Limousine: The luxury car that was once a horse-drawn carriage
It won’t be an exaggeration to say limousine is the other name for luxury and style. Well, not many people get the chance of riding this super luxury car in their lifetime. Whether or not you ever get to ride this car, we can definitely take you on virtual trip on a limo (as it is popularly called) and give you a glimpse of its fascinating journey.
Limousine at a glance
Limousine, popularly called limo in short, is now a luxury sedan, one with a lengthened wheelbase and often driven by a chauffeur. This car model has luxurious interiors with luxurious leather seats identical to couches, refrigerators and even different kinds of lights. They also have more than one sunroofs and custom-designed audio systems. Believe it or not, limos can accommodate a hot tub too! It also has a permanent top looking like a coupe that ensures a closed and private space for passengers, with the top projecting over the open driver’s seat.
From horse-drawn carriages to motorised limousine
Limousine was not always this long, nor was it a motor car. Instead, it referred to lavishly decorated horse-drawn carriages (with a chauffeur!) of France in the 18th century that transported royals and nobles from one place to another. In fact, you will be surprised to know that limousine derived its name from the Central French region called Limousin. Turns out, this was because the covered portion (hood and roof) of the carriages in those times were very similar to a popular style of cloak (worn by cowboys) in contemporary Limousin. However, back then too, limousines were characterised by passengers enjoying their privacy in closed chambers, while the chauffeur rode around.
There’s also another story that suggests that limousine got its name from its traditional chauffeurs who wore Limousin-style cloak to save themselves from the weather.
Okay, now here comes the next and most obviou question. When did limos turn from carriages to motorised cars? Well, that would be in 1902 (yes, almost two centuries later!). This particular limo too had the driver in front, while the passengers enjoyed a private and enclosed space. Till this time, limos were like regular-sized cars with an accommodation of 3 to 5 people.
Transition into stretch limousine, the ones we see today
The modern-day ultra-long limousine saw the light of the day only in 1928 in the hands of Armbruster, an Arkansas-based car manufacturer. It came to be known as ‘stretch limousine’. All Armbruster did was stretch the wheelbase and use sheet metal and glass to make the surface longer. This is also when limos got their fancy interiors and more than four doors.
Guess why it was suddenly lengthened? The answer is as interesting as it can get: In order to carry jazz celebrities and their big bands from one gig to another. Maybe, that’s why it was also nicknamed as ‘big band bus.’ However, over the years, when people outside bands also started appreciating limo’s luxurious style and large seating areas, the stretch limo became a sensation.
In fact, rise of Hollywood and its stars further sealed the fate of limos. When drinking and driving laws were put into place, celebrities realised that they need to be chauffeured safely and hassle-free after industry parties. This is when limos became a rage as they could very well keep the driver and the passengers in partitioned compartments. Furthermore, well-to-do people, governments and company executives also started preferring limousine for airport transportation, funeral processions and so on as they defined both class, comfort and safety (limos are often equipped with armoured steel or bulletproof glass), alongside accommodating many people. Interestingly, Hummer, Cadillac and Rolls Royce were among the first car companies to come up with stretch limousine models for the public.