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.The shepherds in the Limousin French locality having to work in dire weather conditions, survived whatever Mother Nature had to throw at them (driven snow and rain)by creating a coat to insulate themselves on the hillsides.

The coat was so effective that it’s use caught on with other people in the area and then further away throughout France.

Having it’s origins in Limousin, everyone referred to the coat by the region it was created in “Limousin” and other workers who were at the mercy of the wind and cold began to wear the coats ‘ in particular the drivers of the finest 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.

The coat made by the French shepherds consisted of wool from goats and sheep and very good in it’s purpose.

After a brief period the Limousin-clad chauffeurs were so closely identified with the coat they wore and subsequently the carriage that they sat on, that the carriage began to be linked to the drivers (and coats) in peoples’ minds and the transport soon began to be called the “Limousine” by the public after a period of time.

The horse-drawn carriages were an extremely posh way of travelling and sure you can now guess where this is going.

After many decades the first motorised car, another form of extremely posh transportation for the upper classes, was invented and the word Limousine became quickly linked by natural progression (or chance) to the longer, more elegant styles of motorcar.

Records show that in 1902, the first Limousine, also had a hood over the driver’s compartment that resembled the original hood of the Limousin coat, and this is the reason the term “Limousine” is now forever bound to luxury long vehicles.

Basically a compartmentalized car that separates the driver from the upper class (or paying) passengers with a privacy division.

During the last 100 years is the time that Limousines have had huge changes to their look, amenities, length and insides. A Limousine now refers to all cars that have been stretched for style or luxury purposes, in particular in the USA, where virtually anything on four wheels has been extended into a Stretch limo, Superstretch limo or Superlongbody Limousine.

Over the decades this includes such marques as Audi limo, Bentley limo, BMW limo, Cadillac limo, Chrysler limo, Ford limo, Holden limo, Hummer limo, Infiniti limo, Jaguar limo, Lexus limo, Lincoln limo, Mercedes-Benz limo, Rolls-Royce limo and Volkswagen limo etc..

Notwithstanding the plentiful choice of stretched cars, the one that has now become almost synonymous with the word “Limo” is the Stretch Lincoln Towncar Limousine. The word Limo is now widely accepted as the slang term for all Limos.

The world of Limos in the 21st Century now offers the great Hummer Limousine, that seats up to 24 passengers in stupendous comfort.