Jan. 25, 2005 – Gov. Charles Turnbull will soon be moving about the streets of the Virgin Islands in style. Government House has purchased a new ceremonial car for the chief executive – a 2005 Cadillac DeVille.
The vehicle was purchased at the local Cadillac dealer, Caribbean Auto Mart, according to Government House spokesman James O’Bryan Jr.
"We made a decision to purchase the new vehicle after years of spending thousands of dollars repairing the 1995 Lincoln Towncar."
O’Bryan said in addition to the Cadillac, Turnbull will continue to use a Ford Expedition which was acquired during his first term in office.
O'Bryan said the Lincoln Towncar, which dates back to the Schneider administration, had been involved in an accident, had aged and was suffering from "mounting mechanical problems." He said the administration had spent lots of money, "about $20,000" repairing the aging official vehicle and it "got to a point where it simply had to be replaced."
The Cadillac DeVille was purchased in January and, once registered, will bear the official governor’s license plate , "1."
On the Cadillac internet website, a base model DeVille carries a
manufacturer’s suggested retail price of over $46,000.
Sources have suggested the governor has also purchased a similar vehicle for his travel on St. Croix. O'Bryan on Tuesday said he was not aware that two Cadillacs had been purchased, one for St. Thomas and one for St. Croix. "I am only aware that one vehicle was purchased for the governor on St. Thomas," he said.
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