AP
The Beast.
- US President Donald Trump's Cadillac limousine is known simply as "The Beast." It's one of the most famous presidential limos in the world.
- The latest version of The Beast debuted in the fall of 2018.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin also rolled out a new limo last year called the Aurus Senat.
- Aurus is a new Russian luxury auto brand that debuted the Senat Limo at the 2018 Moscow International Auto Show.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
For world leaders, the limousine is an important element in making a grand entrance. Queen Elizabeth II travels in her Bentleys while the Emperor of Japan prefers a Toyota Century. Chinese President Xi Jinping usually hits the parade route in a Hongqi L5. German Chancellor Angela Merkel can often be seen climbing into a selection of armored Audi and Mercedes-Benz limos.
However, there are few limousines more recognizable than that of the US President, known simply as "The Beast." For much of the 20th century, various Lincoln limos have been the vehicle of choice for the US President. However, that changed in the early 1980s when the Reagan Administration went with Cadillac. And it's been all Caddy's since then.
Read more: Kim Jong Un travels with a convoy of armored Mercedes limos, but the company doesn't know how he got them.
The latest version of The Beast debuted in the fall of 2018. Once again, it's a Cadillac. The limo was originally commissioned in 2014 by the Obama Administration but didn't go into service until two years into Trump's presidency.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently debuted a new presidential limo of his own called the Aurus Senat. Aurus is a new Russian luxury auto brand that debuted the Senat Limo at the 2018 Moscow International Auto Show.
Here's a closer look at Trump's new Beast limo and Putin's Aurus Senat: