hello. My name is Hyuna Shin. May was very busy. From the inauguration of President Yoon Seok-yeol to the visit of US President Joe Biden to Korea, there were many big issues especially related to the president. In the case of President Yoon, a ceremonial vehicle also drew attention as he became a hot topic as the ‘unprecedented president to commute to work’. Today I want to talk about the presidential car.
president’s car The key is to secure safety beyond the concept of safety in general vehicles.no see. It has to be able to withstand not only gunfire, but also chemical attacks like fire and gas terrorism. As a result, the thickness of the door and glass is enormous. The use of bulletproof iron armor and special plating is also essential. The underside of the vehicle is also made of reinforced metal to respond to mine explosions. The ‘run-flat tire’ made of Kevlar material, which is different from that of general vehicles, is also applied. Even if the tires are damaged, you can run a certain section.
photo = Yonhap News
The most famous presidential car is the US Cadillac One. Cadillac is the premium brand of GM, the representative automobile brand in the United States. Cadillac is the exclusive manufacturer of U.S. tanks.
double The Cadillac One is a GM modified Cadillac SUV Escalade.no see. It is also called ‘Beast (Beast)’. The heavy body is also a body, and above all, the performance is amazing, so it got this nickname. The car door and bulletproof glass are 20cm and 13cm thick, respectively, so they can withstand any kind of shooting. The car door is made of the same material as an airplane. Bulletproof glass is made up of 9 layers of glass. The total weight of the car is 9 tons, which is about 6 times that of a typical passenger car. In fact, it feels more like a tank than a car.
Cadillac One. photo = Yonhap News
President Yoon used the Equus stretch limousine made by Hyundai Motor Company and the Mercedes-Benz Maybach S600 Pullman Guard at the inauguration ceremony. It’s not a new car. It is a vehicle previously owned by the President’s Office. double Maybach S600 Pullman Guard is the origin of bulletproof vehiclesJoe. It is also a representative bulletproof vehicle used by world leaders. This car has also appeared many times as the exclusive vehicle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. I airlifted this car and rode it locally during the inter-Korean summit on April 27, 2018, the North Korea-U.S. summit in Singapore on June 12, the same year, and the North Korea-U.S. summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, on February 27-28, 2019.
On the day of the inauguration ceremony on the 10th of last month, President Yun Seok-yeol rode a Mercedes-Benz Maybach S600 Pullman Guard. photo = news 1
The Maybach S600 Pullman Guard is also the first official ceremonial vehicle in Korea. Former President Moon Jae-in as well as former Presidents Kim Dae-jung, Lee Myung-bak, and Park Geun-hye all used the vehicle frequently during their tenure. The bulletproof performance is very strong with VR10 (European standards), which is the highest grade currently available, so it is a vehicle capable of attacking machine guns, mine explosions, grenades, and CBRN attacks. It is said to withstand explosions from under the vehicle. It is said that even if all four tires are blown, it can travel quite a distance at 100 km/h.
Another commonly used ceremonial vehicle is the ‘Equus Stretched Edition’. This car was put into service in 2012, under former President Park Geun-hye. The bulletproof rating is VR7, which is lower than the S600 Pullman Guard, but it is a meaningful model in that it is a domestic medical vehicle. That is why, most of the Equus was used at the inauguration ceremony. President Yoon did the same this time.
The Equus Stretched Edition is a vehicle that complements the existing Equus Limousine.no see. It is characterized by increasing the total length of the ‘Equus Limousine’ by 1m to secure ample space in the second row. This vehicle also secured enough bulletproof performance to counter the explosions of rifles, machine guns and grenades. Even if the tires are damaged, it can be driven at a speed of 80 km/h for 30 minutes.
Former President Roh Moo-hyun waving outside his Cadillac De Ville after the inauguration ceremony. photo = Yonhap News
In addition to this, there are a variety of Korean presidential vehicles, including the BMW 760Li High Security, Cadillac DeVille Limousine, and Genesis EQ900L (Limousine) bulletproof vehicle. Until President Kim Dae-jung, American brands such as Lincoln and Cadillac were used a lot. Former President Syngman Rhee, the first president, rode a Cadillac Fleetwood 62, and former President Park Chung-hee also used Cadillac Fleetwood 68 and 75. It is said that former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, and Kim Young-sam often used Lincoln Continental limousines.
BMW 760Li High Security. Photo = Hankyung DB
It was during the time of President Kim Dae-jung that German brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW started to come in. This is because the bulletproof performance of European cars has improved over the years. The Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard was also introduced in Korea at this time. The BMW 760Li High Security model was added as a courtesy car in 2005 during the former President Roh Moo-hyun’s administration. It is known that President Roh Moo-hyun and President Lee Myung-bak rode frequently.
Domestic products first appeared in 2009 under President Lee Myung-bak, and that was the start of the Equus limousine that Hyundai Motor Company donated to the Blue House.It was. Since then, this car has been upgraded to the ‘Equus Stretched Edition’. I mentioned the Equus Stretched Edition earlier. It can be said that it was when the Equus Stretched Edition was introduced that domestic products started to be used a lot.
Benz S680 Guard. Photo = Mercedes blog
Most of the President’s cars are national brand products. Probably because it has a symbolic side. In Germany, an automobile powerhouse, German Audi and Benz vehicles are used as prime minister’s cars. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel used the Audi A8 L security model, while his successor, current Chancellor Olaf Scholz, is said to have preferred the Mercedes-Benz S680 guard limousine. Chinese President Xi Jinping’s favorite car is the L5 limousine from Hongqi, a Chinese state-owned group. This car is called the Rolls Royce of China. Hongqi is a premium brand of the oldest brand in China. Although it is not very famous in the world, it is an authentic high-end brand in China.
The French president mainly uses Peugeot Citroen’s DS7 crossback, and the Japanese king and prime minister mainly use Toyota Century models and Lexus LS bulletproof vehicles. The DS7 Crossback is almost the only sport utility vehicle (SUV) type of protocol vehicle. I usually drive a sedan or limousine as a ceremonial car, but it’s refreshing. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has the Jaguar XJ as an official ceremonial vehicle. Queen Elizabeth of England loves Bentleys and Rolls Royce.
Here’s a look at VIP cars from around the world. Today’s content ends here. It was all Shin Hyun-ah.
Reporter = Shin Hyun-ah, reporter at Hankyung.com [email protected]
Video = Yoo Chae-young, reporter at Hankyung.com [email protected]