What is a limousine - body features

Now many people both in Russia and abroad actively use limousines for some kind of special events. This is no accident. The firm created "elongated" cars not for mass production, but for mass rental. How the car appeared, how it differs and why it is in demand is discussed below.

What is a limousine?

A limousine is a car with a closed extended body type and a fixed hard top. The car has a glass or plastic partition inside the cabin, which separates the driver and passengers.

The name appeared long before the first car model. It is believed that in the province of Limousin in France, shepherds lived who wore jackets with unusual hoods, reminiscent of the front of the created bodies.

The history of limousines

Limousines appeared in the United States of America in the early twentieth century. One of the manufacturers did not expand the body, but inserted an additional section inside. This created a long car. The demand for the car immediately appeared, which was immediately noticed by the Lincoln brand.

The mass creation of limousines from the brand began, but the cars were not sold. They were rented out - it was much more profitable that way. For 50 years, limousine drivers have been moving presidents around the country, but at one point, demand began to fall. And very sharply. It turned out that people didn't like the design of the car. Lincoln had practically lost his earnings, but then Henry Ford bought part of the company. He just created a modern basis for exterior design and "breathed" new life into the car. Limousines began to be actively rented again. 

In Europe, such models appeared much later. In the post-war period, many countries recovered their economies. As soon as this period passed, innovations began. But not at once. There were no supporting structures in American-type models, that is, the mechanic could remove part of the car and replace it with another part without breaking the integrity. In Europe, bodies were created with whole load-bearing structures, so it was difficult to change them. Nevertheless, machines were also created. Now, by the way, if there is a choice between the American and European models, a person in most cases will choose the second option. It is considered to be of better quality.

In Russia, the first car appeared in 1933, produced in St. Petersburg, but was a plagiarism of the American model. In the USSR, limousines were used to move important people.

Limousine typology

The limousine assumes a body specially created for it. It is lengthened in comparison with a simple sedan - an increased wheelbase, an extended roof at the rear, 3 rows of glass-carrying glasses. There is a manufacturing pattern for many models, but not always you can stick to it. Many limousines are individually assembled.

There are 2 types of models: factory and stretch limousines. The latter are more popular and are created in the atelier. Separately distinguish the type of limousines produced in Germany. This is a sedan with three rows of seats and a partition. The model is called Pullman-limousine (Pulman is a factory for the production of high-quality railway cars for rich people; luxury is included in the price).

The limousine differs from the sedan not only in its elongated body. This model has a reinforced suspension, brakes, a better engine cooling system, heating and air conditioning. When renting a car, the client is offered to choose between super, ultra, hyper, luxury, VIP car model. There is no big difference between them - the number of windows changes, the space inside the limousine decreases or increases, and additional amenities appear.

Questions and answers:

Who makes the limousine? A limousine is an extremely elongated body shape. In such a body there are such cars: ZIL-41047, Mercedes-Benz W100, Lincoln Town Car, Hummer H3, etc.

Why are cars called limousines? The first limousine-type bodies were similar to the hoods of shepherds living in the French province of Limousin. From there the name of such a luxurious body type has gone.