Who Invented Limousine? A Brief History
There is no denying the fact that limousines are the epitome of luxurious vehicles. Whether you have a prom to arrive at or have your big day coming up, limousines are always the cherry on top for your events.
But the question is who decided to create this esteemed status of limousines and where did it come from?
If we look into the history of chauffeured vehicles, the limo can easily date back to the early 18th century when lavishly adorned horse-drawn carriages used to be the transportation method for the upper-class to carry them around from one place to another.
The word “limousine” is derived from the French region of the same name (minus the ‘e’ – it is Limousin) and the possible reason why it was named after this locality is due to the popular fashion statement CLOAKS that were on the rise at that time in Limousin which somewhat resembles with the covered portion of the limousine vehicles.
Speaking of the covered portion, passengers at that time felt a little extra while riding inside their private enclosures. The driver can neither hear nor see anything past it which is still a selling point for limos in today’s world.
Fast forward to 1902, when the first-ever motorized limousine was created but the length of the limo at that time wasn’t as extended as it is today and still, the driver was forced to sit outside like it did while riding horse-drawn carriages. Also, the number of passengers it could fit inside was also limited to 5 maximum.
So to overcome this struggle a company from Fort Smith, Arkansas called Armbruster in 1928, launched the original “Stretch” limousine. Did you know? The initial use case of these stretch limos was to transport celebrities – to be specific Jazz celebrities as it was the popular genre and source of entertainment for the rich and royals of that era. These limos would carry around celebrities and the popular bands from one gig to another.
However, with time, the stretch limousines became a standard of transportation for many other groups and different purposes but remain a significant symbol of well-to-do people.
