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State Limousines of Brazil
State Limousine
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The ceremonial state car of the President of Brazil is a 1952 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, reserved exclusively for Independence Day commemorations, state visits and the presidential inauguration.
The current official state car used by the president for regular transportation is a 2008-model armored version of the Ford Fusion. The same model is used as escort cars for the presidential motorcade. The vehicle was first used on 17 June 2008 when it replaced a 2004 Chevrolet Omega.
The federal government's most important officials (President, Ministers, etc) use yellow-green plates with their function written on them (ie. President of the Republic, President of the Senate, Minister of Defence, etc).
Presidential State Car
Current model
The current Presidential State Car is a 2008 modified, armored version of the Ford Fusion built on a Ford CD3 platform. The vehicle was first used on June 17, 2008 in substitution for the previous vehicle a 2004 Chevrolet Omega. The 2008 Ford Fusion is also used in the presidential motorcade.
Ceremonial State Car
The Presidential Rolls-Royce is the official ceremonial state car of the President of Brazil. It is used only for Independence Day commemorations, state visits and the inauguration of the President-elect. This was one of the two Rolls Royce purchased by former president Getulio Vargas] in1953.
Origins
When Getulio Vargas became president in 1951, he had two Cadillacs as official state cars, dating from 1941 and 1947 respectively. Rolls-Royce was chosen to prepare four Silver Wraith models with special modifications for security, with the intention to purchase two examples. Vargas received the first hardtop model on 31 January1953]] The fist foreign head of state to use it was General Manuel Odria, President of Peru.
The government paid £5,831 for the hardtop model and £7,540 for the second Silver Wraith, a cabriolet. The cars were paid for by industry as a present to the Vargas himself, on condition that he would donate them to the presidency at the end of his term in office.
With political problems, Vargas shot himself in the chest on 24 August 1954 and, with his suicide, the handover did not happen. The cars became part of the President's estate and were claimed by his family. The solution only came in 1957, although the cars had still been used by President Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira in the interim. The family took the hardtop Rolls-Royce and gave the cabriolet to the presidency. The last official service of the hardtop model was for the personal transportation of Berta Craveiro Lopes, wife of General Craveiro Lopes.
Queen Elizabeth II
It had been claimed that the convertible model was a gift from Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom to Brazil, but this is not the case, although she did use the car during a [968 state visit to Brazil.
Nowadays
The car can be seen in state ceremonies that take place on the first Sunday of each month at the Palacio do Planalto and in the streets around it. Sometimes, the car is also used for the rehearsal of state cermemonies and parades. Its speed limit is 80km/h, but it is rarely seen to travel faster than 20km/h.
The daily transportation of the President is made by modern vehicles, with the Rolls-Royce reserved exclusively for ceremonial occasions.
In 2001, the Rolls Royce was sent for restoration by President Fernando Henrique after 48 years of service.
