The Story

It’s 3:07pm in the afternoon and a blue Lincoln Continental is barrelling down a narrow Maryland backroad at more than 50 miles per hour. Undeterred by the approaching curve and his passenger’s plea for safety, the daredevil is forging ahead. It could be two teenagers on a joy ride. But on this day - June 20, 1973 - it’s happening under the guise of international diplomacy. And the men in the front seat, left to their own devices, are the leader of the Communist party and the President of the United States.

The Background

In June of 1973, Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev made his first visit to the United States for peace talks with President Richard Nixon. Upon arriving at the presidential retreat, Nixon ceremonially gifted the known car aficionado a new model Lincoln Continental. 

“He got behind the wheel and motioned me into the passenger seat. The head of my Secret Service detail went pale as I climbed in and we took off down one of the narrow roads that run around the perimeter of Camp David…." - Richard Nixon

This is the little known story of their bizarre five minute car ride - a rare unscripted moment in the midst of nuclear weapon negotiations and the impending fall of the Presidency.

Estimated Duration: 10 Minutes