What do the world’s most powerful people drive?

Carmudi checks out the rides of this planet’s top 5 most influential people!


Power and riches. These are the two words that best described the top 5 most powerful people around the world and their daily drive. Carmudi, the fastest and leading online vehicle platform, take a quick detour about the most influential people (in the field of business, politics, finance, and even religion) and their humble beginnings as well. 

Vladimir Putin “the Gray Cardinal”. Putin has been the President of Russia since 2012. He also served as President from 2000 to 2008 and Prime Minister from 1999 to 2000. His first car was a Zaporozhets, the cheapest car in the market which equivalent to the price of 1000 bottles of Vodka. He got the car when he was in his third year at the University. Like the Volkswagen Beetle, the Zaporozhets becomes the “People’s Car” of the Soviet Union during the sixties era. Putin now owns a fleet of Russian cars such as the Lada Kalina priced between $4,972 to $5,000, the Niva priced at $4,200, and the 1956 ivory-colored Volga GAZ-21 with price ranging from $4,500 up to $10,000. On his stable, Putin collections includes a stretched of armored Mercedes-Benz S 600 Guard Pullman priced at $1.62 million and Mercedes-Benz Gelandewagen that cost around $434,000.

Barack “No Drama” Obama. Obama is the first African American to be the 44th President of the United States. Prior to becoming the President, Obama owned a luxurious 2005 Chrysler 300C V8 engine that received loads of criticism due to the lack of fuel efficiency. Then, he switched to more environmentally friendly car such as the 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid that was later on auctioned. Obama’s state car, which was nicknamed “The Beast”, is an 8-ton monster with an estimated price of $1.5 million. With doors weighing similar to Boeing 757 jetliner, the car is equipped with night vision, blood bank, and gas tank that won’t explode upon direct hits. The car is also bulletproof and bomb resistant. 

“Daddy” Xi Jinping. Xi is the President of the People’s Republic of China and Chairman of the central military commission. Often referred to as the paramount leader of China, Xi Jinping in a way endorses Hongqi, China’s only domestically manufactured luxury car used as the official government state car (and also open for sale to the people of the Republic).

Hongqi L5 limousine is priced at $800,000 filled with all goodies. The car has been used during his state visit to New Zealand. Weighing around 6950-kg, the Hongqi L5 limousine comes loaded with oriental history visible in its jaded door handles, fine leather interior and hand-carved wood trims. 

“The cold calling” Pope Francis. Jorge Mario Bergoglio is the pope of the Catholic Church in which he serves as Bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State. Auctioned his Fiat Panda 4x4 late last year to raise money for the poor, Pope Francis was building bathrooms for the homeless in the shadows of St. Peter’s Basilica. His holiness previous car was auctioned off at a princely sum of $244,000. At present, he rides a 1984 Renault 4 Hatchback as his daily car, which has a mileage of 300,000 kilometers. The Pope was also seen riding a blue-colored Ford Focus second generation at Castel Gandolfo in Rome.

“Mutti” Angela Merkel. Angela Merkel is a German politician and former research scientist who has been the leader of Christian Democratic Union and chancellor of Germany. Known to alternate between brands to use as her state car, Merkel was ranked as the world’s second most powerful person by Forbes magazine in 2013.Her 1990 Volkswagen Golf was auctioned off on Ebay back in 2012, and almost reached a bid of €130,000 where the auction was later dropped as “none of the bidders had serious interest”. However, it finally went to the highest bidder for €10,165. One of her notable moment was when she arrives at the EU summit in Brussels late last year with a ‘007’ number plate on her Audi A8 at a time when speculations were circulating that the US were spying on her.

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