The Automotive Odyssey of President Harry Truman, Part 2: To the White House and Back

The automotive odyssey of President Harry Truman continues, showing how his relationship with cars evolved as he moved to the White House and back. After Truman’s earlier car-driven passion began in 1914 and supported his political work, his profile rose further after the Senate “Truman Committee” investigated wartime fraud and waste. That rise contributed to Franklin Delano Roosevelt choosing him as running mate in 1944, before Roosevelt died 82 days into his fourth term. The article says Truman received an official government car for the first time during his vice presidency: a Mercury limousine with a chauffeur and Secret Service agent. In that Mercury, Truman rode to the White House on April 12, 1945, to be told of Roosevelt’s death by Eleanor Roosevelt. The White House role brought a broader vehicle fleet, and Truman reportedly gave away a Chrysler coupe and sold a Windsor sedan. Later, a 1946 Ford Deluxe 2-door sedan gifted by Henry Ford II went to his daughter Margaret.