[SpideyBoy]

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[hserus]

Originally Posted by SpideyBoy

Source

Don't miss the 1987 Beetle used by the Uruguayan president - he's a man who believes in taking a modest salary and hasn't enriched himself by even a penny in the years he has spent in office.

Reminds me of Manik Sarkar the former CM of Tripura - another man with similar principles and the least possessions of any elected CM (he used to donate all his earnings and retain only 10,000 a month, still lives in an old house belonging to his grandfather)

[NaXal]

Originally Posted by hserus

Reminds me of Manik Sarkar the former CM of Tripura - another man with similar principles and the least possessions of any elected CM (he used to donate all his earnings and retain only 10,000 a month, still lives in an old house belonging to his grandfather)

Actually he doesn't have any house anymore

After he was defeated, he had to vacate the CM official residence & his party had to vacate some rooms in their HQ to allow him & his wife to live

https://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...le22971348.ece

Someone from Tripura can put some light into this story

As far I recall, this party office building was actually his or that grand father of him, which he inherited but donated it to his party for making it their HQ.

[Jeroen]

Actually, the Dutch PM, Mark Rutte, doesn’t have much use for the governmental Mercedes.

He rides his bicycle to work everyday. He lives in an apartment in the Hague and the houses of parlement as well as his ministry are all in the Hague.

He visits our King once a week. His palace is just on the outskirts of the Hague and again, he will ride his bicycle to visit the King. Rain or shine.

When we still lived near the Hague I used to bump into Mark occasionally when cycling through The Hague.

Its not because he is pushing some ‘green’ agenda. His party is actually centre right conservative. They are the ones that managed to get the maximum speed increased to 130 km/h some years ago.

He just doesn’t own a car himself and he, just like most Dutch, does anything up to 10km on a bicycle. He is genuinely just not interested into material wealth and showing off. What you see is what you get.



What the Dutch want to know; what is Modi doing with the bicycle he was gifted by our PM during his 2017 visit to the Netherlands?

Ever seen him cycling around Delhi?



Jeroen

[GTO]

Not official nor ceremonial, but this world leader (US President) is one heck of a car guy:




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[Yusha]

Originally Posted by GTO

Not official nor ceremonial, but this world leader (US President) is one heck of a car guy:

Unfortunately President Biden's driving days are over. US Presidents and VP's are forbidden from driving unless on private roads or property. I think even the former Presidents are also forbidden from driving.

[lazy]

One thing that I noticed looking at that list - if a country has a home automobile brand, its leader's vehicle is of that brand.

Germany, UK , RR, USA, Japan, France, Italy, China, South Korea, Sweden.

Exception being my Indian leaders. Forever in colonial mindset.

Just my opinion, but am sure both Tata and Mahindra will happily create a limited / special edition limo for our PM or President.

cheers
lazy

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by lazy

One thing that I noticed looking at that list - if a country has a home automobile brand, its leader's vehicle is of that brand.

Germany, UK , RR, USA, Japan, France, Italy, China, South Korea, Sweden.

Exception being my Indian leaders. Forever in colonial mindset.

Based on this list, Spain too - Seat.

[fhdowntheline]

Originally Posted by lazy

One thing that I noticed looking at that list - if a country has a home automobile brand, its leader's vehicle is of that brand.

Germany, UK , RR, USA, Japan, France, Italy, China, South Korea, Sweden.

Exception being my Indian leaders. Forever in colonial mindset.

Just my opinion, but am sure both Tata and Mahindra will happily create a limited / special edition limo for our PM or President.

cheers
lazy

If our security agencies have decided on a specification that can be met by certain models, then it only makes sense to use them. . We should go past tokenism and be pragmatic.

[Raghu M]

Originally Posted by hserus

Don't miss the 1987 Beetle used by the Uruguayan president - he's a man who believes in taking a modest salary and hasn't enriched himself by even a penny in the years he has spent in office.

Reminds me of Manik Sarkar the former CM of Tripura - another man with similar principles and the least possessions of any elected CM (he used to donate all his earnings and retain only 10,000 a month, still lives in an old house belonging to his grandfather)

Good point. Just a clarification, he used to make a contribution to his party every month from his salary as well. Gone are those days and people now!

[NaXal]

Originally Posted by lazy

One thing that I noticed looking at that list - if a country has a home automobile brand, its leader's vehicle is of that brand.

Germany, UK , RR, USA, Japan, France, Italy, China, South Korea, Sweden.

Exception being my Indian leaders. Forever in colonial mindset.

Just my opinion, but am sure both Tata and Mahindra will happily create a limited / special edition limo for our PM or President.

Unfortunately our elite class feels so much disconnected from the rest of country.

Yes, why can't our PM / President or such VIPs ride one of these?







TATA has Jaguar under their portfolio and surely they can get a few limited edition special purpose VVIP vehicles out too..

Our VVIPs used to ride HM Ambassadors, that too not long ago.

Thanks.

[YD14]

Isn't current official car of our prime minister a Range Rover? The article mentions 7 series.

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

He is genuinely just not interested into material wealth and showing off. What you see is what you get.

Reminded me of the video I saw of him cleaning up the coffee that he spilled. How many world leaders even own up to their mess let alone cleaning it up

https://youtu.be/G0hfaLSa75U

Originally Posted by Jeroen

What the Dutch want to know; what is Modi doing with the bicycle he was gifted by our PM during his 2017 visit to the Netherlands?

Ever seen him cycling around Delhi?

Modi on a bicycle would be a political disaster especially during elections in India for the below reason

[dragracer567]

I guess the price for the best official & ceremonial vehicles of world leaders goes to Morocco for its classic Mercedes 600 Landaulet

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Actually, the Dutch PM, Mark Rutte, doesn’t have much use for the governmental Mercedes.

He rides his bicycle to work everyday. He lives in an apartment in the Hague and the houses of parlement as well as his ministry are all in the Hague.

He just doesn’t own a car himself and he, just like most Dutch, does anything up to 10km on a bicycle. He is genuinely just not interested into material wealth and showing off. What you see is what you get.

Jeroen

I've been following Mark Rutte for a while and he is a politician I genuinely respect (and generally agree with). There was this time he spilled some coffee and he just took a mop and started cleaning it himself. It wasn't a show, he genuinely thought its his responsibility

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ItbbTEcZ1A

Originally Posted by lazy

One thing that I noticed looking at that list - if a country has a home automobile brand, its leader's vehicle is of that brand.

Germany, UK , RR, USA, Japan, France, Italy, China, South Korea, Sweden.

Exception being my Indian leaders. Forever in colonial mindset.

Just my opinion, but am sure both Tata and Mahindra will happily create a limited / special edition limo for our PM or President.

cheers
lazy

To be fair, the PM mostly uses Range Rovers now which though Made in Britain is owned by a Indian company! It won't be possible to modify a Harrier, Safari or XUV500 to the standard of a Mercedes S-guard or armored Range Rover mainly because they would be too underpowered to carry all the armor. So, the only solution is to make a bespoke car like the Russians and Chinese have done costing millions. But is it really required? Put millions to develop a car of which barely 10 will be made, that too only for national chauvinism? The Americans (another democracy) has a GDP per capita 30 times that of India and its barely justified there. I'm guessing we might eventually get a locally made state car as Mahindra and Tata go further upmarket.

Originally Posted by GTO

Not official nor ceremonial, but this world leader (US President) is one heck of a car guy:

I was really surprised to see the video by Jay Leno! But poor guy won't be allowed to drive his corvette for atleast the next 4 years though that's probably the least of his worries right now.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by NaXal

Yes, why can't our PM / President or such VIPs ride one of these?

TATA has Jaguar under their portfolio and surely they can get a few limited edition special purpose VVIP vehicles out too..

Our VVIPs used to ride HM Ambassadors, that too not long ago.

Thanks.

They used to ride in Ambassadors and Safaris. The NSG decreed that the Head of State needs appropriate protection and the BMW 7 was selected.

Originally Posted by YD14

Isn't current official car of our prime minister a Range Rover? The article mentions 7 series.

If I am right, the 7 is the usual mode of transport. When the occupant wants to be visible to the crowds the RR is used.