Surely, you have already seen a stretch limo either on the street while waiting for a cab or on the small screen in the comforts of your home. But did its early beginnings ever cross your mind? As an automobile enthusiast, I have always been mesmerized by the limousine’s beauty and elegance. If only I was a millionaire, I could have bought one of my own. But unfortunately, I’m just an average Joe trying to get through each day with my average income generating job.

My level of income didn’t stop me from pursuing my interest which is all about automobiles, especially the luxurious limousines. I’d spend my free time reading books, magazines, and even researching on the internet for any topics concerning limousines. I wanted to know how they all started and how they were built. In all technological advancements, there has to be the early beginnings of how they were developed.

The word “limousine” was actually derived from the Limousine region in France. The shepherds settled there use over-sized, hooded garments to protect themselves from the extreme cold weather conditions. The early automobiles have open and exposed front seats for the driver while the rear portion where the passengers sat is completely covered. The drivers then adapted and utilized the garments in the automobiles used by the shepherds thus calling the completely covered automobiles as “Limousine.”

The golden age of automobiles in the early 1900s has captivated people’s hearts because of the elegant and daring designs of the limousines. People with royal blood, movie stars, and industry big shots are the only ones who enjoyed the privilege of riding these luxury cars. The others could simply feast on watching them pass by.

The very first stretch limousine was built in Forth Smith, Arkansas in the United States. Coach builder named Armbruster is the creator of the first stretch limo in 1928. They were used to transport famous “big band” leaders and orchestras in the past, together with their musical instruments and other equipments used in their performance, across the country. The early stretch limos were called “big band buses” during those times.

In 1974, the first six-door funeral limousines were built on Cadillac chassis. After that, Lincoln limousines joined the fad of stretch limos because it was one of the most popular choices for limousine service as well as for funeral service. Stretch limousines during those times were only deemed to transport people from one place to another using larger cars and nothing more.

The development of the limousine industry in the 60s and 70s is so astounding that it has become increasingly popular with the rich and famous including Presidents and movie stars. Because of this, more and more coachbuilders began trading and adapting the idea of stretching limousines.

Nowadays, stretch limousines can be found anywhere and they’re made from any automobile brand. Luxury vehicles are often converted to the popular stretch limousines we now know of. Luxury vehicles like Audi, Bentley, BMW, Cadillac, Chrysler, Ford, Holden, Hummer, Infinity, Jaguar, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes Benz, and Rolls Royce have been professionally engineered and extended to become stretch limos. Sometimes even the local sedans like Corvette and VW Bug are stretched to accommodate up to ten passengers. Stretched Hummers can even hold up to 20 passengers in one ride. Porsche, Ferrari, and other sports cars are now being converted to stretch limousines as well. As you can see, stretch limos are innovating our way of life because they make our transportation even easier but it also comes at a great cost.

When you think about it, have you ever wondered how these vehicle giants are made? Actually, it’s not that pretty simple. The initial step in making a stretch limo is to buy a brand new vehicle and then remove everything from it including its interior, engine, lights, everything. The body frame of the vehicle is the only thing that should remain after removing everything.

The next step would be cutting the vehicle’s body frame in half in order to stretch it to its new size. The lengthening of the frame is the most important aspect of stretching a vehicle because the new frame must have a good foundation on order to make it safe. Once the new frame has been made-up, the builders will start customizing new body panels. Everything inside the new stretched vehicle will be custom made using steel, plastic, and fiberglass to match the original look of the vehicle before the stretching process began.

After recreating the basic vehicle, they must now add the special amenities we expected from stretch limos. Flat screen televisions, surround sound stereo systems, interior open bar, a cabin full of custom upholstery and other comfort features they wanted to make available are fully furnished.

Stretch limousines are certainly works of art because of the rigorous process they undergo. To ensure its safety, it will be road tested by quality control officers before shipping it out to the limo service provider who ordered it. By then, we can enjoy the opportunity of renting it from them in order to experience the same luxury and comfort which used to be exclusive privileges of the rich and famous in the past eras.

Stretch limos can make you fulfill a dramatic entrance to a party, a wedding, prom, business convention, awards, or simply make your night on the town more interesting. Not only that, limousine service providers can also give you a five star quality treatment while riding their stretch limos on the road because of their professional chauffeurs who will take you to your desired destination.

Today’s stretch limos are sleeker and more equipped than ever before. Newer technologies are now making way into the amenities of each stretch limo that can transport more and more people. Some of the newly styled limos come with mini discos complete with laser lights and large speakers while others could even spare some room for a mini pool.

The latest trend of hiring these newly styled stretched limousines is having a bachelor or bachelorette party inside the limo while driving around the city. In the near future, more spacious and luxurious limousines are bound to be developed and engineered to perfection. When that time comes, limousines may become mobile offices for corporate managers, commercial restaurants or bars on the move, and a whole lot more.