Where's Biden's Beast? Here's why the new president doesn't have a new car
The presidential limousine was recently redesigned
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Joe Biden took his first ride as president in a car that's new to him, but not new.
(Fox News)
Unlike his former running mate Barack Obama, Biden, a Corvette-owning auto enthusiast, wasn't presented with a redesigned presidential state car on his first day in office.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden were chauffeured from his inauguration in a Cadillac-branded state car operated by the U.S. Secret Service. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Neither was Donald Trump. He inherited Obama's fleet of Cadillac "Beast" limousines, which are styled like sedans but are actually armored medium-duty trucks underneath.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}TAFT TO TRUMP: A BRIEF HISTORY OF PRESIDENTIAL LIMOUSINES
However, in the fall of 2018, General Motors began delivering a new Cadillac to the U.S. Secret Service, which is understood to be based on the previous generation but equipped with the latest security tech, including protection against IEDs and chemical weapons.
Trump's limousine (top) is an evolution of Obama's "Beast" Cadillac. (Getty Images)
The Secret Service has never officially revealed how many of the vehicles are in its pool and did not respond to a request from Fox News Autos asking if the one that Biden rode in today had previously been used by Trump or if it was a newly constructed example.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
There was at least one small difference, however, as the license plate number is now 46, indicating Biden becoming the 46th president.
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Given the historically long life cycles of the state cars, it's unlikely that a new one will be developed and delivered before the next presidential term begins in 2025 and probably not even by then.