We at Sunshine Chauffeur Limousine Services love the limo and the opportunity to provide customers in the Daytona Beach with award-winning chauffeured limo services—we wouldn’t have been in the business for over forty years if we didn’t. With that being said, we want to take a break from the topics that we normally cover on our blog. Today, we are covering the history of the limo and will reveal some interesting facts about this beloved vehicle.
A Long History
The limo is actually over a hundred years old. The first limo was built in 1902 and was named as such because the driver sat in a separate covered compartment. The word “limousine” actually comes from the French area of Limousin; shepherds in the area would wear hooded cloaks and those who built the first limousine thought the car looks uncannily similar. The Society of Automotive Engineers set the standard for the limo in 1916: “a closed car seating three to five inside.” The beline vehicle of the time was a limo having the driver’s seat entirely enclosed and a brough was a limo with no roof over the driver’s seat.
Twenty years later from the building of the first limo, the first stretch limo was created in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The main purpose of limos at the time were to transport big band leaders such as Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman causing the these limos to frequently be called big band busses. Ever since, limo service has been associated with the rich and famous or special events such as birthday parties, weddings, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and special date nights.
Types of Limos
In many countries, a limo is simply the word for a sedan. However, in the U.S. the word “limo” has traditionally always been associated with long wheelbase cars that seat more than five passengers and the driver sits in a separate compartment from those in his vehicle. With such a definition, much liberty has been taken to create unique limos throughout the years. However, below are the general types of limousines found today:
Traditional Limo
The traditional limo fits the above definition and can usually carry five to seven people, with the option of folding the forward facing seats into the floor, giving passengers greater space. Many limos have not only had more seats, but also TV, stereos, bars, and refrigerators. Each U.S. president has ridden in a limo since 1899 and celebrities such as Elvis Presley have owned their own limos.
To learn about the other various types of limos, stay tuned for part two of our blog series talking about the tradition of the limo. We hope that you’ve enjoyed learning a bit more about this vehicle and what makes it so unique.
Do You Need Limo Service in Daytona Beach?
Sunshine Chauffeur Limousine Services offers limo service to those in the Daytona Beach area seeking dependable, professional, and prompt chauffeur’s driving clean and luxurious limos. We offer our limos for special events such as weddings, bachelor and bachelorette parties, family reunions and more! To learn more about us, our rates, and see our fleet, visit our website.
