When this limousine was ordered for President Reagan in 1983, 17 inches was added to the original limousine wheelbase to bring it to 161.5 inches in length—so you might say it was the first Presidential “stretch” limo. Right around this time, stretch limos were becoming popular for airport, wedding, and prom use. And, the only auto manufacturer that mass-produced basic vehicles of this type was General Motor’s Cadillac division. Cadillac’s Clarke Ave. assembly plant in Detroit handed over its special chassis and powertrain to Hess and Eisenhardt Armouring of Cincinnati (a division of O’Gara International, Ltd.—hence the “ou” in Armouring) for the body modifications. Needless to say, the U. S. Secret Service supervised all modifications. The roof of this limo was reverse “chopped.” That is, it was raised three inches to provide greater visibility of the vehicle’s distinguished occupant during parades and other ceremonial occasions and still afford maximum protection—understandable considering President Reagan’s brush with death in 1981. This limo has since been retired from service and can now be seen at the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in California.

This is the seventh in Yat Ming’s series of presidential limousines. The black plastic base for this image has a label that says: “Presidential Series – 1983 Cadillac Presidential Limousine – Road Signature.” Since these vehicles usually don’t have a list of color options, it’s beautifully painted in gloss black (JFK’s 1961 limo being the exception in Midnight Blue)—with an outline to denote a retractable roof panel. The bulk of the chrome was reserved for the front and rear, with very little on the sides. What there is has been nicely done to scale, but Yat Ming chose to do some of chrome strips in silver paint. It’s nicely applied, however, and blends in quite well with the chromed parts.

All light lenses are separate, clear-plastic items, save for the side-marker lights. A recessed handle in the trunk lid swings up to provide a grab bar for Secret Service personnel. There are two sockets for the flags provided in the packaging (as is the case with all of Yat Ming’s presidential limos). Two chromed antennas are mounted on each rear fender. All door windows are shown in the up position, including the front ones. All doors open on car-style hinges, which is an improvement on earlier releases. As with the other images in this series, the interior is nicely rendered, with decent detail everywhere. The wheels and wheel covers are also sharp-looking. Even though the image is mounted on a base, the undercarriage hasn’t been neglected, with nice detailing throughout. One of the weaker areas is under the hood—with most of the engine details of the molded-in variety. All hood, trunk, and door seams are tight and nicely aligned. The trunk is fully “carpeted,” with a covered spare.

Probably the weakest feature is the headliner, which has intrusive, clear plastic tabs from the windshield, rear, and side windows. At least this is on the roof and not easily seen when looking into the interior. As with the other six images, there are no working suspensions. Yat Ming’s series of presidential limos employ some short cuts, offset by some unique features, to provide a good-looking image for a relatively low price. It’ll look great on display with its brethren—or any other 1:24 image for that matter. It’s definitely worth collecting.

Though it’s been said that all future presidential limos, from President Reagan’s 1972 ride forward, will be destroyed in Secret Service safety tests, this President Reagan limo—probably due to its popular occupant—was spared that ignominious fate. Personally, I’m glad for it, for these distinguished cars are an important part of the history of our presidency.

-Tom Pine