Cars of Soviet and Russian leaders as for any heads of state are not just a means of transportation. The machines should meet special requirements: they should emphasize the status to be most comfortable and meet the highest safety requirements. Sometimes the choice of a vehicle became a part of the policy – only the machine of production of their own country was preferred. The Heads of State usually take in foreign trips entire fleets for which several aircraft were used. In the car park of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II in 1913 there were 29 cars. And in 1917 – 46. The main machine was a French king Delaunay-Belleville SMT.
The first cars of Chairman of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR Vladimir Lenin in 1918 were French Turcat-Mery 28, Delaunay-Belleville-Renault-45 and 40 CV. Since the 1920s, Soviet leader used Rolls Royce 40/50 Silver Ghost and the only ones in the world based on the sledge-car Rolls Royce.
General Secretary of the CPSU Joseph Stalin preferred American Packard Twelve. Since 1949, Stalin drove an armored ZIS-115 (ZIS-110C)
First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Nikita Khrushchev preferred ZIL-111 and ZIL-111V with an open top.
CPSU General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev in 1976 went by the hand-built car ZIL-114, and from 1976 to 1982 – by its successor models ZIL-4104 (ZIL-115). In the photo: ZIL-114
Mikhail Gorbachev moved by the ZIL-4104 (ZIL-115). The number of cars ZIL-115 in each foreign tuple of Gorbachev reached 20 units, which required seven transport aircraft IL-76 for their transfer. In the photo: Mikhail Gorbachev (left) and Nicolae Ceausescu (right) during a visit to Bucharest, 1987
Boris Yeltsin, when he was chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR in 1990 moved by the “Volga” GAZ-3102. Becoming the first president of Russia (1991-1999), used the first armored limousine ZIL-4105 (ZIL-117). And then – the Mercedes S500 Pullman Guard (W140)
At the disposal of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev are armored Mercedes S600 Pullman Guard (W-221)
U.S. President (1961-1963) John F. Kennedy used Lincoln Continental. At the time of the assassination in Dallas, Texas (USA) November 22. 1963 Kennedy is in an open limousine Lincoln Continental SS-100-X. Car – Kennedy Historic Auto Attractions museum in Illinois
China People’s Republic Chairman Mao Zedong drove limousine ZIS-110, which he received in 1949 as a gift from Stalin. In 1958, Chinese leader moved by the newly created especially for him limousine by Chinese brand FAW Hong. Chinese FAW models were not taken out of the country
The current President of Uruguay José Alberto Mujica 90% of his income pays to charity. And the largest of his own property – car VW Beetle 1987
U.S. President Barack Obama uses an armored limousine Cadillac One (Cadillac Presidential Limousine), also known as The Beast. Presidential motorcade has over 40 vehicles that during trips abroad are delivered by three military transport planes Boeing C-17 Globemaster
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II during official trips uses Bentley State Limousine, which was created specifically for monarchs in two copies in 2002 for the 50th anniversary of the reign
The current British Prime Minister David Cameron uses the luxury Jaguar XJ X351. In the photo: the damage to the car Cameron
French President Francois Hollande abandoned armored modifications Renault Vel Satis and as an official vehicle uses a mid-size 2012 Citroen DS-5
German Chancellor Angela Merkel travels by armored version Audi A8 L Security. At the disposal of the Chancellor also BMW 760 Li E67 and Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard V221
Spanish King Philip VI prefers Rolls Royce. King Philip and Queen Letizia on the way to the Royal Palace, June 19, 2014
