Presidents used to ride in stock, unmodified cars until President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration bought the Sunshine Special, the first presidential state car to be built to Secret Service standards.

Until the assassination of John F. Kennedy, presidential state cars frequently allowed the president to ride uncovered and exposed to the public.

The US presidential state car (nicknamed 'The Beast' among other names) is a unique Cadillac built specifically to protect the president of the United States.

The car is equipped with many life-saving, offensive, and defensive measures, and is built to the United States Secret Service's standards. When riding in the state car, the president is cut off from the outside world, but has extensive 21st-century communications gear at hand.

Today, presidential state cars are dismantled and destroyed with the assistance of the Secret Service to prevent their secrets from being known to outside parties.

The next generation of presidential state car is currently under development.

H/T Business Insider