History of the limo
Clearly there’s an elegance, mystery, and panache to the limousine with its highly tinted windows, and symbolism. Since the early 1900’s people have been fascinated and intrigued by the elegant carriage which was initially used by only movie stars, captains of industry, royalty, and the wealthy.
Limoges, a province in France, is where the first engine-powered limousine was created. The cars were designed so that the driver sat in a separate compartment from the passengers.
In 1928 the first modern stretch limousine was created in Arkansas. They were referred to as “big band buses” because the were mainly used to transport famous big band leaders, and their instruments, around the USA.
Later around 1935 Limousines really started to gain popularity. They were primarily used to transport guests from hotels to the airports and also used for sightseeing tours. Next the the Hollywood movie industry sought interest in the large vehicles and used them to carry staff around movie sets. It was at this time that limo’s became common for movie stars. You weren’t considered “a star” unless you arrived in a stretch limousine.
Limo’s eventually gained acclaim all over the world. In the USA, due to the “no open container” law, limo’s are a way to legally have an open alcohol container in the car because the passengers and the booze is separate from the driver.
Today, limousines are still used to transport the rich and famous, take people to airports and special events, but additional style vehicles are now being used. Vehicles that can carry large groups of people, like buses and Hummers have become popular. There will always be demand for the classic stretch limo however because there will always be the need for an elegant entrance.
