State carriages
Our king drives a fairly modest, even longer Audi A8 L. Great state leaders of the present and the past had much more special state carriages. We have listed a few for you.
Cadillac DTS Presidential State Car (2005)
The car that was used by George W. Bush has nothing to do with a Cadillac DTS other than the name. To accommodate all the armor and safety systems, it is based on the Cadillac Escalade, a full-size SUV.
FAW Hongqi L5 V12 (2014)
Until 1958, Chinese leaders rode American. Then they became Hongqi’s (which stands for Red Flag). In addition to the state limousine, Xi Jinping also has an open version for parades.
Kortezh Aurus Senate Limousine (2018)
The just over six meters long Kortezh Limousine has a turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 that we know from Porsche. The Kortezh Aurus Senate Limousine is the opening chord of a Russian top brand that started six years ago and has since also developed an SUV.
Citroën SM Présidentielle (1972)
Henri Chapron builds the Citroën DS Présidentielle for President De Gaulle, based on a design by Robert Opron. The 6.3 meter long DS was followed in 1972 by an open four-door version of the SM, again designed by Opron and Chapron.
Ford Scorpio Dorchester (1996)
The Dutch Royal House has a long history with Ford. Several Scorpios have been stretched for Queen Beatrix. The latter is a creation of the English converter Dorchester, sprayed in Nassau blue.
Toyota Century Royal (2006)
Anyone who thinks that Lexus is the highest achievable in Japan is wrong. Emperor Naruhito drives around in a Toyota Century Royal with V12. The interior is lined with wool, the sills are finished with granite and the headliner is made of rice paper.
Bentley State Limousine (2002)
As a gift for the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, Mulliner is building two State Limousines based on the Bentley Arnage, equipped with the old familiar 6.75 liter Rolls-Royce V8.
Volvo 264 TE (1976)
The GDR Politbüro could have easily had Zils or Hongqis, but opted for Volvos. Only Volvos that are just that little bit more than the rest. For example, Erich Honecker was driven for years in the extended Volvo 264 TE.
Volvo 264
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl