1991 Holden VQ Caprice Armoured Car
General-Motors Holden1991-01-01/1991-12-31
National Motor Museum, Australia
Birdwood, Australia
Left-hand side view of 1991 Holden VQ Caprice Armoured Car. The Holden VQ Statesman and Caprice models were manufactured in Australia by General-Motors Holden. Produced from 1990 to 1994 they were considered top of the line luxury sedans. This Series II white Holden Caprice was based on a VQ Commodore station wagon platform. The vehicle was used to transport the Australian Prime Minister and visiting dignitaries, and has been modified for this purpose. It was sent to the US to fit several special security features. The body panels are reinforced with steel plates and windows fitted with triple glazed glass, which are resistant to high calibre machine gun fire. The floor is also lined with explosive proof Kevlar sheet and the tyres are a 'run-flat' type which allows the car to travel over 100km from the site of an attack. Holden Caprice Executive models were used as Prime Ministerial Limousines in Australia almost exclusively for a number of years. All Caprice Prime Minsterial Limousines were manufactured in white and have an Australian flag mounted on the bonnet.
Specifications:
Engine: 8 cylinder, 5.2 litre.
- Title: 1991 Holden VQ Caprice Armoured Car
- Creator: General-Motors Holden, General-Motors Holden
- Date Created: 1991-01-01/1991-12-31
- Location: Birdwood, South Australia
- Provenance: The Holden Caprice served as part of the Prime Ministerial fleet of cars in the 1990s and was used by Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating. An unattributed story has it that when this newly arrived car was presented to Prime Minister Keating he took it for a drive around Canberra with his chauffeur as passenger. This car was later part of a pool of armoured vehicles used for other Australian Prime Ministers, visiting Head of State, and Heads of Government that required high level security. It was also part of a fleet of armoured vehicles used to transport visiting Heads of State and Heads of Government during the Sydney Olympics in 2000. All of the parts are original except for the bulletproof glass windscreen which has been replaced with a standard windscreen. After the vehicle was decommissioned COMCAR removed the windscreen and used it for testing high calibre rifles. The vehicle was donated to the Museum by COMCAR, a division of the Department of Finance and Administration in the Australian Federal Government that is responsible for transporting the Prime Minister and high level dignitaries. When this vehicle was decommissioned, it was used by COMCAR for training purposes.
- Rights: History Trust of South Australia, CC-0, photographer: Epsom Rd Studios
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