The Complete History of the Presidential State Car

Most State Cars Do Not Go Up for Sale

Historically, it was common for presidents to buy their state cars from the government at the end of their terms, although this did not always happen. Woodrow Wilson bought one of the Pierce-Arrow cars used by his administration from the government for $3,000 (the equivalent of $42,140 in 2018). Some of the state cars have also been for sale throughout the year. In modern years, however, this is almost never possible. Instead, it is more common for retired state cars to be fully destroyed. This is a security step on the part of the government due to the intense strength of the cars.