Honestly, it’s kinda surreal watching the news and seeing a motorcade in Pyongyang. You’ve got a country under some of the most intense international sanctions on the planet, yet there’s the "Supreme Leader" rolling up to a missile test or a flood zone in a brand-new Mercedes-Maybach. It makes you wonder: how does a Kim Jong Un car even get across the border when most of the world isn't allowed to sell him so much as a luxury watch?
It’s not just one car, either. We’re talking about a rolling museum of high-end engineering that shouldn't exist in North Korea. From German limousines that can survive a grenade blast to Japanese SUVs that were released only a few months ago, the fleet is basically a middle finger to global trade laws.
The Mystery of the Maybachs
For a long time, the Mercedes-Maybach S600 Pullman Guard was the undisputed king of the Kim Jong Un car collection. This isn't your neighborhood Benz. It’s a stretched, armored beast designed to be a "rolling throne room."
The thing is, Mercedes-Benz (or Daimler, officially) has been very vocal about the fact that they haven’t had business ties with North Korea in over 15 years. So, how did two of these $500,000 monsters end up in Pyongyang? The Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS) actually tracked the journey of a few of these cars back in 2019, and it’s like something out of a spy novel.
The cars started in the Netherlands, went to China, then Japan, then South Korea, then Russia, and finally were spirited across the border. It’s a game of "shell game" with shipping containers. By the time a car reaches the North Korean border, the original manufacturer has no idea where it is.
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More recently, in August 2024, Kim was spotted next to a Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 while visiting flood victims. That’s a high-end SUV that basically just hit the market. It shows that despite all the "tightening" of sanctions, the pipeline for luxury goods is still very much open if you have enough cash and the right fixers.
The "Russian Rolls Royce": Enter the Aurus Senat
If the Mercedes is the old guard, the Aurus Senat is the new favorite child. This is the car that made headlines when Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang in June 2024.
Putin didn’t just bring a gift; he brought a statement. The Aurus Senat is Russia’s answer to Rolls Royce—a massive, V8-powered tank of a car designed specifically for heads of state. Kim apparently liked Putin’s personal limo so much during a trip to Russia that Putin just decided to give him one. Then another one.
Technically, this is a massive violation of UN sanctions, which Russia technically signed off on. But things have changed. With the two countries forming a "comprehensive strategic partnership," the rules are being treated more like suggestions. The Aurus is a hybrid, packing about 598 horsepower and VR8/VR10 level ballistic protection. It’s built to withstand armor-piercing rounds. Seeing a Kim Jong Un car that is Russian-made marks a shift in where North Korea is looking for its friends.
Not Just Limos: The Security Detail
When the motorcade moves, it’s not just the leader in a fancy seat. The security entourage is just as interesting. In 2024, eagle-eyed observers noticed something new in the background: a fleet of Toyota Land Cruiser 300s.
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These are Japanese icons. The J300 series only started production in 2021. Yet, there were at least six of them in a single motorcade, logos removed but unmistakable, equipped with police lights.
The variety is actually wild:
- Lexus LX SUVs: Often seen trailing the main limo.
- Ford Transit Vans: Used for the tech and security teams.
- Cadillac Escalades: Occasionally spotted, showing that even American luxury makes its way into the hermit kingdom.
It’s a weird mix. You have a leader who constantly rails against "imperialist" influences while sitting on heated Nappa leather seats designed in Stuttgart and Detroit.
How These Cars Survive (and Why They Don't Get Remotely Disabled)
One question people always ask: why don't the manufacturers just "brick" the cars? Most modern luxury cars have GPS and remote kill switches.
The reality is that these armored versions are often stripped of their "connected" features before they ever reach North Korea. If you're a smuggler, the last thing you want is a car "calling home" to a server in Germany. Plus, many of these are modified by third-party armorers. Once a car leaves a dealership in, say, Dubai or Rotterdam, the manufacturer loses control.
Maintaining them is another story. North Korea has highly skilled mechanics who specialize in "reverse engineering" parts. If they can build a nuclear missile, they can probably figure out how to change the oil on a V12 Maybach.
What This Tells Us About Sanctions
Basically, the Kim Jong Un car fleet is a bellwether for how the world is actually working. When you see a 2024 model SUV in a country that is supposedly blocked from all trade, it tells you that the "global police" have some blind spots.
- The Russia Connection: This is the biggest leak in the bucket right now. As long as Russia is willing to trade directly with Pyongyang, the UN sanctions are basically a piece of paper.
- Transshipment Hubs: Countries like the UAE and various ports in Southeast Asia are often used as "middlemen" to hide the final destination of luxury goods.
- The "Used" Loophole: It’s much easier to smuggle a car that has been "owned" for a month by a shell company than a brand-new one straight from the factory.
Why You Should Care
It’s not just about fancy cars. If North Korea can get a three-ton armored limousine through the border, they can get microchips, specialized machinery, and other tech needed for their weapons programs. The cars are just the most visible part of a very sophisticated smuggling network.
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If you’re interested in tracking these kinds of things, looking at the "Panel of Experts" reports from the UN (though Russia recently vetoed the extension of that panel) is a great place to start. You can also follow outlets like NK News or 38 North, which use satellite imagery and state TV footage to identify new additions to the Kim Jong Un car collection.
Next time you see a clip of a motorcade in Pyongyang, don't just look at the guy waving. Look at the wheels. They tell a much bigger story about who is talking to whom and how the world’s most secretive regime stays mobile.