A limousine ( or ), or limo () for short, is a large,
chauffeur
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.
Originally, such drivers were often personal employees of the vehicle owner, but this has changed to speciali ...
-driven
luxury vehicle
A luxury car is a car that provides increased levels of comfort, equipment, amenities, quality, performance, and associated status compared to moderately priced cars.
The term is subjective and reflects both the qualities of the car and the ...
with a partition between the driver compartment and the passenger compartment.
A very long wheelbase luxury sedan (with more than four doors) driven by a professional driver is called a stretch limousine.
In some countries, such as the United States, Germany, Canada, and Australia, a limousine service may be any pre-booked
hire car with driver, usually but not always a luxury car. In particular,
airport shuttle services are often called limousine services though they often use
minibus
A minibus, microbus, minicoach, or commuter (in Zimbabwe) is a passenger-carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, th ...
es.
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Etymology
The word ''limousine'' is derived from the name of the French region
Limousin
Limousin (; oc, Lemosin ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. On 1 January 2016, it became part of the new administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienn ...
. However, how the name of the region transferred to the car is uncertain.
One possibility involves a particular type of carriage hood or roof physically resembled the raised
hood
Hood may refer to:
Covering
Apparel
* Hood (headgear), type of head covering
** Article of Academic dress#Hood, academic dress
** Bondage hood, sex toy
* Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt
Anatomy
* Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitori ...
of the
cloak
A cloak is a type of loose garment worn over clothing, mostly but not always as outerwear for outdoor wear, serving the same purpose as an overcoat, protecting the wearer from the weather. It may form part of a uniform. Cloaks have been and a ...
worn by the shepherds there.
An alternate
etymology
Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...
speculates that some early chauffeurs wore a Limousin-style cloak in the open driver's compartment, for protection from the weather.
The name was then extended to this particular type of car with a permanent top projecting over the chauffeur.
[ This former type of automobile had an enclosed passenger compartment seating three to five persons, with only a roof projecting forward over the open driver's area in the front.
]
History
Rich owners of expensive carriages and their passengers were accustomed to their own private compartment leaving their coachman or driver outside in all weathers. When automobiles arrived the same people required a similar arrangement for their chauffeurs. As such, the 1916 definition of limousine by the US Society of Automobile Engineers
SAE International, formerly named the Society of Automotive Engineers, is a United States-based, globally active professional association and standards developing organization for engineering professionals in various industries. SAE Internatio ...
is "a closed car seating three to five inside, with driver's seat outside".
In Great Britain, the limousine de-ville was a version of the ''limousine town car'' where the driver's compartment was outside and had no weather protection.[ The limousine-]landaulet Landaulet may refer to:
* Landaulet (carriage), horse-drawn carriage
* Landaulet (car)
A landaulet, also known as a landaulette, is a car body style where the rear passengers are covered by a convertible top. Often the driver is separated from t ...
variant (also sold in the United States) had a removable or folding roof section over the rear passenger seat.[
In the United States, sub-categories of limousines in 1916 were the berline defined as "a limousine having the driver's seat entirely enclosed", and the ]brougham
Brougham may refer to:
Transport
* Brougham (carriage), a light four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage
* Brougham (car body), an automobile with a similar style
Automobile models
* Cadillac Brougham, 1987–1992
* Chrysler New Yorker Brougham, c. 1 ...
, defined as "a limousine with no roof over the driver's seat."
File:Family Carriages, series 1 MET MM53703.jpg, Diagram showing an exposed driver's seat
File:Winton1915.jpg, 1915 Winton Six Limousine- note the open driver's compartment
File:1941 Lincoln Custom Limousine Interior.jpg, 1941 Lincoln Custom
The Lincoln Custom is a custom limousine and long-wheelbase touring sedan that was built by Lincoln in 1941 and 1942 and the lower level series Lincoln produced in 1955. Initially it was a replacement for the previous Model K Lincolns (produced f ...
limousine interior showing the occasional seats
Characteristics
The limousine body style usually 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. Communication with the driver is possible either by opening the window in the partition or by using an intercom system.
Limousines are often long-wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (front ...
vehicles, in order to provide extra legroom in the passenger compartment. There will usually be occasional seats (in the U.S. called jump seat
In aviation, a jump seat or jumpseat is an auxiliary seat for individuals—other than normal passengers—who are not operating the aircraft. In general, the term 'jump seat' can also refer to a seat in any type of vehicle which can fold up out ...
s) at the front of the compartment (either forward-facing, rear-facing or able to face either direction).
Many nations have official state car
An official state car is a vehicle used by a government to transport its head of state or head of government in an official capacity, which may also be used occasionally to transport other members of the government or visiting dignitaries from ot ...
s designed to transport government officials. The top leaders have dedicated and specially equipped limousines. The United States Presidential State Car is the official car of the President of the United States.
File:Aurus Senat, GIMS 2019, Le Grand-Saconnex (GIMS1173).jpg, Aurus Senat
The Aurus Senat (russian: Сенат) is a luxury full-size sedan by Russian automaker Aurus Motors and developed by NAMI in Moscow, Russia. The armoured limousine is powered by a 4.4 litre V8 engine developed by NAMI, with a 6.6 litre V12 (634 ...
limousine of the President of the Russian Federation
The president of the Russian Federation ( rus, Президент Российской Федерации, Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii) is the head of state of the Russian Federation. The president leads the executive branch of the federal ...
File:State Bentley Long Walk Crop 1.JPG, The official state car of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
File:Hield Bentley Interior.jpg, Passenger compartment of Queen Elizabeth's car with occasional seats folded down
File:GPA02-09 US SecretService press release 2009 Limousine Page 3 Image (cropped).jpg, Cadillac One
The United States presidential state car (nicknamed "the Beast", "Cadillac One", "First Car"; code named "Stagecoach") is the official state car of the president of the United States.
United States presidents embraced automotive technology in ...
limousine of the President of the United States
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...
Stretch limousines
Stretch limousines are longer than regular 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
Fort Smith is the third-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 89,142. It is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas–Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Are ...
, around 1928 by a coach company named Armbruster. Armbruster's cars were primarily used to transport famous "big band" leaders, such as Glenn Miller
Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...
and Benny Goodman
Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing".
From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His co ...
, and their bands and equipment. These early stretch limousines were often called "big band buses". Armbruster called their lengthened cars "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
Trabant () is a series of small cars produced from 1957 until 1991 by former East German car manufacturer VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau. In total, four different models were made, the Trabant 500, Trabant 600, Trabant 601, and the Tra ...
, Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Beetle—officially the Volkswagen Type 1, informally in German (meaning "beetle"), in parts of the English-speaking world the Bug, and known by many other nicknames in other languages—is a two-door, rear-engine economy car, ...
, Fiat Panda
The Fiat Panda is a city car manufactured and marketed by Fiat since 1980, currently in its third generation.
The first generation Panda (Mk 1: 1980–1986 & Mk2: 1986–2003), introduced in 1980, was a two-box, three-door hatchback designed b ...
, and Citroën 2CV
The Citroën 2CV (french: link=no, deux chevaux(-vapeur), , lit. "two steam horse(power)s", meaning "two ''taxable'' horsepower") is an air-cooled front-engine, front-wheel-drive, economy family car, introduced at the 1948 Paris Mondial de l ...
. There are instances of Corvettes, Ferraris, and Mini Coopers being stretched to accommodate up to 10 passengers.
File:Stretchlimo2.jpg, Volkswagen Beetle limousine
File:DirkvdM lada limousine.jpg, Lada limousine in Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
File:TrabantStretchLimo.jpg, Trabant limousine
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 brands of limousine stretching back to 1899.
United Kingdom
Due to the partition behind the driver, the Hackney carriage
A hackney or hackney carriage (also called a cab, black cab, hack or London taxi) is a carriage or car for hire. A hackney of a more expensive or high class was called a remise. A symbol of London and Britain, the black taxi is a common ...
s are a type of limousine, although not typically identified as such in Britain. The occasional 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
Examples of limousines currently produced by vehicle manufacturers include:
* Aurus Senat
The Aurus Senat (russian: Сенат) is a luxury full-size sedan by Russian automaker Aurus Motors and developed by NAMI in Moscow, Russia. The armoured limousine is powered by a 4.4 litre V8 engine developed by NAMI, with a 6.6 litre V12 (634 ...
* Lincoln MKT Livery
* Lincoln Navigator L
* Mercedes-Benz Pullman
See also
* Car classification
Governments and private organizations have developed car classification schemes that are used for various purposes including regulation, description, and categorization of cars.
The International Standard ISO 3833-1977 ''Road vehicles – Types ...
* Party bus
A party bus (also known as a party ride, limo bus, limousine bus, party van, or luxury bus) is a large motor vehicle usually derived from a conventional bus or coach, but modified and designed to carry 10 or more people for recreational purposes. ...
References
{{Authority control
Car body styles
Car classifications
Luxury vehicles
Vehicles for hire
fr:Type de carrosserie#Limousine