A limousine ( or ) is a luxury vehicle driven by a chauffeur with a partition between the driver's compartment and the passenger compartment. A car with a partition and a lengthened wheelbase is called a "stretch limousine".
In some countries, a "limousine service" is a pre-booked hire car with driver, regardless of the type of vehicle.
In German-speaking countries, a Limousine is simply a sedan, while a lengthened-wheelbase car is called Stretch-Limousine.
Video Limousine
Etymology
Maps Limousine
History
In the US sub-categories of limousines in 1916 were the berline defined as "a limousine having the driver's seat entirely enclosed", and the brougham, defined as "a limousine with no roof over the driver's seat."
Other variations were the limousine-landaulet with a removable or folding roof section over the rear passenger seat, and the limousine de-ville, with a solid roof over the rear passengers but a removable or folding roof section over the driver's seat.
Characteristics
The limousine body style has a partition separating the driver from the rear passenger compartment. This partition includes a usually openable glass section so passengers may see the road. An intercom system may be supplied if requested.
Limousines are long-wheelbase vehicles to provide a suitably comfortable passenger compartment. There will usually be occasional or jump seats at the front of the compartment. Some of theses seats are mounted so they can face either way.
Stretch limousines
Stretch limousines are longer than normal limousines, usually in order to accommodate more passengers. Stretch limousines may have seating along the sides of the cabin.
A "stretch limousine" was created in Fort Smith, Arkansas, around 1928 by a coach company named Armbruster. Armbruster's cars were primarily used to transport famous "big band" leaders, such as Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman, and their bands and equipment. These early stretch limousines were often called "big band buses".
Armbruster called their standard lengthened car products extended-wheelbase multi-door auto-coaches. Their "12-passenger people movers were used by hotels, taxis, airlines, corporations and tour companies".
Novelty limousines
A variety of vehicles have been converted into novelty limousines. They are used for weddings, parties and other social occasions. Another style of novelty limousine are those painted in bright colours, such as purple or pink.
Vehicles converted into novelty stretch limousines include the East German Trabant, Volkswagen Beetle, Fiat Panda, and Citroën 2CV. There are even instances of Corvettes, Ferraris and Mini Coopers being stretched to accommodate up to 10 passengers.
United States
The last production limousine, by Cadillac, with forward-facing jump seats was in 1987 (with their Fleetwood Series 75 model), 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 bars, often with refrigerators. The President of the United States has ridden in a variety of types of limousine stretching back to 1899.
In the United States the most popular vehicles for stretch limousines conversion are the Lincoln Town Car, Cadillac XTS, Cadillac Escalade, Chrysler 300, Hummer H2, Ford Excursion, and the Lincoln Navigator.
Stage
While lacking the separated drivers area required to be considered a limousine, a stage is a type of vehicle with similar usage. 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. Stages were built by vehicle modification companies, based on sedans (e.g., Chrysler New Yorker, Cadillac DeVille, Checker Aerobus) and station wagons. Some stages included a large rack, running the length of the roof, for carrying the passengers' baggage.
An examples of stage usage is the Glacier National Park, where the stages were referred to as "Jammers" in reference to the nickname of their gear-jamming drivers. Some funeral homes maintain six-door stages to carry the family of the deceased between the church and the cemetery.
United Kingdom
Due to the partition behind the driver, the London black cabs are a type of limousine. The jump seats, also referred to as taxi-tip-seats, usually carry advertising on the underside; the advertisements are visible to the passengers when the tip-seats are not in use.
Current limousine production
Limousines currently produced by vehicle manufacturers include:
- Cadillac One?
- Cadillac XTS Limousine
- Chrysler 300 Limousine
- Great Wall Hover ?
- FAW Hongqi Limousine
- Hyundai Equus Limousine
- IKCO Samand Sarir
- Lincoln MKS Limousine
- Lincoln MKT Livery
- Lincoln Navigator L
- Mitsubishi Dignity
- SsangYong Chairman W Limousine
- Toyota Century Royal?
- Aurus Senat Limousine?
- Proton Perdana Limousine?
- Proton chancellor?
? = Only available for government customers
"Limousine service" hire cars
In the U.S., Canada and Australia, "limousine service" (also known as "car service") is the process of pre-booked hire of any car with a driver. The car is usually a luxury car, but not necessarily a limousine.
The difference between a limousine service and a taxi service is that limousines are pre-booked and cannot be hired on the spot.
See also
- Car classification
- Chauffeur
- Luxury vehicle
- Official state car
- Party bus
References
Source of article : Wikipedia
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