Public life · Official presidential use · not personal ownership

Franklin D. Roosevelt

1939 Lincoln Model K ‘Sunshine Special’

Black 1939 Lincoln Sunshine Special presidential limousine displayed at The Henry Ford with its historic registration obscured.
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s actual 1939 Lincoln presidential limousine, The Henry Ford object 50.11.1, photographed in its later armored form in 2016. The historic registration is obscured.Photo: Greg Gjerdingen · CC BY 2.0. Downloaded the 6000 × 4000 Commons original. Joyride obscured only the historic registration with a deterministic localized blur, resized proportionally to 1600 pixels wide and recompressed the JPEG at quality 92; no crop, generated content or vehicle reconstruction.
Franklin D. Roosevelt in a circa-1933 identification portrait by Elias Goldensky.
Franklin D. Rooseveltca. · Identification portraitElias Goldensky · No known restrictions on publication. Joyride serves the Library of Congress 1024-pixel JPEG byte-for-byte; no crop, retouching or generation. A responsive frame may crop displayed edges.

The open presidential car that became an armored survivor

Connection
Official presidential use · not personal ownership
When
White House service · 1939–1950
Identity
The Henry Ford object 50.11.1 · 1939 Lincoln Model K chassis · Brunn custom body · official presidential limousine

The Henry Ford identifies museum object 50.11.1 as the 1939 Lincoln presidential limousine used by Franklin D. Roosevelt—the first car built expressly for presidential use. Lincoln made the Model K chassis in Detroit and Brunn & Company built the custom convertible limousine body in Buffalo. Roosevelt’s preference for riding with the top down supplied the nickname ‘Sunshine Special.’

The ownership wording matters. The White House Historical Association records that the federal government leased the car from Ford; this was Roosevelt’s official-use vehicle, not his personal property. Its wider rear doors, step plates and handholds helped presidential access, while the open body let crowds see him during public appearances.

After Pearl Harbor, the Lincoln returned for armor plate, bullet-resistant glass, reinforced tires and fuel-tank protection. It remained in presidential service under Harry S. Truman until 1950, then entered The Henry Ford’s collection. The museum photograph shows that later, security-modified form—not an untouched 1939 delivery specification.

Documented custody

Where the car went next

  1. 1939Leased for official use

    The federal government leased the custom Lincoln from Ford for Roosevelt’s presidential transportation.

  2. After December 1941Wartime protection

    The car returned for armor, bullet-resistant glass, protected tires and fuel-tank reinforcement.

  3. 1945–1950Truman service

    The same presidential limousine continued in official service under Harry S. Truman.

  4. 1950 onwardMuseum collection

    The retired car entered The Henry Ford, where object 50.11.1 is displayed today.

Follow the evidence

Sources for this story

The Henry Ford and the White House Historical Association establish the exact museum object, 1939 Lincoln/Brunn identity, government lease, Roosevelt and Truman service, wartime modifications and 1950 retirement. No personal ownership or current private owner is claimed; the reviewed museum record does not publish a chassis serial number.

  • 1939 Lincoln Presidential Limousine Used by Franklin D. RooseveltThe Henry Ford · Collection record reviewed 2026-10-04 · external source

    Object 50.11.1, 1939 date, Lincoln chassis, Brunn body, Roosevelt use, first expressly built presidential car, wartime armoring, Truman service, 1950 retirement and current museum custody.

  • Franklin Roosevelt’s Presidential CarsWhite House Historical Association · Reviewed 2026-10-04 · external source

    Federal-government lease from Ford, accessibility and visibility modifications, post-Pearl Harbor protection, Truman service and the rejection of the Al Capone-car myth.

Reviewed

Why this is the actual car
  • Photo identity evidence

    The Henry Ford identifies object 50.11.1 as the 1939 Lincoln presidential limousine used by Franklin D. Roosevelt and later Harry S. Truman.

  • Photo identity evidence

    Photographer Greg Gjerdingen identifies the exact Sunshine Special at The Henry Ford on December 16, 2016; the complete museum-held car is visible.

The matching photographer, venue, date and vehicle history establish the identification; the chassis stamp is not visible in these photographs.