Have you ever seen a luxurious car with a special driver? Chances are, it was a limousine. But what exactly is a limousine? In this article, we'll explore the definition of a limousine, its history, and its uses. A limousine is a luxury car driven by a professional driver. It typically has a long wheelbase, providing extra legroom in the passenger compartment.
The limousine body style usually has a partition that separates the driver from the rear passenger compartment. The term 'limousine' originated in France in the early 20th century. It was derived from the Limousin region, which was named after the Gallic tribe of Lemovices. The tribe was known for their elm bows and spears, which may have been the origin of the term 'limousine'.
In the United States, limousines were first used in 1916. At that time, there were two types of limousines: Berliners and Broughams. Berliners had fully closed driver's seats, while Broughams had no roof above the driver's seat. The last production limousine from Cadillac was in 1987 (with its Fleetwood Series 75 model). The last Packard limousine was in 1954 and the last Lincoln limousine was in 1939. However, Lincoln has offered limousines through its dealers as special-order vehicles on occasion.
In Great Britain, the city limousine was a version of the city car in which the driver's compartment was outside and had no weather protection. An alternative etymology speculates that some of the first drivers wore a limousine-style cape in the driver's open compartment to protect themselves from inclement weather. In German-speaking countries, a limousine is simply a sedan, while a car with a longer wheelbase is called a Pullman Limousine. In some countries, such as the United States, Germany, Canada and Australia, a limousine service can consist of any pre-booked rental vehicle with driver, usually but not always a luxury car. Elastic limousines are longer than regular limousines, usually to accommodate more passengers.
Around 1928, a coach company called Armbruster created an elastic limousine in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Wealthy people can own their own limousines, but most people rent them for special occasions such as weddings or proms. High school students often rent limousines to take them and their friends to prom. Limousines are luxurious cars that are driven by professional drivers. They typically have long wheelbases to provide extra legroom in the passenger compartment and have partitions that separate the driver from the rear passenger compartment. Limousines have been around since 1916 and are often rented for special occasions such as weddings or proms.
