In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt bought a Ford V8 Phaeton coupe and had it equipped with hand controls in direct contravention of a Secret Service directive prohibiting sitting presidents from getting behind the wheel of a car.
 In December 1939, President Roosevelt received a 1939 Lincoln Motor Company V12 convertible—the Sunshine Special.
 The Sunshine Special (so named because the top was frequently open) became the president's best-known automobile, the very first to be built to Secret Service specifications, and the first to be leased rather than bought.
 Built on the chassis of the Lincoln K-series, the Sunshine Special has a 160-inch (4,100 mm) wheelbase, room for 10 passengers, rear doors hinged backwards, heavy-duty suspension, two side-mounted spare tires, and standing platforms attached to the exterior to accommodate Secret Service agents.
 The Sunshine Special underwent two sets of modifications.
 Firstly in 1941 the car's top was lowered 3 inches (76 mm) out of aesthetic concerns.
 Then, in 1942, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the car underwent the addition of armor, one-inch-thick (2.5 cm) bulletproof glass, "metal-clad flat-proof inner tubes, a radio transceiver, a siren, red warning lights, and a compartment for submachine guns."
 After the second set of modifications, the car weighed 9,300 pounds (4,200 kg) and was six feet (1.8 m) longer.
In 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt bought a Ford V8 Phaeton coupe and had it equipped with hand controls in direct contravention of a Secret Service directive prohibiting sitting presidents from getting behind the wheel of a car.  In December 1939, President Roosevelt received a 1939 Lincoln Motor Company V12 convertible—the Sunshine Special.  The Sunshine Special (so named because the top was frequently open) became the president's best-known automobile, the very first to be built to Secret Service specifications, and the first to be leased rather than bought.  Built on the chassis of the Lincoln K-series, the Sunshine Special has a 160-inch (4,100 mm) wheelbase, room for 10 passengers, rear doors hinged backwards, heavy-duty suspension, two side-mounted spare tires, and standing platforms attached to the exterior to accommodate Secret Service agents.  The Sunshine Special underwent two sets of modifications.  Firstly in 1941 the car's top was lowered 3 inches (76 mm) out of aesthetic concerns.  Then, in 1942, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the car underwent the addition of armor, one-inch-thick (2.5 cm) bulletproof glass, "metal-clad flat-proof inner tubes, a radio transceiver, a siren, red warning lights, and a compartment for submachine guns."  After the second set of modifications, the car weighed 9,300 pounds (4,200 kg) and was six feet (1.8 m) longer.
Presidential state car (United States)