Truman driving to Key West, 1946

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Spring break!

{edited, Thursday morning: no, it isn't}

Truman driving to Key West, 1946:

Link to tweet

[CatMor]

1. Love the car.

[democratisphere]

2. Love the destination!

[dhill926]

6. love both!

[COLGATE4]

4. Hard to believe there was a time when

you could sit 3 adults abreast and still have room for everybody/

[CatMor]

9. That was my thought too ...

they looked comfortable.

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Seems to be a 1940's Hudson.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

12. I'm sure it's a GM. From an earlier Michael Beschloss Twitter thread:

I am not certain, but I think the car is a 1946 Buick Super Model 56. Anyone more learned than I care to opine?

Link to tweet

[brush]

8. Looks like a later model than '46 though.

Car manufacturers were still re-tooling from the war in 1946. Looks like maybe a '48 or '49 Buick.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. Neat! I ought to look in my old yearbooks etc. to see if I have any old pics of Harry ...

walking around our school in Independence MO back in the 60s...I don't recall any yearbooks but I'll look.

Thanks for posting. The car is neat.

[Sherman A1]

5. Certainly one of our Best Presidents

[rurallib]

10. I read the biography of HST when I was @ 20. (@ 1970)

Can't remember the author - Merle Miller or something.
Anyway the one story that still sticks in my mind was how he and Bess got in their car after Eisenhower had been sworn in and they drove back to Independence by themselves.

It seemed so unreal - about an hour after being the most important human on earth he was a common Joe taking a cross country trip.
That'll never happen again.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

11. From the Truman Library:

President Truman and guests driving to Key West

Accession Number: 66-1396


President Truman and guests driving to Key West

4.5x3.5 inches, Black and White

Description: President Harry S. Truman stops the motorcade at a scenic spot on the highway to Key West after going to Boca Chica to meet additional guests who arrived late. In the front seat, left to right: unidentified, Admiral William Leahy, President Truman. Back seat, left to right: Harry Vaughan, Judge John Caskie Collet, and John Steelman. From the album "The President's Trip to Key West, Florida."

Date: November 20, 1946

Related Collection:
ARC Keywords: Presidential advisors; Presidential vacations; Automobiles; Naval officers; Soldiers
HST Keywords: Leahy, William D. - Key West - 1946; Steelman, John - Key West - 1946; Vaughan Harry - Key West - 1946; Collet, John Caskie; Automobiles - Truman in; Truman - Trips - Key West - 1946; Florida, Key West
People Pictured: Collet, John Caskie, 1898-1955; Leahy, William D. (William Daniel), 1875-1959; Steelman, John Roy, 1900-1999; Truman, Harry S., 1884-1972; Vaughan, Harry H., 1893-1981

Rights: Public Domain - This item is in the public domain and can be used freely without further permission.

Note: If you use this image, rights assessment and attribution are your responsibility.

Credit: U. S. Navy.
Harry S. Truman Library & Museum.

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