General Motors Corp. this month will begin taking orders for a fully armored Cadillac Deville, Dow Jones has reported. Options include run-flat tires, a reinforced steel frame and bullet-resistant glass that won't shatter into the cabin of the car, the report added. Dow Jones said the beefed-up Deville, which will be offered as a standard sedan and as a stretch limousine, will target high-profile customers such as executives and celebrities. The options add at least $40,000 to the price of the base Deville, which starts at about $50,000, but could be substantially more than that, depending on the particular package selected, GM's Al Gagne, head of the armouring project, told Dow Jones. The armoured Devilles, which will be outfitted by Chicago-based Scaletta Moloney Armouring, will be offered at 22 U.S. dealerships. The options put the vehicles' weight at about 6,000 pounds, compared with 4,000 for a standard model, the report said. According to Dow Jones, no sales targets have been set, though the company aims to sell hundreds -- and assessed demand for such a vehicle well before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. If popular, similar armouring options may be considered for the Escalade, the brand's sport utility vehicle, Dow Jones said.
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