Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s predecessor could most often be seen in a black minivan, when he wasn’t sitting in the back of his armoured Cadillac limousine.
The latter, remember, caused a minor international incident when it was revealed that the RCMP paid $1.2-million to fly Stephen Harper’s limo to India for an official visit.
Trudeau has better taste in cars, having inherited his late father’s Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster. Provided he’s kept up with maintenance, it should now be worth at least $1-million to $1.5-million. Lovely as it is, a German car worth more than the assets of most Canadian families is probably not the best choice – politically, of course – for our new Prime Minister.
So, what car for Trudeau? He’s probably a tad busy with more important matters, so we’ve helpfully compiled some suggestions.
Made in Canada
There’s an unwritten rule that the leader of a country must use a car built in said country. Call it patriotic duty.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, for example, alternates between sedans from big German brands. U.S. President Barack Obama rides in a custom-built, eight-tonne Cadillac limo known as the Beast. British Prime Minister David Cameron uses an armoured Jaguar XJ sedan. Russian President Vladimir Putin, as he so often is, is the exception – using an armoured Mercedes-Benz as daily runabout, and a tank for special occasions.
Trudeau won’t ride in anything so exotic as those lucky leaders, but he can choose from plenty of excellent made-in-Canada options. According to the last count from Industry Canada, there are 22 models from big auto makers made here.
Compacts
The Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic are among the most popular vehicles made in Canada. Good choices for a populist. But it’s difficult to seem powerful when you invite someone to have an important meeting in the back of your Corolla. It would look a bit wimpy next to Obama’s tricked-out truck.
HEMI
As fun as the Dodge Challenger or Chevy Camaro may be, they’re coupes, so they wouldn’t be any more practical than Trudeau’s 300SL. Plus, they’re a bit midlife crisis-y.
The Dodge sedan, on the other hand, the Charger, would be worth a look. It’s a full-size car, built in Ontario. Surely it could handle some bulletproof glass and you’d hardly notice the extra weight.
The 707-horsepower Charger Hellcat would be a crowd-pleasing choice. Burnouts in front of 24 Sussex! In case of danger, it could outrun any threat. Trudeau would certainly be the first world leader whose state car could do an 11-second quarter-mile. We could challenge Obama to a drag race.
Alas, a HEMI-powered muscle car wouldn’t really fit the image our eco-conscious Prime Minister is trying to project. Fuel economy? 17.6 litres/100 kilometres (city). A public-relations nightmare.
Hybrids/EVs
The ‘h’ in Lexus RX 450h stands for hybrid. It’s spacious, luxurious and eco-friendly-ish. City fuel economy is rated at a frugal 7.7 litres/100 km.
It’s a shame the Tesla’s not built in Canada. That would be even better. All the other world leaders at the upcoming Paris climate conference would be chatting up Trudeau, asking about his Model S. From 0-100 km/h, it’s as quick as the Hellcat, he could say.
Trudeau lives close enough to his office, so he could cycle to work. BMW makes a nice e-bike.
Safety first
If the RCMP had its way, Trudeau would likely be in something like the Knight SV. It’s built by Toronto-based Conquest Vehicles, and makes a Hummer look like a cheap Tonka Toy. It’s terrifying, but safe – available with a choice of armour plating, a custom leather interior and either a Playstation or Xbox video game system. Standard equipment includes keyless entry and an infrared night-vision system. As of 2011, pricing starts at $629,000 (U.S.).
We recommend
A 1974 Bricklin SV-1, of course. So obvious. Even though Globe Drive did name it as one of the 12 worst cars ever built. It’s as close as you can get to a Canadian-made Mercedes 300SL and even has gullwing doors. The new Prime Minister would feel right at home. Some minor modifications would need to be made. Swapping out the underpowered 1970s V-8 for a new electric powertrain would be a good start. Only a couple thousand SV-1s were built at the factory in Saint John, N.B., before the company declared bankruptcy, but we’re happy to help source one if you’re interested, Mr. Trudeau.
Like us on Facebook
Add us to your circles
Sign up for our weekly newsletter.