The first limousines for cars originated in 1902, less than two decades after the invention of the first practical car. A luxury sedan with a very long wheelbase (with more than four doors) driven by a professional driver is called an elastic limousine. Today, limousines are still used to transport the rich and famous, but they are also designed to transport much larger numbers of people. Elastic limousines are used to transport famous people such as Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman and their entourages.
In some countries, such as the United States, Germany, Canada and Australia, a limousine service may consist of any rental vehicle with a pre-booked driver, usually, but not always, a luxury car. In 1902, the first limousines were developed for cars with the driver sitting outside in a covered compartment, with eyes and ears away from passengers. The word limousine is the feminine adjective formed from the word Limoges, which is the province of France that started it all. The first automotive limousine developed in 1902 was designed for the driver to sit outside under a covered compartment.
Carey opened New York's first limousine service in 1921. The modern limousine industry is a product of the 1980s, when economic growth and the expansion of the financial industry fueled the desire to move in style. Unlike many other types of cars, the limousine does not bear the name or fit the design of a horse-drawn carriage. The notable feature that differentiates limousines from other vehicles (or, in this case, from carriages) is that the driver is in a compartment completely separate from that of his fare. In Great Britain, the city limousine was a version of the urban limousine car in which the driver's compartment was outside and had no protection against the elements.
From now on, wealthy passengers will sit inside a closed carriage while the rider sits outside, wearing a “limousin” cape as he whips horses for long, lonely nights. Thus, someone, forgotten by history, erects a partition between the driver and the nobleman, thus giving rise to the first horse-drawn limousine. Limousines are usually vehicles with a long wheelbase, in order to provide additional legroom in the passenger compartment. Elastic limousines are longer than regular limousines, usually to accommodate more passengers.
Having these separate compartments for drivers and passengers was important to the popularity of limousines.
