 740Li | state crown |  | ||
| Jamaica | prime minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness | modified BMW 740Li | dark blue BMW 5 Series | standard private license plate | ||
| Jamaica | Ministers of government | Toyota Prado or Mitsubishi Pajero | Toyota RAV4 or a vehicle of similar class | either government plates (yellow plates with black numbering) or civilian plates with tags | The Government of Jamaica also maintains a fleet of modified BMW 5 Series as protocol vehicles for visiting foreign dignitaries. | |
| Japan | Emperor and Empress of Japan | specially prepared G51 Toyota Century Royal limousines and a hybrid G60 Toyota Century convertible parade car[67][68][69] | Toyota Crowns and standard Toyota Century vehicles[70] |  | The primary car used by the emperor and empress is referred to as "Empress 1". Two of the Century Royals are assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for use by visiting dignitaries. The Imperial Household Agency is responsible for maintaining the imperial fleet, which includes horse-drawn state carriages for ceremonial events and the presentation of credentials by ambassadors, one of only a few nations that still maintain them.[71][72] | |
| Japan | prime minister of Japan Shigeru Ishiba | armored hybrid G60 Toyota Century and UVF-46 Lexus LS 600h L (used as a alternative vehicle to the Century)[73][74][75][76] | For more details, see Prime Minister's Official Car (Japan) | |||
| Jordan | king of Jordan Abdullah ll | Mercedes-Maybach S600 Pullman | black Cadillac Escalades and BMW motorcycles | |||
| Kazakhstan | president of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev | armored Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Aurus Senat Togg T10X (gifted by the Turkish president) | Lexus LS Audi A8 and Range Rover | |||
| Kyrgyzstan | president of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov | bulletproof, extended version of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class W222 S600 | Toyota Land Cruiser | |||
| Kenya | president of Kenya William Ruto | armoured Mercedes-Benz Pullman S600 (most common) armoured Range Rover Vogue armoured Toyota Land Cruiser several other Mercedes-Benz open top military Land Cruiser (state functions) | several Mercedes-Benz E-Classes, BMW 5 Series, a Range Rover, Toyota Land Cruisers and an ambulance | Kenyan coat of arms (most common) CIC (state functions) | Cabinet ministers are supplied with Volkswagen Passats, Mercedes-Benz E & S – Classes and Toyota Land Cruisers in addition to other vehicles in the ministerial car pool. | |
| Kuwait | emir of Kuwait Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah | BMW 7 Series or Mercedes-Maybach (daily) Rolls-Royce or Bentley (state occasions) | GMC Yukon Denalis and marked police vehicles | |||
| Laos | president of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith prime minister Politburo members | Toyota Camry (XV50) Toyota Land Cruiser (prime minister) | The Lao government used to use luxury cars from Europe such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series. In 2016, former Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith announced a switch to a reasonably affordable car to reduce costs also on 12 July 2024 Vietnamese General-Secretary To Lam gave 20 electric Vinfast cars as a gift during his two-day diplomatic visit to Laos.[77] | |||
| Latvia | president of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs | Lexus LS 600h L or a Mercedes-Benz S-Class | coat of arms of Latvia | .jpg) | Most Saeima members use the Volvo 900 series, Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class cars, but Volvo S80s, Volvo S70s and other luxury sedans are also used. | |
| Lebanon | president | W221 Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard armored limousine | Ford Expedition, Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon an armored W140 Mercedes-Benz S600 possibly used as a back-up limo W220 Mercedes-Benz S500L models Land Cruisers | The most notable motorcade was former Prime Minister Saad Hariri's, which contained around 25 cars, six armoured W220 Mercedes S600, a dozen J200 Land Cruisers, some Chevrolet Tahoes and some Nissan Xterras used as spotting cars.[78][79][80][81] | ||
| Liberia | president of Liberia Joseph Boakai | black bulletproof Mercedes-Benz W222 S-class | Nissan SUVs | |||
| Liechtenstein | monarch of Liechtenstein Hans-Adam II, the Regent Alois and the Prime Minister Daniel Risch | Mercedes-Benz S600[82] | BMW X5s | |||
| Lithuania | president Gitanas Nausėda | armoured BMW 7 (F01)[83] | ||||
| Luxembourg | Grand Duke and his family | Audi A8 or similar vehicle Daimler DS420 limousine and a Bentley Mulsanne (important state occasions) | large gold crown (from the Luxembourg coat of arms) on a plain white background | .jpg) | Official cars used by other members of the ruling family of Luxembourg normally display registration plates that have an orange stripe over a blue stripe (the flag of the House of Nassau-Weilburg), without any numbers. | |
| Macau | chief executive of Macau | cars from European brands like Mercedes-Benz, Audi or Volvo | special plates reserved for government officials | |||
| Malaysia | King Yang di-Pertuan Agong | a stretched red Bentley Arnage, a dark-blue Bentley Continental Flying Spur, or a black Maybach 62 | yellow number plate with the personal logo of the monarch | |||
| Malaysia | sultans of Malaysia | Rolls-Royce Phantom, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Bentley Mulsanne, Lexus LS, Maybach 62, and Genesis G90L | .jpg) | |||
| Malaysia | prime minister of Malaysia | stretched Proton Perdana Mercedes-Benz W223 S-Class and Toyota Vellfire[84] Proton Perdana Executive Limousine (within the Klang Valley) armoured Toyota Vellfire (private) | Pasukan Gerakan Khas using armoured versions of the Volvo XC90, Proton X70, and Honda CRV as well as Honda VFR800, Kawasaki GTR and Yamaha FJR1300 bikes | black-and-white plate (with full title) | Under the guidelines of Malaysia's automotive policies, cars for use by federal and state government officials are required to be of national brands,[85] primarily Proton. | |
| Maldives | president of Maldives | a black Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W212), a white Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W204) and a black Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W222) | Toyota Land Cruiser and Toyota Hilux | |||
| Malawi | Former president of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika | an armored Black Mercedes-Benz S-Class, a Toyota Land Cruiser or a Range Rover | four Hummer H3 and eight escort motorcycles | |||
| Malta | President | a pair of Vanden Plas Princess limousines, one dating from 1960 and the other, a convertible, from 1955[86] | ||||
| Mauritius | prime minister of Mauritius | armored BMW 7 Series (760Li & 750Li) | multiple BMW 5 Series (usually 540i and 550i) and police motorcycles | |||
| Mauritius | President | BMW 750Li or Mercedes-Benz S600L | BMW 5 Series and at least two police motorcycles | |||
| Mexico | president | Volkswagen Jetta (used by former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador as his mode of transport) an armored Chevy Suburban | Under the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the previous fleet of vehicles were auctioned off for US$3.25 million[87][88][89] | |||
| Moldova | President, prime minister, and speaker of the Parliament | Mercedes-Benz S500[90] | ||||
| Morocco | king of Morocco | Mercedes 600 Pullman, Range Rover models (for mountainous places), Mercedes-Benz S500 and various Lexus models | BMW 5 Series with a communications jammer ambulance police motorcycles | |||
| Morocco | prime minister of Morocco | Mercedes-Benz S-Class | ||||
| Mozambique | president of Mozambique | armored Toyota Land Cruiser | Toyota Land Cruiser, Ford Ranger, Mahindra Scorpio and Mahindra Scorpio pickup | |||
| Monaco | Prince Albert II | one-off Lexus LS 600h L Landaulet hybrid sedan[91] | In addition, he owns a variety of eco friendly cars including a Lexus LS 600h, a BMW Hydrogen 7, a Toyota Prius, a Lexus RX 400h, a Fisker Karma, a Tesla Roadster (2008), and a limited production Venturi Fétish.[92][93][94][95][96] He also owns a collection of vintage cars, which number over 100, and include prestigious models from Maserati, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce and Bentley.[97] | |||
| Mongolia | President, Speaker of the Parliament, and prime minister | Mercedes-Benz S-Class | traffic police car and either a Mercedes-Benz G-Class and a Toyota Land Cruiser series 100 or 200 | 0001 (president) 0002 (Speaker) 0003 (prime minister) | ||
| Montenegro | prime minister of Montenegro and state officials | Audi limousines, notably the Audi A8 models (senior officials) Mercedes-Benz E-Class models (lower ranked) Mercedes M-Class Volkswagen Passat | BMW 5-Series, police Mercedes A-class and VW Golf 4 and VW Golf 5 | |||
| Myanmar | president of Myanmar | Hongqi H9+ convertible Hyundai Equus (parade car) | Range Rover Sports and Harley-Davidson motorcycles | |||
| Namibia | Former president Hage Geingob | armoured Mercedes-Benz S600Ls, armored black Mercedes-Benz ML500s or an armored Toyota Land Cruiser 200 Series | Mercedes-Benz E500s, Double cab Toyota Hilux 4.0 v6 cars used by the VIPPD and a fleet of police cars | |||
| Namibia | vice president | armoured Mercedes-Benz S550 or S600 or armored Toyota Land Cruiser 200s | Black Mercedes-Benz E250s, Toyota Prado V6 VX, Toyota Hilux Double cab 4.0 V6 and police cars | GRN plate number | ||
| Namibia | prime minister of Namibia | armored black Mercedes-Benz E500 V8 and Black Toyota Land Cruiser 200 series SUVs | GRN plates | |||
| Namibia | Cabinet ministers and their deputies | Black Mercedes-Benz E400s and E250s, White toyota Land Cruiser Prado VX V6 or Toyota Hilux Double cab V6 | GRN plates | |||
| Namibia | First Lady | armored Mercedes-Benz E400s, armored Toyota Land Cruisers Prado VX V6 | Toyota Corolla 1.8 Exclusive or Hyundai Sonatas | |||
| Nepal | former president of Nepal, Bidya Devi Bhandari | Mercedes-Benz E-Class W210 bulletproof car (daily use) armoured stretched Jaguar XJ (state occasions) | ||||
| Nepal | former prime minister of Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai | Mustang bullet proof Max four-wheel drive | ||||
| Netherlands | King Willem-Alexander | custom-built stretched Audi A8L[98] | non-stretched Volvo S80s and a V70, Audi A6 and A8, and Ford Focus, Mondeo and Galaxy for the royal household Royal Stables have a Ford Scorpio Landaulet, a Mercedes W126 4-door convertible, a blue coach, and a blue Mercedes-Benz Viano and Volkswagen Crafter VIP bus royal bodyguards drive Audi A6 models. | Dutch number plates beginning with AA |  | The members of the royal family also have private vehicles for their own use. |
| Netherlands | prime minister of the Netherlands Dickon Mitchell | armoured Mercedes-Benz S-Class, sometimes an Audi A6 | The former prime minister Mark Rutte was known for his bike rides and he is often seen driving his Saab 9-3.[99] | |||
| New Zealand | governor-general | long wheel base BMW 7 Series (F02) | During official travel, it is the only vehicle in the country not required to use standard number plates.[100] |  | While all other state BMWs are silver, the governor-general's BMW is black | |
| New Zealand | prime minister Christopher Luxon | BMW 7-Series 730LD and 750LI[101][102] | Toyota Highlanders | CR1 | _sedan,_front_view.jpg) | As of 2020 the NZ Government is purchasing Audi E-trons as the Official Government cars.[103] |
| Nicaragua | president of Nicaragua | Mercedes-Benz G-Class | ||||
| Nigeria | president of Nigeria and other high-profile government officials | black armored Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2016 | 30 cars and ten escort motorcycles, along with police cars and 6 Mercedes S-550 | During his 3-day visit to Malabo in Equatorial Guinea in 2024 tinubu was seen riding in an Armored black Cadillac Escalade.[104] | ||
| North Korea | Kim Jong Un | W100 Mercedes-Benz 600 Landaulets (ceremonial) Mercedes-Maybach W222 S600 Pullman Guards Rolls-Royce Phantom VII[105] Aurus Senat limousine[106][107] |  | Kim Jong Un is believed to have a collection of luxury cars including a Range Rover L322 in which he has been seen visiting farms in the countryside following a flood.[108] | ||
| North Macedonia | president of North Macedonia Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova | stretched Mercedes-Benz W140 | ||||
| North Macedonia | Prime Minister of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski | armored Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard | VW Passat B8 | |||
| Norway | Norwegian monarchy | 2016 Audi A8 L Extended (formal) stretched Mercedes E-Class (queen's private transport) electric Mercedes EQS 580 4-matic, electric BMW i7 xDrive60, stretched Volvo S90 T8 Limousine Plug-in Hybrid (crown prince and crown princess)[109] 2007 Audi A8, an E65 and an E67 BMW 7 Series, vintage 1966 Lincoln Continental convertible, stretched Cadillac Deville | A-1 to A-9 |  | ||
| Norway | Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre | armoured Mercedes S600L | ||||
| Oman | Sultan Qaboos | 2 Maroon-colored 2007 model Mercedes S-Class pullman 4 Red-colored 2003 model Mercedes S600 pullman 4 Maybach 62 A number of khaki-colored Range Rover Vogue cars | ||||
| Pakistan | President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif | Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7-Series | armoured Toyota Land Cruiser and BMW X5 | |||
| Panama | president of Panama José Raúl Mulino | black armored Chevrolet Suburban | Ford Explorer, Toyota Land Cruiser, 400cc motorcycles | |||
| Paraguay | president of Paraguay Santiago Peña | convertible Rolls Royce Corniche (saw in Santiago Pena's inauguration) Hongqi H7 (daily use) Chevrolet Suburban (rural travel) | black Nissan Patrol Y61s | |||
| Peru | president of Peru Dina Boluarte | black armoured Lexus LS460hL | In May 2015, Lexus was chosen by President Ollanta Humala as the official car brand of the Government. | |||
| Philippines | president Bongbong Marcos | 2023 model Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Toyota Land Cruiser (J300) Cadillac Escalade Lincoln Continental Coach Door Edition | identical backup car, several SUVs, an ambulance, police vehicles and police motorcycle escorts | license plate number "1" | ||
| Portugal | president of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa | an armoured Mercedes-Benz S600, a BMW 760Li (E67), or a Mercedes-Benz E250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY[110] | 'P R' (meaning 'Presidency of the Republic'), with the armillary sphere of Portugal between the P and the R |  | ||
| Portugal | prime minister of Portugal Luís Montenegro | Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTec, Volkswagen Phaeton 5.0 V10 TDI, or Nissan Leaf | ||||
| Poland | president of Poland | Mercedes-Benz S 600 Guard (W222)[111] | Audi A8L Quattro (D5)[112] | For more details, see Official transport in Poland. | ||
| Qatar | emir of Qatar | Bentley Mulsanne Grand Limousine | Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Nissan Frontier and Range Rover | |||
| Romania | President Klaus Iohannis | Mercedes-Benz S500 limousine, the BMW 5 Series and BMW 7 Series[113] | Members of the Romanian Government often used cars of the autochthonous brand Dacia, namely the Logan and the Duster. Romanian diplomats have been seen using a wide range of cars, ranging from high-end Mercedes-Benz and BMW models to Volkswagen, Škoda or Renault.[114] | |||
| Russia | President | Aurus Senat limousine[115][116] | Mercedes G-Class, Mercedes E-Class, standard S-Class models, Mercedes SLK-Class, BMW 5 Series and Volkswagen Caravelle, and police motorcycle outriders | В776УС/77 |  | For more details see Presidential state car (Russia) |
| Rwanda | president of Rwanda | Audi A8 or Mercedes S600 | Rwanda National Police special vehicles | |||
| San Marino | captains regent | Audi A6 | members of the Palazzo Publico use BMWs | |||
| Saudi Arabia | king of Saudi Arabia | Mercedes S-600s S600 Pullman | Toyota Landcruisers, GMC Yukons, Chevrolet Tahoes and Suburbans, Cadillac Escalades, GMC Sierra 3500HD pickups, GMC Savanah ambulances | Some BMW 7-series sedans are also used to welcome guests and politicians. | ||
| Serbia | president of Serbia | Audi A8L Security[117] | VIP delegations that are in visit to Serbia use a armoured Mercedes-Benz S-Class W221 (S 600 Guard) with B6/B7 resistance level that was the car that former presidents used. | |||
| Sierra Leone | president of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio | Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600.[118] | black Toyota Land Cruiser Prado | |||
| Singapore | president of Singapore | white 2022 Mercedes-Benz S450L | SEP1 or presidential crest | _President_of_the_Republic_of_Singapore_SEP1_2024-02-25_(3).jpg) | ||
| Singapore | prime minister | silver BMW 750Li | S1 |
A small fleet of cars that include an armoured Audi A8 W12, an armoured BMW 7 series and a Lexus LS460L (the previous official car for the prime minister) are maintained by the state for the transport of visiting dignitaries. | ||
| Slovakia | president of Slovakia | armored Mercedes-Benz Pullman (state ocasions) armored Audi A8, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Volkswagen Phaeton, Range Rover, BMW X5, Škoda Superb (daily travel) |  | |||
| Slovenia | Slovenian president | Audi A8 | Audi Q7, Volkswagen Touareg and BMW X5 | |||
| Slovenia | Prime minister of Slovenia | Mercedes Benz S-Class | Audi Q7, Volkswagen Touareg and BMW X5 | |||
| Somalia | President and Prime Minister of Somalia | identical armoured Toyota Land Cruiser 200 (black for president, white for prime minister) | flag of Somalia | |||
| South Africa | president of South Africa | armored BMW 7 Series or on occasion a Mercedes-Benz S-Class | numerous BMW X5, Jeep Grand Cherokee, BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz ML-Class models, followed by a number of Mercedes-Benz V-Class | |||
| South Korea | Former president of South Korea Moon Jae-in | Hyundai Nexo SUV and a Mercedes-Maybach W222 S600 Guard[119] |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul uses an armored Cadillac DTS limousine by Alpine Armoring[120] and an armored Hyundai Equus limousine[121] for foreign dignitaries Each vehicle was acquired between 2010 and 2011 also in September 2023 Yoon Suk Yeol was seen riding in a convertible Genesis G90 during a ceremony to mark the 75th Armed Forces Day in Seongnam.[122] for more details, see Presidential state car (South Korea), Transportation of the President of South Korea, and List of official vehicles of the president of South Korea. | |||
| Spain | Spanish royal family | Cadillac Broughams, Audi A6s and Mercedes-Benz S-Class models Rolls-Royce Phantom IV (major ceremonial occasions) | BMW 5 Series |  | ||
| Spain | prime minister and deputy prime minister | Audi A8L | Audi A8L, Mercedes-Benz S600 and Audi A6 | |||
| Sri Lanka | president of Sri Lanka | armored Black Mercedes Maybach S-Class (Guard) or armored Black BMW 7 Series | marked and unmarked President's Security Division vehicles | only vehicle in the country not required to use standard number plates | ||
| Sri Lanka | Chief of Defence Staff | Black BMW 7-Series | two Land Rover Defenders and other VIP Jeeps and sedans depending on the occasion | This is known as the Staff Car of the CDS. | ||
| South Sudan | president of South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit | armored Toyota Land Cruiser J200 | Toyota Land Cruiser J200s and J300s | |||
| Sudan | president of Sudan | Mercedes-Benz S300 W221 Nissan Patrol (rural places) Hyundai Sonata | Ministers usually travel in Toyotas Land Cruisers 70. | |||
| Suriname | president of Suriname Chan Santokhi | Toyota Land Cruiser Cadillac Escalade.[123] | Toyota Hilux Nissan Patrol and Mitsubishi Pajero | |||
| Sweden | king of Sweden | stretched Volvo S80 Daimler DS420 limousine (ceremonial events) | BMW X5, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class |  | Saab 9-5 and Volvo XC90 are also used to transport members of the Swedish royal family also the Swedish king was seen driving a BMW M4 Competition (that was seen arriving at the Salzburg Opera Festival).[124] | |
| Sweden | Prime Minister of Sweden | armored Audi A8 L[125] | ||||
| Switzerland | Federal councillors | Audi A8 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class | Councillors can buy a new car every four years. | |||
| Syria | president of Syria | specially modified BMW 760Li (E67) | Chevrolet Suburbans and Toyota Land Cruisers (J100, J200 and J300) | |||
| Taiwan | president Lai Ching-te | armored Audi A8 L Security | BMW 7 Series (G70) |  | For more details see Presidential state car (Republic of China). | |
| Tajikistan | president of Tajikistan | armored black Mercedes-Benz S-Class W222 S 600 Guard | Toyota Land Cruisers | |||
| Tunisia | president of Tunisia Kais Saied | Mercedes-Benz W221 S600 limousine.[126] | He was also seen driving to work in a Peugeot 206 reportedly made in Iran.[127] | |||
| Tanzania | president of Tanzania | Kia Quoris Toyota Land Cruiser 200 (rural travel) | white Toyota Land Cruiser 70s | |||
| Tanzania | president of Zanzibar | Mercedes-Benz W221 | Mitsubishi Pajeros | |||
| Thailand | King Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida | Rolls-Royce Phantom V, Rolls-Royce Phantom VI, Rolls-Royce Silver Spur stretch limousine, Maybach 62, Mercedes-Maybach S650 Pullman Guard (W222), Mercedes-Maybach S650 (W222), Mercedes-Maybach S680 (W223) or Bentley Mulsanne Grand Limousine | Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W221 and W222), BMW 7 Series (F01 and G11), and Mercedes-Benz V-Class |  | For more details, see Royal transport in Thailand. | |
| Thailand | Sirikit, the queen mother | Cadillac DTS stretch limousine or amodified Volkswagen Caravelle T4 TDi[citation needed] | ||||
| Thailand | Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn | Lexus LS600hL or Mercedes-Benz S500 (W221 or W222) modified Mercedes-Benz V-Class (unofficial travel)[citation needed] | ||||
| Thailand | Princess Bajrakitiyabha | red Mini Cooper S or lime-green Volkswagen New Beetle[citation needed] | ||||
| Thailand | former prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha | armoured Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard sedan | In February 2024 former prime minister Srettha Thavisin drove a lime-green Abarth 500e of his daughter to the meeting of Electric Vehicle Policy Committee on government house [128] | |||
| Thailand | ministers | Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Toyota Alphard, Volkswagen Caravelle, and Jaguar XJ vehicles | ||||
| Tonga | King | Humber Pullman with landaulette body | ||||
| Trinidad and Tobago | president of Trinidad and Tobago | black, armoured, 2020 Lexus ES Sedan | decoy car, two police motorcycles, two 2016 Toyota Land Cruisers Prado as support vehicles and a leading Toyota Camry police vehicle | Coat of Arms in Gold | ||
| Trinidad and Tobago | Prime Minister | black, armoured, 2016 Mercedes-Benz S-Class (WSS) | decoy car, two police motorcycles, two 2016 Toyota Land Cruisers Prado as support vehicles and a leading Toyota Camry police vehicle | PM-1 | ||
| Turkey | president of Turkey | black ballistic and bullet-proof armoured Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-600 Pullman Guard | SUVs and additional support cars | presidential crest |  | |
| Turkey | Other government officials | Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 or Toyota Land Cruiser | Turkey recently adopted the domestically designed and manufactured Togg T10X as the government's official cars. | |||
| Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus | President Rauf Denktaş | red BMW 750 Li | Gold crests | The current president Ersin Tatar uses a armoured Mercedes-Maybach W222 S600 | ||
| Uganda | President Yoweri Museveni | Toyota Land Cruiser 200 stretch 600 SEL Mercedes and white G Wagon (ceremonial) | double cabin pick up trucks and Mitsubishi Pajero models | |||
| Ukraine | president of Ukraine | armoured Mercedes-Benz S-Class and armoured 2011 Volkswagen Phaeton in a W12 long version | armoured Porsche Cayenne | |||
| United Arab Emirates | President, prime minister and royal family | black armored Rolls Royce Phantoms or Mercedes S Class | Toyota Land Cruisers and Nissan Patrols | High-ranking officials use the BMW 7 Series |
United Kingdom
Five state cars, two Bentleys and three Rolls-Royces, are kept at the Royal Mews, Buckingham Palace, for use by the King and those representing or supporting him as head of state. There are also two State Royal Review Vehicles, open-top Range Rovers, designed for use at military parades and similar events. The State Cars are sometimes used when the king is travelling abroad. They are made available for heads of state visiting the UK, as well as for senior members of the royal family on official duties. As British law in general does not apply to the sovereign, these vehicles do not possess registration plates.
Other official vehicles kept at the Mews include Jaguar and Daimler limousines for less formal occasions, Land Rovers, luggage brakes and minibuses. These have number plates, as do the monarch's personal vehicles and those of other members of the royal family. One state car is usually on display at the Royal Mews, where state road vehicles, including the horse-drawn carriages, are kept and maintained. The state cars and official limousines are painted claret and black, and have fittings on the roof for a shield and flagpole.
Current state cars
Since his accession to the throne, King Charles III has made regular use of the 1978 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI state limousine, which was presented to his mother Queen Elizabeth II by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders to mark the occasion of her Silver Jubilee. He has also made use of the oldest of the State cars, a rare Rolls-Royce Phantom IV, which was purchased by his mother in 1950 and became a state car upon her accession to the throne in 1952. The other state cars, all of which remain in use, are a 1987 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI, and a pair of custom-built Bentley State Limousines, made in 2002 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II.
The Bentley state limousines regularly conveyed Queen Elizabeth II to and from official events during the last two decades of her reign. Based on the Bentley Arnage floorplan, they have twin-turbocharged 6.75 litre V8 engines that produce 400 horsepower (300 kW) and 616 pound-feet (835 N⋅m) of torque, giving a maximum speed of 130 miles per hour (210 km/h). The state limousines are 3 feet (0.91 m) longer than a standard Bentley Arnage, 10 inches (250 mm) taller and 6 inches (150 mm) wider. They are equipped with broad rear-hinged doors that open almost 90 degrees. The car also has opaque rear window panels that can be removed to allow increased visibility when the occupant is attending a public event or installed for increased privacy when required.[129][130]
The State Royal Review Vehicle is a bespoke 2015 Range Rover Hybrid used for parades and other official rides; the King and other members of the royal family can stand up in the back for good visibility. This is the latest in a series of royal review vehicles, which have been built by Land Rover since 1953. The current vehicle replaces a 2002 model (which remains in use as the second royal review vehicle).[131][132]
Other official vehicles
The official fleet is augmented by three Range Rovers (with number plates MYT 1, MYT 2 and MYT 3),[133] acquired in 2022, two stretched Jaguar XJ limousines (with number plates NGN 1 and NGN 2), acquired in 2012, and three Daimler DS420 limousines (also with number plates), acquired in 1988 and 1992. Used on less formal occasions (or as support vehicles on more formal occasions), these are all painted in claret and black, and have fittings for a mascot, roof flag and shield.
On formal occasions, King Charles, when he was Prince of Wales, was often seen in a claret and black 1962 Rolls-Royce Phantom V Landaulet (registration plate NLT 1), which he inherited from Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and later had converted with a fixed roof in place of the former open top.[134]
British government
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is usually driven in one of a fleet of armoured Range Rover Sentinel models, escorted by Range Rover, Land Rover Discovery and Ford Galaxy vehicles and police motorcycle outriders.
Senior ministers and government figures with police protection as well as visiting foreign dignitaries also receive armoured cars.
All former prime ministers since 1975 have been provided with an armoured car, usually the same model as the current prime minister, along with police protection. As of 2023[update], John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Theresa May, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson were provided with cars.
The British government maintains the Government Car Service which provides transport for senior government officials. In December 2008, the service took delivery of a fleet of armoured BMW 760Li models for use by senior dignitaries and visiting politicians.[135] The service also uses vehicles from Jaguar, Land Rover, Ford and Vauxhall, while some ministers use Toyota Prius hybrid models.
Since the premiership of Boris Johnson, custom made blast and bullet-proof Range Rover Sentinels have also been added in the government fleet.[136]
United Kingdom Overseas Territories
British Virgin Islands
The governor of the British Virgin Islands is driven in a grey Royal Service Range Rover from the United Kingdom with a license plate symbolizing the Crown, usually by a police officer from the RVIPF (Royal Virgin Islands Police Force).
Cayman Islands
The governor of the Cayman Islands is driven in a beige Cadillac DeVille Surmounted on the hood is the flag of the office, and instead of license plates the car has a crown on the front and back. It is likely that the car is armoured but this is not known for certain. While Other senior officials and visiting VIPs use a fleet consisting of armoured Ford Excursions.
Gibraltar
The chief minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, is driven in a black Tesla Model S with a 'G1' Gibraltarian license plate.
The governor of Gibraltar Sir Ben Bathurst uses a black Jaguar XJ with a British Crown plate in silver.
United States
_(cropped).jpg)
The president of the United States travels in a heavily armored, custom-built limousine, which is often referred to as Limo One, Cadillac One, or its less formal nickname of "the Beast." The vehicle is based on a GMC Topkick platform, and has the outward appearance of an enlarged Cadillac DTS limousine, with styling elements from other vehicles in the Cadillac lineup.
The vehicle features bulletproof windows, state-of-the-art communication and protection systems, a stowable desk, and a gas-proof chamber for defense against gas attacks. It was retired in 2018 for a new presidential limo, described as an "evolutionary update" of the vehicle used from 2009 to 2017 with a current Cadillac front fascia.[citation needed]
On 24 May 2011, an earlier "Beast" failed to clear the driveway of the U.S. Embassy compound in Dublin, Ireland. Though President Barack Obama was the escorted official, he was in the second limo as the first noisily struck the pavement hump under the Embassy gate.[137] The president also travels in a heavily armored 2007–2014 model Chevrolet Suburban and a spare.
Unlike most other heads of state, with the occasional exception of the British monarch and the president of Russia, the U.S. president is accompanied on all foreign and domestic trips by a full motorcade of U.S. government vehicles, including several presidential limousines, escort vehicles and a military ambulance, all of which are transported by the United States Air Force using C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. For security reasons, the president always travels in "the Beast" on trips abroad. The U.S. vehicles are typically complemented with coaches, police vehicles, ambulances and limousines provided by local authorities. The United States Secret Service also has a fleet of heavily armored buses called Ground Force One for the president and vice president.
.jpg)
Like the president, the U.S. vice president is accompanied by a full U.S. motorcade during domestic and foreign trips.
Members of Congress have an allowance of $1,000 per month in which the government may cover the cost of a lease, not including mobile offices. The preferred car for members of Congress was the Lincoln Town Car until its discontinuation. Executive cars are the most common type of car for congressmen. The two most popular cars for congressmen are the Town Car's successors: the MKS and the MKT.[138]
Most high ranking federal-level officials travel in SUVs usually armored Chevrolet Suburbans or Chevrolet Tahoe. State governors and large city mayors mostly travel in SUVs with their state and city police security details.
Visiting heads of state and foreign dignitaries are provided armored vehicles and protection by the United States Secret Service and Diplomatic Security Service in US soil. The annual United Nations General Assembly session in New York is one such event where hundreds of motorcades are managed with the assistance of NYPD.
U.S. ambassadors travel in their United States Department of State pool of armored vehicle that can range from Cadillac DTS, Chevrolet Suburban, Toyota Land Cruiser and BMW along with host security vehicles.
Uruguay
The presidential state car of Uruguay is an armoured 2005 Chevrolet Vectra, purchased by president Tabaré Vázquez when his term in office began on 1 March 2005. Previously, presidents traveled in a Mitsubishi Galant procured from the government's fleet of diplomatic vehicles.
As of August 2007, the presidential motor pool includes Mitsubishi Galants, Toyota Corollas, Volkswagen Ventos, and Rover 75s.
Municipal intendants of Uruguay are transported in armored Peugeot 607s.
After 2010, the official state car was no longer used. President Jose Mujica instead drove a Volkswagen Beetle.[139]
President Luis Lacalle Pou most of the time uses a white 4x4 Toyota Hilux SW4, and is escorted by one or more presidential security cars.
Uzbekistan
The state limousines of Uzbekistan are two special ordered 2010 Range Rover Supercharged with bulletproof windows. The president is transported by an armored Mercedes-Benz S-class which is escorted by other similar vehicles.
Vatican
As the Vatican's sovereign, the pope was traditionally carried on an elaborate sedan chair during ceremonial occasions or transported in a horse-drawn carriage.[140]
With the international reach of the Catholic church in modern times, the motorized Popemobile has replaced the carriage as the favored mode of transportation when greeting the millions of Catholic devotees during state visits.[141]
The first motorized papal vehicle was a Mercedes-Benz W08 Nurberg 460 Pullman limousine, made for Pope Pius XI in 1930. Mercedes has provided about a third of all papal vehicles used by the Vatican such as the contemporary W163 Mercedes M-Class featuring its distinctive glass enclosure surrounding the rear seat.[140]
There have been many different designs for popemobiles since Pope Paul VI used a modified Lincoln Continental to greet crowds in New York City in 1965. Some are open air, while others have bulletproof glass walls to enclose the Pope, deemed necessary after the 1981 assassination attempt of Pope John Paul II. Some allow the Pope to sit, while others are designed to accommodate him standing. The variety of popemobiles allows the Roman Curia to select an appropriate one for each usage depending upon the level of security needed, distance, speed of travel, and the Pope's preferences.
.jpg)
When visiting regions with domestic automobile production, the pope often makes an attempt to commission a vehicle from that country such as the SEAT Panda for John Paul II's trip to Spain, a Jeepney for Pope Francis' trip to the Philippines, and Kia Sedona for his trip to South Korea.[140] More recently, Pope Francis was seen in Singapore with a Singapore-made Hyundai Ioniq 5.
For daily driving, the pope of Vatican uses an armoured Mercedes-Benz S-Class and a custom-made Lancia Thesis, as well as a custom-made electric Renault Kangoo for use around Castel Gandolfo. All the popemobiles and limousines have registration SCV 1.[142]
Venezuela
Hugo Chávez sometimes drove a red IKCO Samand badged Centauro, or in red or green a Tiuna truck accompanied with some ministers or governors or mayors, depending on the occasion when he travelled, usually with a high security personnel around, with a large convoy of armored SUV conformed by Ford Explorer, Chevrolet Suburban, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Chevrolet Express, Ford Expedition, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Fortuner, Toyota Sequoia, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and an ambulance in case of emergency, and escorted by the Presidential Guard, using armored Toyota Land Cruiser (80&90 Series), the transit police and the Venezuelan National Guard motorcycle officers have the duty to escort the motorcade and to clear up the traffic.
Another fleet of vehicles includes a Cadillac Fleetwood that is used for national holidays like special parades, the president also used three armoured black (W211), these vehicles have license plates with the national emblem, but are used for special occasions or important meetings when Chávez met with other presidents. Another vehicle is an armored silver Lincoln Town Car used to transport the president's visitors from the Simón Bolívar International Airport of Maiquetia to the Palacio de Miraflores and back.
The vice president is usually driven in an armored Nissan Patrol with a motorcade consisting of four or five SUVs. Ministers usually travel in many armored vehicles including Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Trailblazer, Chevrolet Tahoe, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota Camry, Toyota Fortuner, Ford Fusion, Ford Explorer, Ford Expedition, also escorted by Venezuelan National Guard officers.
The last acquisition to the fleet is a Bentley Continental Flying Spur.[143]
President Nicolas Maduro drives a black Toyota 4Runner or a Ford Explorer or a Toyota Fortuner often accompanied with the Presidential Honor Guard motorcade with his assistants and ministers.
Vietnam
The president of Vietnam Lương Cường is driven in a bulletproof Toyota Land Cruiser. the former General Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party Nguyễn Phú Trọng used to ride in a 1998 Toyota Crown that was brought to his state funeral in July 2024 in Hanoi[144] currently Tô Lâm travels in a 2016-17 Toyota Avalon. While The prime minister uses a Toyota Land Cruiser as well. Usually on long-distance or special occasions, the motorcade includes some police motorbikes, several Toyota Land Cruiser and Toyota Camry. Ministers usually travel in Toyota Camrys, Toyota Fortuners and VinFast Lux A 2.0s. All government cars have blue licence plates but some have white civil license plates with a government placard behind the windshield.
Yemen
The president of Yemen is driven in various state-owned armored vehicles. While Ministers usually travel in Toyota Prados.
Yugoslavia
President Josip Broz Tito used a custom-built Mercedes-Benz 600 limousine with a removable top for most functions. Tito also had several luxury cars in his private motor pool collection, including numerous Mercedes-Benz models, a 770k seized from Ante Pavelić after World War II, a Rolls-Royce Phantom V, and several Cadillac and Chevrolet models.[145]
Zambia
the current president of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema is driven in an armoured Mercedes-Benz W222 S600 Pullman limousine, and also a Lexus LX570. escorted by 30 officers of the Zambia Police Service trained in diplomatic protection on BMW motorcycles and in six BMW 3 Series E93 cars. His motorcade also included an ambulance at all times. while For visits to rural areas, the president uses an armoured Toyota Land Cruiser J200.
Zimbabwe
The president of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has been seen in various armoured vehicles, including a Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class and a Mercedes-Benz S-Class. His motorcade includes The Mercedes-Benz C-Class marked as police cars, as well as various other vehicles transporting his security detail. The president also uses a 1952 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith as a ceremonial state car.
Museum
An international museum of official state cars exists in France.[146]
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Automobiles of heads of state.
Notes
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.