The first foreign limousine used by a Russian president was a W140 Mercedes-Benz S-Class purchased for Boris Yeltsin. This was superseded by a Mercedes-Benz W220, then by a W221. The limousines used by Presidents Yeltsin and Medvedev were stretched and armoured by the Belgian firm Carat Duchatelet; for Medvedev's inauguration a special Carat Duchatelet limousine with a raised roof was ordered. Putin's Mercedes was a Mercedes-Benz-produced S600 Pullman Guard.
Operation
Recent Russian presidential state cars have been bulletproof, had solid rubber tires, and carried an array of communications equipment.[6]
On state visits, the state car is airlifted to the destination by an Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft.
National transport services for the Russian President are provided by the Special Purpose Garage (SPG).[7] The SPG is a unit within the Federal Protective Service.
^Ayers, Stephen W. "Hotel Hobnobbing with High-level Diplomats". Retrieved December 19, 2014. I also had the honor to welcome President Putin and shake his hand, but his visit stands out in my mind more for the story of his bulletproof Mercedes limousine. It was flown in from Russia especially for the visit and guarded night and day in the hotel underground parking lot. I took aside one of the English-speaking Russians in his mission and requested that he show me the limo. It was a great experience! The windows were made of two-inch thick glass, the tires were of solid rubber to prevent blowouts and the body was bulletproof. I was also amazed at how much communication equipment was in that limo – like a travelling Kremlin!
