About

Chiang Kai-shek’s car from 1972 – 1975 This is one of Chiang’s official state cars, donated by overseas Chinese in the Philippines. The 1955 GM-manufactured Cadillac is a four-door, seven-seat limousine that measures 610 (L) x 200 (W) x 163 (H) cm and weighs three tons. It is fitted with bulletproof glass and other security measures. Chiang, however, only used the vehicle once. In countries that have indigenous automobile manufacturers, the government will usually commission one of the national automakers to provide a state car, or allow several to provide cars for an official state fleet. That the Taiwanese government picked something from an American manufacturer certainly shows the intimate relationship between the US and Taiwan. Also of note is the car plate, which reads 0888. In Chinese language, the number 8 sounds similar to the word for abundance and good fortune, and is often the preferred number used for car plates, street numbers, cell phone numbers, etc.