Have you ever thought to yourself that the word Limousine is an unusual word and wondered as to it’s origin? Well, wonder no more, the word “Limousine” is quite old and originates from the 18th Century and is derived from a region in France called Limousin.
Shepherds, 300 years ago, in the area of “LIMOUSIN” in France needed to protect themselves from harsh weather (eg driven snow) so they constructed a special coat in order to survive the wet and cold in the mountains. The coat was so effective that it’s use caught on with other people in the area and then further away throughout France.
As it originated in “Limousin” people called this coat after the locality that it was made in, and other workers also started to dress for bad weather in the same way, especially the chauffeurs of the very best horse drawn carriages.
Clearly these poor chaps too were exposed to all weather conditions as they were obliged to sit on top of the carriages in the open air. The transport they were driving attracted much attention as it carried the high classes on their journeys and were ornately decorated.