The 2012 White House Christmas Ornament honors President William Howard Taft who introduced the automobile to White House transportation in 1909, breaking a long presidential tradition of reliance on horse-drawn vehicles. The 2012 White House ornament celebrates President Taft's adoption of the automobile, his love of manufacture and invention, and his ready acceptance of modernity. The ornament depicts President and Mrs. Taft enroute to deliver Christmas presents. They are seated behind chauffeur George H. Robinson in the White Motor Company's Model M, a seven passenger steam-powered touring car embellished with the Great Seal of the United States on the doors. The color, as described at the time, is "a harmonious blend of subdued greens." The ornament is made in the United States of highly-polished brass with a coating of nickel finished in 24K gold.