Barack Obama in Israel: 'the Beast' limo breaks down after fuel mix-up
Barack Obama's hopes of a smooth start to his first presidential trip to Israel suffered a hitch on Wednesday when his armoured limousine broke down after a driver reportedly filled it with diesel instead of petrol.
The armoured Cadillac limousine of US President Barack Obama drives through Jerusalem upon his arrival on March 20, 2013.
The armoured Cadillac limousine of US President Barack Obama drives through Jerusalem upon his arrival on March 20, 2013. Photo: AFP/Getty Images
By Robert Tait, Jerusalem
2:57PM GMT 20 Mar 2013
The hulking vehicle, nicknamed "the Beast" for its supposed robustness in the face of potential attacks, juddered to a halt on the motorway between Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport and Jerusalem after its engine apparently proved incapable of absorbing the alien fuel intake.
Israeli media outlets, including the flagship Channel 2 television station, reported that the car had been filled with diesel.
The sleek black limo had been flown in specially from the US for Mr Obama's visit.



US President Barack Obama (C), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and President Shimon Peres (L) listen to the national anthem at Israel's Ben Gurion airport. Picture: AFP/Getty
Fortunately for the president, the breakdown happened two hours before his plane, Air Force One, touched down on Israeli soil, sparing him the embarrassment of a possible incident after his arrival in the Holy Land.
Mr Obama travelled from the airport to Jerusalem by helicopter as scheduled.
The car, which was intended to transport him around Jerusalem, was being replaced by a substitute limousine being driven in from Jordan, which Mr Obama will visit on Friday.
Moti Matmon, owner of a local tow-truck company, said the US Consulate in Jerusalem called him at around 10am local time to ask him to recover the stricken vehicle.
The stricken vehicle is towed away
"They told me that this was Obama's car," he told The Daily Telegraph.
"They didn't say what had happened to it. They just said it had got stuck. Only the mechanic was there when I arrived. The driver had left in another car. The whole thing was very funny."
Mr Matmon said he transported the limo to a garage in Jerusalem, where it is now under repair.
He told Israeli media that the vehicle had broken down after being given the wrong fuel. He said towing and repairs costs could only be established after an assessment of the damage.
But Mr Obama would not be given a discount, he said.
"We experienced mechanical trouble with one of the cars," said Edwin Donovan, a spokesman for the Secret Service. "We don't know the cause."
Mr Donovan said the Secret Service "did not have a read on what the specific issue is at this point".
The Secret Service brings multiple vehicles on presidential trips in preparation for such events, he said.
"The Beast", which can seat seven passengers, owes its nickname to the Secret Service.
Most of its specifications are classified for security reasons but they include a special night vision system concealed in a secret location. It is sealed against a biochemical attack. A blood bank of the president's blood type is stowed in the boot.
It has run into trouble before. During a visit to Dublin in 2011, it got stuck on a ramp outside the US embassy.