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A
BRIEF HISTORY
Whether we’ve stared longingly at one, or had the pleasure of riding
in one, the limousine has, since the early 1700’s, offered a
luxurious and stylish mode of transport to get the rich and famous
from A to B.
The words “limousine” and “chauffeur” have been used since before
the 20th Century when carriages and trains required professional
drivers to manage horses and steam engines. In addition, the word
“limousine” originated from the Limousine region of France where
shepherds would use an over-sized, hooded garment to protect
themselves from the weather. The drivers of automobiles later used
such a garment as they sat in the open and exposed cockpits, whilst
their master and owner of the vehicle rode in luxury in the rear
seats.
Commencing with the Sedan Chair, pictured top left, around the
1720s, right through to the new Millennium version of the American
White Stretch Limousine, pictured bottom left, each mode of
transport has reflected a sure symbol of status – oozing wealth,
class and sophistication.
Leaving behind the Sedan Chairs and the Horse-Drawn Carriages, the
first “Stretch Limousine” was created in Forth Smith, Arkansas in
the United States of America as early as 1928 by a coach company
named Armbruster. The cars were primarily used to transport famous
“big band” leaders, such as Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman, and
orchestras, as well as their musical equipment and instruments,
across the US. As a result, the early stretch cars were referred to
as “big band buses”.
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Moving
into the 1930s and 40s “Airporter Stretch Coaches” were produced and
used throughout America by hotels to transport guests from airports,
and by sightseeing tourist companies to take groups of guests on
tours. Of course around this time Stretch Limousines were a “must
have” by all Hollywood actors and actresses, in addition to the
practical use of transporting film crews and stage personnel around
the moving sets.
In 1962, Armbruster merged with Stageway Coaches from Cincinnati in
Ohio, USA, and became Armbruster-Stageway Coachbuilders. In 1974,
the first six-door funeral limousines were built on Cadillac
chassis, and eventually a product line of Lincoln Stretch Limousines
was included due to the growing popularity of Lincoln within the
limousine and funeral industries, however the general mission
statement for the cars and the company was simply “to move people
from place to place, only in larger cars”.
Moving into the 1960s and 70s limousines were increasingly used for
general use by American presidents and moviestars, and due to their
increase in popularity, many more custom coachbuilders began
trading. In addition, Federal Coach bought out Armbruster-Stageway
in the late 1980s, although the tradition commenced nearly eighty
years ago remains.
Today’s Stretch Limousines can be used for any purpose to make any
occasion a day to remember. Cars can be custom-crafted on any
chassis that the owner desires, and in terms of the accessories
included in the model, the sky’s really are the limit!
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