Prime Ministerial Limousine

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This article is about the car used by the Prime Minister of Australia. For the British equivalent, see Prime Ministerial Car.

Prime Ministerial Limousine
Full-size luxury car (F)
Body style4-door sedan
Chronology
PredecessorHolden Caprice

The Prime Ministerial Limousine is the

Department of Finance. The vehicle is often referred to in the media and the community as "C1", which is the number plate that the car displays (meaning "Commonwealth 1"). The Australian flag
is centrally mounted on the bonnet of the vehicle.

Prime ministerial vehicles are transported and used wherever the prime minister travels. The vehicle is stored at Parliament House, the Lodge, Kirribilli House or an allocated COMCAR facility. While COMCAR administers the vehicles, they are driven by

Ford LTDs
that had been used in the 1980s.

Current vehicle

The prime ministerial fleet was updated in 2014, replacing the Holden Caprice fleet with a suite of armoured BMW 7 Series High Security (F03) models. The $6.3 million (AUD) fleet of BMW 7 Series were purchased initially by the Australian Government to protect visiting dignitaries for the 2014 G20 summit in Brisbane, and were later commissioned as the official prime ministerial fleet.[1] The limousine, manufactured in Germany, has undergone extensive mechanical and protection-based modifications including armour and bulletproofing.[2] The prime ministerial state car and a supporting armoured BMW X5 is administered by COMCAR, a division of the Australian Government's Department of Finance, and driven by trained officers of the Australian Federal Police.[3][4]

Protection specifications

The vehicle has the same visual appearance as a regular BMW 7 Series. However, it has been subject to extensive modifications. The limousine has been fitted with bullet-proofed doors and windows, as well as armour on the floor of the vehicle. On top of this, the vehicle has a protected fuel tank that does not explode when damaged and can withstand a roadside bomb. The off-the-shelf replacements for the older Holden Caprice vehicles offered greater protection and better value for money.[5] A BAE and GM-Holden consortium also unsuccessfully bid for the contract.[6]

Previous prime ministerial limousines

Gallery

  • Holden Caprice of the prime minister, May 2007
    Holden Caprice of the prime minister, May 2007
  • The prime ministerial Holden Caprice, April 2008
    The prime ministerial Holden Caprice, April 2008
  • Australian Federal Police escort vehicle to the left of the Holden Caprice
    Australian Federal Police escort vehicle to the left of the Holden Caprice
  • BMW 7 Series with a BMW escort vehicle, January 2017
    BMW 7 Series with a BMW escort vehicle, January 2017
  • Rear view of the BMW 7 Series, August 2022
    Rear view of the BMW 7 Series, August 2022
  • The vehicle's number plate (C1)
    The vehicle's number plate (C1)

See also

References

  1. Business Insider Australia
    . Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  2. ^ Maiden, Samantha (30 August 2014). "PM snubs Holden to buy $6.2m fleet of BMWs that can withstand terror attacks". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  3. Government of Australia
    . Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  4. Government of Australia
    . Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  5. ^ Benson, Simon (11 December 2013). "Bomb-proof BMWs will replace the Prime Minister's Holden fleet of limousines". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
  6. ^ Kenny, Mark (13 December 2013). "Holden angered by media reports it did not submit bid to supply 'blast-proof' vehicles for Australian government VIPs". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 August 2018.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Automobiles of heads of government of Australia.
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