After the United States entered World War II, it was suggested by Secret Service agent Mike Reilly and White House Press Secretary Stephen Early that President Franklin D. Roosevelt needed a specially equipped and armored car rather than using standard equipment provided by the Pullman Company. The "Ferdinand Magellan" was selected, and the Pullman Company rebuilt the car. The "Ferdinand Magellan" became the first passenger railcar built for a President since the War Department had built a special car for the use of Abraham Lincoln in 1865.