On the 7th of September, when arriving for the military civic parade in Brasilia during the celebrations of the Bicentennial of Independence, President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) waved to the public from inside a car known to the Brazilian population.
The black Rolls-Royce convertible, Silver Wraith model, is traditionally the presidency’s vehicle for special occasions, such as the inauguration of a new president and other holiday celebrations, for example.
Unlike what the highly publicized story tells, the famous car is not the result of a gift given to Brazil by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The car belongs to the Brazilian government since the 1950s. It was manufactured in England in 1952 and brought to Brazil the following year.
The first time the Presidential Rolls-Royce was used by a Brazilian official took place during the Labor Day celebrations, on May 1, 1953, by then President Getúlio Vargas.
In August of the same year, he debuted with international authorities, when General Manoel Odria, then president of Peru, walked aboard.
Over the years, the origin of the vehicle gained different stories as an explanation. One of the versions that gained greater popularity was that Queen Elizabeth II presented Brazil with the high-end vehicle.
Despite being widely believed to this day, official sources deny the donation of the British monarch, stating that the Rolls-Royce was ordered at the request of Vargas himself.
Even if the rumor is false, Queen Elizabeth II even rode in the car during her first and only visit to Brazil, in 1968.
According to the news agency of the Chamber of Deputiesthe price paid for the vehicle would be equivalent to the price at the time of seven Jaguar cars, a car that today costs about US$ 60 thousand.
Businessman Gastão Correia da Veiga Filho, owner of the company that imports English cars, claims that he still keeps invoices for the presidential Rolls-Royce.
Getúlio’s daughter, Alzira Vargas, guaranteed that the car was paid for by friends of the president.
According to Getúlio’s biographer, historian Lira Neto, two Rolls-Royces were ordered: a closed limousine and another convertible.
Specific features were also requested for the bodywork: reinforcement of the bumper’s steel plates and installation of poles for the use of official flags, for example.
Over the years, the presidential black Rolls-Royce has become marked as the official special ceremony vehicle for the Presidency.
The last Brazilian presidents – from Bolsonaro to FHC – paraded aboard the car in their inauguration ceremonies.
Source: CNN Brasil
