American Stretch Limousines
Are they a famous movie star or athlete, or someone in a wedding procession or a group of kids on their way to the prom? For nearly 100 years stretch limos have fascinated the general public, and have given way to a whole new level of transportation for the elite and those who wish to be kind or queen for a day.
The word limousine comes from the French word Limousin, which was a province in central France. Carriage drivers in France wore a hooded cloak to protect themselves from the elements. Over time the riders and carriages became known as limousin, and eventually the word limousine came to mean the stretch vehicle that we know of today.
The first stretch limousine was built in 1928 by Armbruster & Company, based out of Arkansas. Formed in 1887 by Tom Armbruster, Charles Kaiser and Walter Walkford, the company’s initially job was to build stage coaches that contained hidden compartments for passengers’ valuables. In the 1920s the company began producing automobiles, and in the mid-1920s they were asked to build a stretch automobile. Their stretch automobile proved to be so popular that they continued to manufacture them.
At first limousines were used only for royalty and the rich and famous. The Hollywood elite, heads of state from the United States and other countries, and other important persons often traveled by limo to their movie screenings, important dinners and meetings and other social events. Over time limos became popular for the masses. Today one can rent a Bay Area limo to travel down the California coastline or a Tennessee limo to arrive at their Nashville recording studio in style. Limos have also changed, so that one can rent a Hummer limo or Escalade, or PT Cruiser Limo to attend the Superbowl or an evening of shopping.
Today one can rent a Bay area limo to travel down the California coastline or a Tennessee limo to arrive at their Nashville recording studio in style.
