Stretch limousine
The stretch limousine , also known as “stretch limo” for short, is an automobile that has been extended at a later date . There is some exceptions by converting one to the upper middle class counting sedan produced, less commonly, the car will be upper class used.
history
The first stretch limousine was built in Arkansas around 1928. It was often called: “Big Band Bus” because the members of a big band could be transported with their instruments.
purpose
Not only in the USA and countries on the Arabian Peninsula , stretch limousines are primarily used for comfort, as state coaches and as status symbols. In the civil service, especially in the diplomatic service, but occasionally also as an airport shuttle and as a luxury taxi, stretch limousines are used as an upscale variant, comparable to a van; for example, if several heads of state and their companions are to be transported in one and the same car. In the meantime, it is also popular in Germany to rent stretch limousines by the hour and with a driver for stag parties, graduation balls, disco visits, etc. There are corresponding service providers in every major city.
Older examples can then be found in the Middle East, for example the standard long versions of the Mercedes-Benz W 115 and W 123 .
modification
During the conversion, the car is cut all around behind the B-pillar and an intermediate section with side walls, panes, roof section and floor section is inserted, usually combined with reinforcements in the floor and roof pillars. The suspension is reinforced because of the higher weight , sometimes more powerful engines are installed in order to be able to act better with the higher weight.
For more complex conversions, additional doors are added for better access to an additional bench. These doors are typically made from half a front and back door by welding them together.
Particularly complex conversions are aimed at larger extensions. Additional axes are occasionally added here. For example, limousines with a swimming pool in the rear are created, either inside or in the form of a bathing terrace with a swimming pool. Such extremely long vehicles are slow and difficult to maneuver, consume a lot of fuel and weigh as much as a truck .
Vehicle types
The conversion takes place, for example, from a Lincoln from Ford Motor Company or a Cadillac from General Motors . European cars are also being converted, such as vehicles from Mercedes-Benz or Rolls-Royce . At times, pickups from Chevrolet or Ford with double cabs and twin tires were converted into stretch limousines.
In contrast, some European manufacturers offer so-called long limousines ex works, e.g. B. the long version of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class . This is not actually a stretch limousine, but a limousine that is only a few centimeters longer (for better legroom), as is also offered as standard by Audi, BMW, Bentley and VW. Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz offers the S-Class and at times even the E-Class as a Pullman version ex works. For a long time, this was rejected by Mercedes - despite high demand: They feared an image problem, since American stretch limousines, which do not have to pass any registration test, often sag by several centimeters. For the Mercedes-Benz Pullman , the chassis then had to be completely revised in order to guarantee the same level of safety when cornering quickly, despite the changed vehicle geometry.
Internals
Stretch limos are usually luxuriously furnished. Components of the interior design can include other bench seats, expensive electronic equipment such as computers , televisions and video systems as well as sofa and bed landscapes. Some manufacturers are also implementing increased safety standards for special protection vehicles .
The longest limousine known to date is around 30.5 meters long. In addition to electronics, it also includes a swimming pool with a diving board and a helicopter landing pad . It is mainly used for filming in Hollywood .
Stretch limousines in the USA
The manufacturing of stretch limousines is not operated by the well-known automobile manufacturers in the United States. Specialized companies usually purchase suitable vehicles from Cadillac or Lincoln . These are then lengthened and refined. The most common stretched automobile is the Lincoln Town Car . To ensure the quality of the vehicles, Cadillac and Lincoln began to work closely with a certain number of companies. In the case of Cadillac, these are referred to as Cadillac Master Coachbuilders. Lincoln chooses the Lincoln QVM designation. Well-known specialist companies include Royale Limousine in Haverhill, Massachusetts and LCW Automotive in San Antonio , Texas. The vehicles keep the factory warranty. Recently, more and more SUVs have been extended.
special cases
Not only cars belonging to the upper class will be extended, but also mid-range cars, such as. B. many Lada taxis in Cuba .
Differentiation from the Pullman body
Stretch limousines are retrospectively extended vehicles. For Pullman vehicles , the long version is already planned during product development. For this reason, the vehicles are usually better designed from an engineering perspective. The most important producer of Pullman vehicles today is Mercedes-Benz with the Mercedes-Benz Pullman .
Manufacturer
The Binz company from Lorch in East Wuerttemberg extends the car within 10–12 weeks. Hearse vehicles for transporting a coffin are an important market. In 2018, a Tesla brand electric vehicle was extended for the first time.
Security concerns
On October 7, 2018 in Schoharie County , USA, all 18 occupants and two passers-by died in a serious traffic accident involving a wedding party with a stretch limousine. Safety aspects such as side airbags, reinforced roll bars and emergency exits in limousines have been discussed in the USA for years. The cause of the accident is unclear. It is clear that the chauffeur did not have a valid operating license for a vehicle with more than 15 guests. The Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo announced on October 8, 2018 that the limousine was not allowed to drive on the road due to abnormalities during an inspection.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.big-limos.com/a-history-of-limousines
- ↑ The rolling government bench. In: sueddeutsche.de. May 31, 2011, accessed May 9, 2018 .
- ↑ http://www.mercedes-seite.de/mercedes/pkw/w220/inhalt.php?main=w220&reload_coolmenus
- ↑ Barbara Auer: At the Binz company, cars become stretch limousines aktiv-online.de, May 11, 2018, accessed August 19, 2018.
- ↑ New York State: 20 dead in an accident with a stretch limousine. In: Spiegel Online . October 7, 2018, accessed October 7, 2018 .
- ↑ The driver involved in the accident in New York lacked the necessary permit for the stretch limousine. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung . October 9, 2018, accessed October 9, 2018 .