Sold! President Obama's 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee sells for $23,000

In 2000, then Illinois senator Barack Obama purchased a brand new Jeep Grand Cherokee. Four years later, he would trade the SUV for a 2005 Chrysler 300C HEMI which would later give way to a 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid.

Well, the Jeep Grand Cherokee has found a new home (and no, it's not the junkyard). John Reznikoff, President of University Archives (UA), recently won the SUV at an auction for $23,000. Reznikoff, one of the world's experts on presidential memorabilia, states he would have paid over four times the amount ($100,000) for the vehicle. "That, just 10 years ago, our president was pretty much like the rest of us -- driving to work, transporting kids and navigating tough winters -- is truly inspiring," states Reznikoff. "The notion that anyone can grow up to be president is embodied in this car."

The Grand Cherokee, which has accumulated over 130,000 miles since 2000 and has a current $3,500 resale value, will finally find some rest among UA's presidential memorabilia which includes John F. Kennedy's $1.3 million parade car (a Lincoln convertible), Abraham Lincoln's desk, and Ronald Reagan's rocking chair.

The fates of the 300C and the Escape Hybrid are unknown at the time of this post.

Source: Marketwire (Click link to see actual Jeep)