All the Candidates’ Cars
Keith Naughton and Hilary Shenfeld
NEWSWEEK
From the magazine issue dated Sep 29, 2008

When you have seven homes, that's a lot of garages to fill. After the
fuss over the number of residences owned by the two presidential
nominees, NEWSWEEK looked into the candidates' cars. And based on public
vehicle-registration records, here's the score. John and Cindy McCain:
13. Barack and Michelle Obama: one.

One vehicle in the McCain fleet has caused a small flap. United Auto
Workers president Ron Gettelfinger, an Obama backer, accused McCain this
month of "flip-flopping" on who bought daughter Meghan's foreign-made
Toyota Prius. McCain said last year that he bought it, but then told a
Detroit TV station on Sept. 7 that Meghan "bought it, I believe,
herself." (The McCain campaign did not respond to multiple requests for
comment.)

Obama's lone vehicle also is a green machine, a 2008 Ford Escape hybrid.
He bought it last year to replace the family's Chrysler 300C, a
Hemi-powered sedan. Obama ditched the 300C, once 50 Cent's preferred
ride, after taking heat for driving a guzzler while haranguing Detroit
about building more fuel-efficient cars.

McCain's personal ride, a 2004 Cadillac CTS, is no gas sipper, but it
should make Detroit happy because it's made by General Motors. "I've
bought American literally all my life and I'm proud," McCain said in the
interview with Detroit's WXYZ-TV. But the rest of his fleet is not
all-American. There's a 2005 Volkswagen convertible in the garage along
with a 2001 Honda sedan. Otherwise, there's a 2007 half-ton Ford pickup
truck, which might come in handy on the Sedona ranch; a vintage 1960
Willys Jeep; a 2008 Jeep Wrangler; a 2000 Lincoln; and a 2001 GMC SUV.
The McCains also own three 2000 NEV Gem electric vehicles, which are
bubble-shaped cars popular in retirement communities.

Only the Cadillac is registered in the candidate's name. Cindy McCain's
name is on 11 vehicles, though not the one she actually drives. That
car, a Lexus, is registered to her family's beer-distributor business
and is outfitted with personalized plates that read MS BUD.

URL: http://www.newsweek.com/id/160091