Today, the term limousine normally refers to a vehicle with a lengthened wheelbase. They are usually luxury cars that histroically primarrely have been used by the powerful and rich, e.g. High politicians, successfull business men and celebrities. In our day and age, limousines or limos as they are often called are commonly used for special occasions by ordinary families as well and can for instance be seen transporting students to prom or carrying celebrating women around during bachelorette parties.
In the early 20th century, the term limousine simple meant any car where the passangers where inside shielded from the elements and the driver was outside. A remnant of this distinction can still be seen in limos of today: the separator found between the passenger compartment and the driver.
The first limousine car was built froma French sedan and was built in 1902. At this time you dont needed to make the limos extra luxurios as all cars where a luxury only llowed the rich and powerful. Henry Ford was however about to change all this by making a car for the masses. The modestly priced Model T produced by Ford bumped the number of automobiles on U.S. roads from 8000 to 9 million in less than 20 years. Although still out of reach for a majority of the population, the Model T prompted car manufacturers like Cadillac and Duesenberg to develop new ways of making their cars stand out and one of the things they came up with was the now iconic stretch limo.
The first stretch limousine was built in Fort Smith, Arkansas in the last 1920s by a coach company named Armbruster. The vig cars became popular among the rich and among big bands that needed space for instruments and people. Early stretch limos were for instance used to chauffeur Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman around between gigs, earning the stretch limousine the nickname “big band bus”.
In the United States limosounies stayes s status symbols until the 70s when company started to offer them to prices that could be afford by regular people in the middle class for special occasions. The large Manhattan taxi strike also contributed to the change, by making the rental limo a mode of transportation for ordinary New York residents.
During the disco era, limos began to grow bigger and more outrageous than ever before and the makers of custom cars began experimenting with turning virtually anything into a limo; from VW bugs to pick-up trucks. The SUV and Hummer limo made it to the market in the mod 90s and the hummer limo was soon an iconic and ridiculed car used for countless parties. Do you want more info about hummer limos, if so click this link.
Just like the Great Depression, the metal rationing of WWII and the oil crisis in the 70′s put a hamper on limousine manufacturing, issues like Global Warming and recurrent financial crises have put the limousine under questioning in the 21st century. There is however despite this no signs that limos are becoming less trendy. The limo has made its way from high-brow society all the way down to drunken hen-nights and is likely to stay around for years and years to come.
