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limousine (or
limo) is a luxury sedan or saloon car, especially one with a lengthened wheelbase or driven by a chauffeur. The chassis of a limousine may have been extended by the manufacturer or by an independent coach builder. These are referred to as “stretch” limousines and are traditionally black
White is a color, the perception which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be…
in color. Limousines are often driven
Driving is the controlled operation of a land vehicle, such as a car, truck or bus. Although direct operation of a bicycle, a mounted animal or a motorcycle is commonly called riding, such operators are usually legally considered to be drivers and are required to obey…
by chauffeur
A chauffeur is an individual who operates any self-propelled vehicle for a profession. While the term may refer to anybody who drives for a living, it usually implies a driver of an elegant passenger vehicle such as a horse-drawn carriage, luxury sedan, motor coach, or especially a limousine;…
s and until the mid-1990s were most often associated with the very rich. They are also used for special occasions such as weddings, parties and sight-seeing tours.
While some limousines are owned by individuals, many are owned by governments to transport senior politicians, by large companies to transport executives, or by broadcasters to transport guests. Most stretch limousines, however, operate as livery vehicles
thumb|190px|[[Taxicabs]] in [[New York City]]thumb|190px|right|[[Cycle rickshaw|Velotaxi]] in [[New York City]]A vehicle for hire is a vehicle providing shared transportation, which transports one or more passengers between locations of the passengers’ choice .Vehicles for hire can be distinguished…
, providing upmarket competition to taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire, with a driver, for a single passenger, or small group of passengers, typically for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice…
s. Most builders of stretch limousines are located in the United States and Europe and cater mainly to limousine companies. Few stretch limousines are sold new to private individuals. In addition to luxuries, security features such as armoring and bulletproof glass are available.
History
The first automobile limousine, built in 1902, was designed so the driver sat outside under a covered compartment. The word limousine is derived from the name of the French region Limousin
Limousin is one of the 26 regions of France. It is composed of three départements: Corrèze, Creuse and the Haute-Vienne.- Formation :The modern region of Limousin is essentially composed of two historical French provinces:…
, because this covered compartment physically resembled the cloak hood worn by the shepherds there. An alternate etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages, and texts about the languages, to gather knowledge about how words were used at earlier stages, and…
has the chauffeur wearing a Limousin-style cloak in the open driver’s compartment, for protection from the weather.
The first “stretch limousine” was created in Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 80,268 at the 2000 census, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 288,818 residents which…
around 1928 by a coach company named Armbruster. These cars were primarily used to transport famous “big band” leaders, such as Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller , was an American jazz musician, arranger, composer, and band leader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1942, leading one of the best known “Big Bands”…
and Benny Goodman
Benjamin David Goodman was an American jazz musician, clarinetist and bandleader, known as “King of Swing”, “Patriarch of the Clarinet”, “The Professor”, and “Swing’s Senior Statesman”….
, and their bands and equipment. These early stretch limousines were often called “big band buses”.
Limousine types
The limousine body style has a divider separating the driver from the rear passenger compartment. This partition usually contains a sliding (often soundproof) glass window so that conversations between passengers in the rear compartment may be kept private from the chauffeur. Communication with the driver is possible either by opening the window in the partition or by using an intercom system.
Modern limousines
Newer limousines such as the Maybach 62, Rolls Royce Phantom, Audi A8L, Volkswagen Phaeton
The Volkswagen Phaeton is a full-size luxury saloon manufactured by Volkswagen Passenger Cars, and is described by Volkswagen as their “premium class”…
, Mercedes-Benz S-Class
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a series of the largest sedans produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The S-Class, a product of nine lines of Mercedes-Benz models dating since the mid-1950s, has ranked as the world’s best-selling luxury flagship sedan…
, Jaguar XJ
The Jaguar XJ is a luxury saloon sold under the British Jaguar marque. The XJ was launched in 1968 and has served as the Jaguar flagship model for most of its production span which continues through to today…
, BMW 760Li, Rover 75
The Rover 75 is an executive car produced initially by the Rover Group at Cowley, Oxfordshire, UK, and later by MG Rover at their Longbridge site in Birmingham, UK…
, Lincoln Town Car Edition
The Lincoln Town Car is a full-size, rear-wheel drive luxury sedan sold by Ford’s upscale Lincoln brand. The Town Car features a V8 engine and large exterior and interior dimensions….
, and the Cadillac DTS
The Cadillac DTS is a full-size luxury sedan from the Cadillac luxury division of General Motors. The DTS replaces the Cadillac DeVille as that carmaker’s largest luxury car for MY 2006, following the naming and styling direction set by the earlier CTS and STS…
do not feature such seats since stretch limousines are usually used to transport more than three passengers, excluding the driver. In production American limousines however, the jump seats almost always faced forward. The last production limousine, by Cadillac, with forward facing jump seats was in 1987 (with their Fleetwood Series 75 car), the last Packard in 1954, and the last Lincoln in 1939, though Lincoln has offered limousines through their dealers as special order vehicles at times. Several Lincoln Premier cars were also built, one being owned by Elvis Presley. Vehicles of this type in private use may contain expensive audio players, televisions, video players, and bar
A bar is a counter at which drinks are mixed by a bartender, mainly in hotels, taverns, and pubs. This term is applied as a synecdoche to drinking establishments called bars…
s, often with refrigerators.
It is simpler and more straightforward to determine the effects of altering a separate chassis than it is to determine the effects of altering a load-bearing unit body. For this reason, the automobile of choice for conversion into stretch limousines is the Lincoln Town Car
The Lincoln Town Car is a full-size, rear-wheel drive luxury sedan sold by Ford’s upscale Lincoln brand. The Town Car features a V8 engine and large exterior and interior dimensions….
, whose Panther platform is one of the last remaining automotive platforms using a separate load-bearing chassis. However, coachbuilders have recently built many new models based on SUVs with separate load-bearing chassis, including Hummer H2s and H3s.
Stage
Another type of vehicle modified for multiple passenger use is the motorized stage, applied to the same tasks as the earlier stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of four-wheeled closed coach for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach…
. It is not considered a true limousine but rather in its design and application is between a sedan and a bus. While a bus will have a central interior aisle for access to seating, a stage has multiple doors that allow access to transverse forward facing seats. Examples of the type were constructed not only from sedans (e.g., Chrysler New Yorker
The Chrysler New Yorker was a premium automobile built by the Chrysler Corporation from 1939 to 1996, serving for several years as the brand’s flagship model. A model named the “New York Special” first appeared in the 1930s…
, Cadillac DeVille
DeVille was originally a trim level and later a model of General Motors’ Cadillac marque. The first car to bear the name was the 1949 Coupe de Ville, a prestige trim level of the Series 62 luxury coupe…
), but also from station wagon
A station wagon is a passenger automobile with a body style similar to a sedan, or saloon, but with the roofline following the full, sometimes extended rear cargo area and sometimes an extra row of sometimes rear-facing seats, ending with a more vertical door than on a hatchback.Also sometimes…
s; many of the station wagon conversions sported a large rack, running the length of the roof, for carrying the passengers’ baggage.
This type of vehicle was once rather common in some locations. An example of its use was in the transport of travelers arriving by railroad at Merced, California
Merced [m?’s?d], is the county seat of Merced County, California in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. As of 2007, the city had a total population of 80,608. Incorporated in 1889, Merced is a charter city that operates under a council-manager government…
to travel to Yosemite National Park in the first half of the 20th century and at other remote parks. In Yosemite, passengers would then stay in rustic platform tent camps or more expensive lodges and hike or rent bicycles for movement around the park. In Glacier National Park, the stages were referred to as “Jammers” in reference to the nickname of their gear-jamming drivers.
A modern version of the stage is seen in some novelty stretch Hummer
Hummer is a brand of off-road vehicles by Sichuan Tengzhong, earlier owned by General Motors. The original Hummer H1 was based on the military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle…
or Hummer H2
The Hummer H2 is an SUV and SUT sold by General Motors under the Hummer brand. It is a large truck with room for six passengers…
vehicles. Some funeral home
A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and funeral services for the deceased and their families. These services may include a prepared wake and funeral, and the provision of a chapel for the funeral….
s maintain six-door stages to carry the family of the deceased between the church and the cemetery. These are usually not used for private hire.
Exotic limousines
Sometimes a coach builder or car designer will develop the “ultimate” stretch limo, adding amenities that are somewhat impractical but which make a significant design statement. One such design includes double rear axles to support the weight of an operational hot tub
A hot tub is a large home-made or manufactured tub or small pool full of heated water and used for soaking, relaxation, massage, or hydrotherapy. In most cases, they have jets for massage purposes…
.
These extensive limousine conversions have been performed on several luxury marques, including: Audi
AUDI AG, is a German company which produces luxury cars under the Audi brand, . It is part of the Volkswagen Group. The name Audi is based on a Latin translation of the surname of the founder August Horch, itself the German word for “listen!”Audi is headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany.It…
, Bentley, BMW
, is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company. Founded in 1916, it is known for its performance and luxury vehicles. It owns and produces the MINI brand, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.-Company history:…
, Cadillac
Cadillac is a luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors Company. Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mainly in North America….
, Chrysler, Ford, Holden
GM Holden Ltd is an Australian automaker based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery business, but later moved into the automotive field, becoming a subsidiary of General Motors in 1931. Holden has taken charge of vehicle operations for GM in Australasia and,…
, Hummer
Hummer is a brand of off-road vehicles by Sichuan Tengzhong, earlier owned by General Motors. The original Hummer H1 was based on the military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle…
, Infiniti
is the luxury car division of Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989 in North America and its global operations have since grown to include the Middle East, South Korea, Russia, Switzerland, China and Ukraine. Infiniti began sales…
, Jaguar
Jaguar Cars Ltd., better known simply as Jaguar is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Coventry, England. It has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors Ltd…
, Lexus
Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. First introduced in 1989 in the United States, where Lexus has ranked as the highest-selling maker of luxury cars, as of 2006 Lexus vehicles are sold in 68 countries and territories worldwide…
, Lincoln
Lincoln is the luxury brand of Ford Motor Company. Founded in 1917 by Henry M. Leland and acquired by Ford in 1922, Lincoln has manufactured vehicles since the 1920s. Leland named the brand after his longtime hero Abraham Lincoln.-History:…
, Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. It is currently a division of the parent company, Daimler AG , after previously being owned by Daimler-Benz…
, Rolls-Royce and Volkswagen
The Volkswagen Phaeton is a full-size luxury saloon manufactured by Volkswagen Passenger Cars, and is described by Volkswagen as their “premium class”…
. In the United States the most popular vehicles for stretch limousines conversion are the Lincoln Town Car
The Lincoln Town Car is a full-size, rear-wheel drive luxury sedan sold by Ford’s upscale Lincoln brand. The Town Car features a V8 engine and large exterior and interior dimensions….
, Cadillac DTS
The Cadillac DTS is a full-size luxury sedan from the Cadillac luxury division of General Motors. The DTS replaces the Cadillac DeVille as that carmaker’s largest luxury car for MY 2006, following the naming and styling direction set by the earlier CTS and STS…
, Cadillac Escalade
The Cadillac Escalade is a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle sold by the General Motors luxury brand, Cadillac. It was the division’s first major entry into the popular SUV market. The Escalade was introduced for the 1999 model year in response to German and Japanese competitors and to Ford’s…
, Chrysler 300C
The Chrysler Corporation has used the designation Chrysler 300C to refer to two different vehicles, which are described in separate articles.* The 1957 Chrysler 300C, that year’s version of the Chrysler 300 “letter series”; a large, high-performance luxury coupe sold in very limited numbers.* The…
, Hummer H2
The Hummer H2 is an SUV and SUT sold by General Motors under the Hummer brand. It is a large truck with room for six passengers…
, Ford Excursion
The Ford Excursion was a full-size sport utility vehicle produced by the Ford Motor Company between model years 2000 and 2005 . Based on the Super Duty pickup truck platform, it served as Ford’s largest SUV in its lineup during the tenure of its production and mainly competed against the smaller…
, and the Lincoln Navigator
The Lincoln Navigator is a full-size luxury SUV built by the Ford Motor Company for its luxury division, Lincoln. Introduced as a 1998 model, production began May 14, 1997 with sales beginning in August. The Navigator was Lincoln’s first SUV as well as its first four-wheel drive capable vehicle…
. There are even instances of Corvettes, Ferraris, Mini Coopers and VW Beetles
The Volkswagen Type 1 is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003. It used an air cooled rear engined rear wheel drive ….
being stretched to accommodate up to 10 passengers.
Novelty limousines
Sometimes an “inappropriate” vehicle is converted, simply for the novelty. Hummer
Hummer is a brand of off-road vehicles by Sichuan Tengzhong, earlier owned by General Motors. The original Hummer H1 was based on the military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle…
vehicles have been converted. Another novelty conversion is the East German Trabant
The Trabant is an automobile that was produced by former East German auto maker VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau in Zwickau, Sachsen. It was the most common vehicle in East Germany, and was also exported to countries both inside and outside the communist bloc. The main selling point was that…
which was designed for a low manufacturing cost and incorporated body panels made from a rag fiber and plastic resin material. Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1 is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003. It used an air cooled rear engined rear wheel drive ….
s and Citroen
Citroën is a French automobile manufacturer. Founded in 1919 by André Citroën, it was the world’s first mass-production car company outside of the USA. Since 1976 it has been part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, and its headquarters is on rue Fructidor, Paris…
2CV vehicles are occasionally stretched into limousines.
Limousine Industry effect of Economic Downturn 2008-Present
The limousine and chauffeur industry has been one of the hardest hit industries in the global economic downturn. Many of the smaller limousine operations have struggled to survive with the collapse of many corporate giants. As larger corporations aim to reduce cost they have significantly cut back on travel. This has led to many small operators closing, with larger limousine companies scooping them up. Furthermore, excessive licensing fees continue to be a burden to the industry.
Other uses
In the USA, limousines can be any type of car operated by a “Limousine service” or “car service”. Such companies offer cars with drivers, often for shared rides on popular routes, such as airport limousines. Limousines usually have to be booked in advance and can’t be hired on the spot as taxi cabs can.
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light…