Has any President before or since JFK’s assassination rode in an open top car in a parade?

18 comments

1. Both Roosevelts did, I imagine as did several others before.

2. I’d imagine most of them did at some point. If you think about it a lot of them probably road in open carriages or whatever.

3. All of them did before.

   The Secret Service ceased using open vehicles after JFK was killed. In fact, that specific Lincoln Continental was rebuilt with a roof and was used by future presidents.

4. No president has ridden in an open-top car since JFK’s assassination, because of JFK’s assassination.

   Related fun fact: [JFK’s actual limo is on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit](https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-resources/popular-topics/kennedy-limo/). Seeing it in person is a very strange and interesting experience. You’re just going through the museum, admiring all these historically significant cars in the collection, and then you spot this black limousine. Your gut recognizes it before your brain does, and you get this sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, and you’re not even sure why. Then your brain catches up and says, “Oh, it’s JFK’s limo.”

   I’ve talked to a few people who have been there, and they all describe the same experience. It’s eerie, but kind of awesome.

5. I know both Ike and Truman did.

6. Not since then, but probably all before and up to. Seeing POTUS assassinated after a last-minute decision to reverse the original plan (the car had a bulletproof top, but JFK went without) has a pretty crystallizing effect on procedure going forward.

7. Not sure if this counts as technically he wasn’t president YET, but Nixon did ride in a parade in an open top car when he visited Chicago after the Democratic National Convention

   https://lh5.ggpht.com/MOhgezUE4UVbOzXrX2OAu7TunynYEOp_N6xyMurWQCuqY6nfsnNnWzt1wg

8. None have since JFK specifically because of his assassination.

   It was common before his assassination.

9. Jimmy Carter did so in 1980, [here is the photo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/President_Jimmy_Carter_at_a_rally_in_Granite_City%2C_Illinois_%28cropped%29.jpg/1920px-President_Jimmy_Carter_at_a_rally_in_Granite_City%2C_Illinois_%28cropped%29.jpg).

10. LBJwas know riding in an open top car around his ranch in Texas as president.

11. Most of them get out and walk part of the way in the Inauguaral parade. Easier target if anything, if that’s what you’re looking at.

12. That’s a good question you probably could have Googled.

13. FDR did. Truman used to take daily walks around DC with the Secret Service trailing behind.

14. Not as far as I know but many have walked at least part of the way during the procession to the capitol on inauguration day.

15. Yes, my grandpa saw FDR in one.

16. [FDR](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/2/fdr-leaning-out-of-open-car-as-son-bettmann.jpg)

17. It is not too unusual to see a newly elected president walk a portion of the parade route for their inauguration. Carter famously did this in 1977.

18. Nixon did in Iran!! I watched the documentary about the different decades and showed the footage and I was like “No way” but he did.