The 46th US President Joseph “Joe” Robinette Biden Jr. (78) in his beloved 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Stingray.
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Adam Schultz/Biden campaign
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2/14
“I love speed,” admits Joe Biden. The Corvette was given to him in 1967 by his father, a car salesman.
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Studebaker / zVg
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3/14
As the very first car ever, Joe Biden drove such a 1951 Studebaker Champion, bought back then as an older used car.
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The White House
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13/14
Even as Vice President – here in 2010 with Barack Obama (59) – there was no more steering: As here, Biden is only allowed to …
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zVg
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14/14
… being chauffeured in the Cadillac One, the Panzer Presidential Limo called “The Beast”. The only thing he hates about his job, says Biden.
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“I love speed”, Joe Biden (78) is quoted as saying: The 46th President of the USA is a sworn car fan and, as Vice President, complained that being chauffeured instead of driving myself is “the only thing I hate about my job”. Welcome to Joseph “Joe” Robinette Biden Jr., a “petrolhead”.
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It is not without reason that the auto industry is happy about the change from Donald Trump (74) to Joe Biden: Experts are convinced that Biden will steer the auto business better (more on this here). And it speaks volumes when he shines while sitting in his Corvette, “I love this car!” says and makes the V8 howl. Or declared in a speech to Yale students that the Corvette is better than a Porsche 911.
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A Mercedes, otherwise only Americans
Biden was born with gasoline in his blood: As a second-hand dealer, his father kept the family afloat before things got better with the new Chevrolets. Biden’s first car: a used, 1951 Studebaker Champion. This was followed by a 1952 Plymouth Cranbrook Convertible and a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air. Then Biden gave his heart to an import for the only time: a Mercedes 190 SL moved into his garage, used again for lack of money.
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Then came the American to whom Biden has been loyal since 1967: At the wedding, his father gave the newly graduated historian Joe a Chevrolet Corvette Convertible Stingray of the C2 series with V8 and 350 hp. Biden drove with her to the university where he was doing his doctorate. The lawyer used a Ford station wagon as his family car – in which, after Biden’s election as Senator for the state of Delaware, his wife Neilia (1942–1972) and one-year-old Amy died in an accident. His sons, Beau (1969-2015), who later died of cancer, and Hunter (50), are injured: Biden takes the oath of office as the new Senator at her sick bed.
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Driving will be dangerous
Then the trace of Biden’s private car is lost – because as a Senator he is usually chauffeured in the limousines of the driving service. In 2009, there is no more directing yourself: As Vice President (2009–2017) under Barack Obama (59), the Democrat is only allowed to use armored “Chevys” and Cadillacs of the Secret Service. With his wife Jill (69), Biden is said to have Cadillacs and Jeeps in the private garage. No wonder: the Democrat likes to shout “Buy American!” Both politically and privately. and helped with Obama to save the big US auto companies from the financial crisis.
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But: Biden wants to promote Elektro in order to make the US auto industry fit for the future, invest billions in the energy transition, create a million car jobs and increase this many times over to a good 600,000 charging stations by 2030. Is that compatible with the love of the old “Vette” and new Corvettes? For Biden, who said in 2020 that he wanted US brands to build dream cars again, yes. “I believe that the 21st century market can be ours again by switching to electric cars. By the way: They say – and I’m looking forward to driving them, if it’s true – that they make an electric Corvette that runs 320 km / h, ”he says. And grins mischievously.
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Does Biden Do Like Bush?
The strict protection of the Secret Service applies for life, which is why Biden is never allowed to drive on public roads – here he has to use the armored Cadillac One, known as “The Beast”. And there is little space around his house in Wilmington, Delaware. But maybe he will find a similar way out as one of his predecessors: George W. Bush (74) uses his 6.4 square kilometer ranch in Texas to drive out his Ford F-Series pickup.