Donald Trump owns luxury cars worth $2 million, but an unusual reason keeps him away from driving them
Former US President Donald Trump, who is currently in the close presidential race against Kamala Harris, has an unusual disadvantage. He can't drive on public roads. While this doesn't impact the Republican presidential candidate's campaign in any way, it does make his multimillion-dollar car collection useless. Trump's impressive car collection includes high-end luxuries like the McLaren Mercedes SLR, Rolls-Royce, and even an exclusive Cadillac, which comes to a total of $2 million.
Donald Trump's impressive car collection
Probably the most extravagant cars in Trump's collection are two Rolls-Royce models. One is a vintage, 1956 Silver Cloud and the other is a 2010 Phantom. Collectively, the two models could be worth over $500,000, as per estimates from Business Insider and LamboCars. There is another unique car in his collection, the McLaren Mercedes SLR. The car introduced in 2003 offers an output of 617-hp. Apart from these, Trump also owns a "Trump Edition" limousine from Cadillac, only two of which exist in the world.
Back in 1987, Cadillac and Donald Trump partnered to create the world's most luxurious limo. While their plan was to build 50 units, the project was scrapped with only two units made. Trump bought both the units, one for himself and the other for his father. One of the two ultra-rare cars is displayed in the family-run, Volo Auto Museum.
Apart from these, Trump's collection also included a 1997 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster, which was sold for $460,000, as per Business Insider. He also owns a Tesla Roadster, which is probably the only electric car in his collection. Despite having these rare, powerful, and luxurious cars, Trump is not allowed to sit behind the wheel of any of them.
Here's why Donald Trump can't drive any of his cars
Under one of the many rules of the Former Presidents Act passed in 1958, current and former presidents and vice presidents are not allowed to operate motor vehicles on open/public roads. Due to security reasons, high-profile government officials and former officials, like Trump, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and more have to rely on their appointed secret service teams, to move around. These teams are trained in “evasive and defensive driving maneuvers," in the event of an emergency, as per NBC.
While the rule is not law, it’s strictly enforced by the Secret Service. The rule became the norm following the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, making Lyndon Johnson the last president to drive on public roads.
Apart from not being able to drive, former leaders are also not allowed to go anywhere alone and are tied to Secret Service protection for life. They also can't receive private mail, without them going through the Secret Service first.
However, post-office duty life isn't all bad either. Former presidents enjoy several perks and benefits including a guaranteed pension which is about $264,424, which is equal to the pay for a Cabinet Secretary in 2024, as per the National Taxpayers Union. Furthermore, former presidents and up to two staff members are reimbursed for up to $1 million in annual costs.
