Five Australian Prime Ministerial cars through history

When the opening of the first Commonwealth Parliament in Melbourne commenced on 9 May 1901, the Australia we have come know today looked like a very different place. Not just for the fact that there was no confirmed Capital city, or that everyone wore top hats and three-piece suits around town. The transport we have come to rely on, depend on and build a deep connection with was not even on the radar.

Horse-drawn vehicles provided the essential transport requirements associated with these early days of federation but a four-wheeled revolution was starting to emerge. Interestingly, some members of Australia’s early governments were among the first adopters of this new technology.

Over a century later, a fleet of vehicles across the country now serve the needs of members of parliament and special international dignitaries through a program called COMCAR. The fleet of vehicles travel on average a distance of 134,607km a month. COMCAR are also responsible for maintaining the primary car of Australia’s Prime Minister whose official ride is known as Commonwealth 1 (the number plate is C1). Let’s take a look back at where it all began as well as five Australian Prime Ministerial cars through history.

As the price of motor vehicles began to decline in Australia, the numbers on roads increased. The Victorian Government was confident about the future of motor vehicles and acquired one for use by Premier Thomas Bent in 1905. By 1910, there were over 1500 registered vehicles in Victoria and 3204 people licensed to drive. Of those people, an estimated 1200 were professional chauffeurs earning on average £2 5 shillings per week.

The hype and excitement about the evolving motor industry was enough to convince Prime Minister Andrew Fisher that the work of his government would be improved if he and his ministers had access to a motor car for official business and “the means of moving about speedily”. The government purchased a Renault motor car from the Kellow Motor Company on Exhibition Street Melbourne in June 1910, soon after his government won the election in April.

Melbourne’s The Argus newspaper on the 11th of June 1910 published a story on the acquisition of the new ‘Commonwealth motor-car’,

“The Commonwealth Ministry has purchased a Renault motor-car from the Kellow Motor Company. It is understood that the price for the car, with all fittings complete, will total about £850. The Prime Minister (Mr Fisher) stated yesterday that he thought that the time had now arrived when Federal Ministers should be equipped with this means of moving about speedily he added that so far as possible the car had been constructed in Australia.

The car purchased by the Federal Government is of the latest 1910 model, with Renault chassis and 4-cylinder engine of 14-20 horsepower. It is fitted with a special colonial model torpedo body painted in myrtle green picked out with fine red lines. The body is fitted with a special make of cape-cart hood and windscreen, only the best material having been used. The car is capable of developing a speed of over 50 miles an hour.”

This car served the Prime Minister and his fellow ministers for several years and was joined by many other vehicles as popularity for the motorised transport increased.

Prime Minister Robert Menzies was in power for many years and in his time had been chauffeured around in an array of vehicles, primarily large American sedans including a Buick and a Cadillac. This all changed in October 1964 when a black Bentley S3 Saloon was acquired to wear the C1 numberplate for the Prime Minister’s use in Canberra with similar vehicles maintained in Sydney and Melbourne.

This car took him not only from his residence to Parliament House, Prime Ministerial engagements and meetings, but also to watch his beloved Carlton play at Melbourne’s Princes Park where a special platform was built so he could watch the footy from the car. The Bentley S3 has since been restored and is kept at the National Museum of Australia.

The Labor Party, led by Gough Whitlam, came to power on 2 December 1972 with the slogan ‘It’s time’ and with that also meant time for a car change. So it was out with the very British and regal black Bentley and in with the more modern white Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL.

Increased security became a priority during the 1970s, especially after the attempted assassination of then opposition leader Arthur Calwell in 1966 in his Commonwealth car. The government acquired two additional Mercedes-Benz 450 SEL that were protected using conventional steel for solid armour and laminated glass as transparent armour.

The Holden Statesman Caprice nameplate has served the Australian Government longer than any Prime Minister or Member of Parliament in the country’s history. While Australian made vehicles including the Ford Falcon and Fairlane had served the bulk of the Commonwealth car fleet for decades, it wasn’t until the late ‘80s and early ‘90s until an Australian made vehicle would wear the official C1 numberplates.

Unlike previous Prime Ministerial rides though, the handful of Caprice models which served as C1 had a much longer tenure than other vehicles, with the same WL Caprice clocking up almost 15 years of service. This Caprice was also unique in that it was built to be bullet-proof. The specially equipped car included a bullet-proof roof and glass (which meant the windows couldn’t be wound down), bomb-and-banana-proof exhaust system and a puncture-proof petrol tank. The car was so heavy from the added bulk that the fuel economy was incredibly high and a special workshop hoist had to be used for maintenance work.

With Australian car manufacturing slowly rolling to a close from 2014, the future of the Prime Minister’s car came into question as the current Caprice had clocked up years of service to over four different PMs.

A BMW 7 Series, valued at around $500,000 was part of a fleet of high-security vehicles initially used to transport world leaders at the 2014 G20 Summit in Brisbane. According to BMW this specially modified limo was the “first vehicle specifically designed to protect against the world’s most widely used firearm, the AK-47”.

After the G20 Summit concluded, the cars were retained as part of the official COMCAR fleet and have serviced the proceeding PMs ever since.

Unlike the Caprice which was custom built for the Prime Minister’s use, BMW offers a high-security range of 7 Series and X5 models designed for this exact purpose.

Safety features include an on-board fire-fighting system, an emergency exit and an emergency fresh-air system. It also includes tyres that remain inflated even when punctured, a self-sealing petrol tank, an attack alarm and an intercom system that allows the occupants to communicate with people outside without having to open the car door.

The move back to a European car as the official vehicle of the Prime Minister puts Australia back in line with the majority of world leaders. The Mercedes S-Class remains the preferred VIP ride of choice around the world.

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