He maybe the president of the most powerful nation in the world, but his car still needs filling up with petrol.
Workers at a garage in Pimlico today told of their astonishment after Barack Obama's car and the presidential entourage pulled up for refuelling.
The armoured limousine, nicknamed "The Beast", arrived with six other vehicles and police escort at a BP petrol station on Vauxhall Bridge Road during the president's state visit to London.
Onlookers said the cars took up the entire forecourt when they arrived yesterday at around 3pm.
They also told how the Cadillac - which is fitted with bullet-proof glass and has an armoured body, its own oxygen supply and even samples of the President's blood - took up a bay and a half while Mr Obama's driver filled it up with £50 worth of unleaded.
Workers at the station, who at first did not realise who the car belonged to, said the presidential entourage spent £350 in total between seven cars at the station, where a litre of unleaded costs 136.9p.
The station manager, who served the driver but said President Obama did not appear to be in the car, said: "They spent £350 on unleaded petrol with £50 for each car. I didn't realise whose car it was until some guys outside pointed it out.
"The Beast was really impressive. When the driver opened the door it was 1ft thick. It was the driver who came in to pay. He was wearing a black suit, he was nice but he just paid and left.
"It was really exciting because it's the president's car."
One passer-by said it was ironic that the president's motorcade had to fill up at a BP garage.
The company was attacke d over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill by the president who vowed to make "British Petroleum" pay for the vast leak, which was caused by an oil rig explosion in April last year.
