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27-636: The equivalent categories are full-size luxury sedan (or "large luxury sedan") in the United States, luxury saloon (or "luxury limousine") in the United Kingdom, and Oberklasse in Germany. Extended-wheelbase limousines and armored sedans are also considered as F-segment. F-segment is a niche of the European market (approximately 0.2–0.3% in the 2010s) and the range is limited to only

54-577: A horse-drawn carriage , luxury sedan , motor coach , or especially a limousine ; those who operate buses or non-passenger vehicles are generally referred to as "drivers". In some countries, particularly developing nations where a ready supply of labor ensures that even the middle classes can afford domestic staff and among the wealthy, the chauffeur may simply be called the "driver". Some people may employ chauffeurs full-time to drive them in their vehicles, while professional services offer on-request limousines or rental cars that include chauffeurs. This

81-495: A button electronically. A luxury sedan with a very long wheelbase and driven by a professional driver is called a stretch limousine . In some countries, such as the United States, Germany, Canada, and Australia, a limousine service may be any pre-booked hire car with a driver , usually, but only sometimes a luxury car. In particular, airport shuttle services are often called "limousine services", though they often use minivans or light commercial vehicles . The word limousine

108-536: A car, a steam Locomobile . U.S. limousine business declined in the 21st century due to the effects of the Great Recession , the subsequent rise of ride sharing apps , and an industry crisis precipitated by deadly stretch limousine crashes in 2015 and Schoharie, New York, in 2018 . Moreover, during this time, people who would have once utilized limousines began opting to travel more discreetly in cars like black SUVs . The limousine body style usually has

135-425: A few models. Most F-segment cars use a sedan body style; however, some have been produced as wagons/estates or have a hatchback rear door. Extended wheelbase variants of these cars are common, as many of the luxury features are placed for the rear-seat occupants. In some markets (depending on the manufacturer), short wheelbase models are excluded completely, and only long wheelbase variants are sold. As of 2021

162-419: A partition separating the driver from the rear passenger compartment. This partition usually includes an openable glass section so passengers may see the road. Communication with the driver is possible either by opening the partition window or using an intercom system. Limousines are often long- wheelbase vehicles to provide extra legroom in the passenger compartment. There will usually be occasional seats (in

189-456: A simple permit is all that is required, but in others, an additional professional license is needed with specific minimum standards in areas such as age, health, driving experience, criminal record, local geographic knowledge, or training. In addition to the minimum legal requirements, limousine companies often require their chauffeurs to undergo specific extra training. These courses may involve evasive driving or defensive driving techniques ,

216-487: Is derived from the name of the French region Limousin ; however, how the area's name was transferred to the car is uncertain. One possibility involves a particular type of carriage hood or roof that physically resembled the raised hood of the cloak worn by the shepherds there. An alternate etymology speculates that some early chauffeurs wore a Limousin-style cloak in the open driver's compartment for protection from

243-431: Is one of the most serious that the automobilist has to deal with", and complained that "young men of no particular ability, who have been earning from $ 10 to $ 12 a week, are suddenly elevated to salaried positions paying from $ 25 to $ 50" and recommended the re-training of existing coach drivers . While the term may refer to anybody who drives for a living, it usually implies a driver of an elegant passenger vehicle such as

270-443: Is similar to but much more luxurious than taking a taxicab . A variety of benefits are cited for using chauffeurs, including convenience, productivity, and time savings, and driving safety for business people and seniors. Insurance costs for luxury vehicles are often lower if the designated driver is a chauffeur. The legal requirements to be a chauffeur vary depending on the local jurisdiction and class of vehicle. In some cases,

297-813: The Genesis G90 . The lineage of Mercedes-Benz's current F-segment car begins with the 1951 Mercedes-Benz W187 . The W187 was replaced by the Mercedes-Benz W180 (nicknamed "Ponton") in 1954, which was replaced by the Mercedes-Benz W111 in 1959, which was replaced by the Mercedes-Benz W108 in 1965. The W108 was replaced by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in 1972, which has been produced for six generations and remains in production today. Jaguar's first F-segment car

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324-466: The 1969 AMC Ambassadors . As of 2023 , stretch limousines comprise one percent of U.S. limousine company offerings. That total was down from about ten percent in 2013. A variety of vehicles have been converted into novelty limousines. They are used for weddings, parties, and other social occasions. Another style of novelty limousine are those painted in bright colors, such as purple or pink. Vehicles converted into novelty stretch limousines include

351-701: The 501/502 was the BMW New Six (also known as E3), introduced in 1977. The E3 was replaced by the BMW 7 Series in 1978, which has been produced for six generations and remains in production today. The Maserati Quattroporte was released in 1963 and is currently in its sixth generation. The first F-segment car from Audi was the 1988 Audi V8 . The Audi V8 was replaced by the Audi A8 in 1994, which has been produced for four generations and remains in production today. F-segment cars are known as "full-size luxury cars" in

378-538: The East German Trabant , Volkswagen Beetle , Fiat Panda , and Citroën 2CV . There are instances of Corvettes, Ferraris, and Mini Coopers being stretched to accommodate up to 10 passengers. Chauffeur A chauffeur ( French pronunciation: [ʃofœʁ] ) is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or a limousine . Originally, such drivers were often personal employees of

405-583: The U.S. called jump seats ) at the front of the compartment (either forward-facing, rear-facing, or able to face either direction). Many nations have official state cars designed to transport government officials. The top leaders have dedicated and specially equipped limousines. The United States Presidential State Car is the official car of the President of the United States. Stretch limousines are longer than regular limousines, usually to accommodate more passengers. Stretch limousines may have seating along

432-543: The United States) had a removable or folding roof section over the rear passenger seat. In the United States, sub-categories of limousines in 1916 were the berline , defined as "a limousine having the driver's seat entirely enclosed", and the brougham , described as "a limousine with no roof over the driver's seat." The president of the United States has ridden in a variety of brands of state cars starting from 1899 when President William McKinley first to ride in

459-465: The United States, and form part of the full-size car category (along with non-luxury large cars and the smaller E-segment cars). Limousine A limousine ( / ˈ l ɪ m ə z iː n / or / l ɪ m ə ˈ z iː n / ), or limo ( / ˈ l ɪ m oʊ / ) for short, is a large, chauffeur -driven luxury vehicle with a partition between the driver compartment and the passenger compartment which can be operated mechanically by hand or by

486-654: The average F-segment car has a length exceeding 5m. Ultra-luxury cars are also included in F-segment. In 2020, the highest selling F-segment cars in Europe were the BMW 8 Series, BMW 7 Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Jaguar XJ, Porsche Panamera and Audi A8 / S8. 1000–10,000 sales (best-selling) Less than 1000 sales Less than 1000 sales (ultra-luxury models) 2019 - Sales of limousines in Europe were down 6% in 2019 to just over 41,000 sales which makes this

513-529: The engine. The chauffeur also maintained the car, including routine maintenance and cleaning, and had to be a skilled mechanic to deal with breakdowns and tyre punctures en route, which were very common in the earliest years of the automobile. Only the very wealthy could afford the first automobiles, and they generally employed chauffeurs rather than driving themselves. A 1906 article in The New York Times reported that "the chauffeur problem to-day

540-402: The proper methods to ensure safety in the most extreme conditions such as inclement weather, a flat tire at high speeds, or other exterior influences for loss of vehicular control, etc. Most companies also have courses on what they expect from their chauffeurs. Chauffeurs may be taught proper etiquette when they are in the presence of their clientele . They may also be trained for services to

567-501: The same people required a similar arrangement for their chauffeurs. As such, the 1916 definition of limousine by the US Society of Automobile Engineers is "a closed car seating three to five inside, with driver's seat outside". In Great Britain, the limousine de-ville was a version of the limousine town car where the driver's compartment was outside and had no weather protection. The limousine- landaulet variant (also sold in

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594-438: The second consecutive year of decline for the segment. 2020 - European sales of limousines and upper class vehicles were down 29% in 2020, to just over 29,000 deliveries. This lowers their share to 0.2% of the total European car market, down from 0.3% the year before. In China, Hongqi CA72 was launched in 1958, making it the oldest Chinese F-segment car. The first F-segment car from an Asian manufacturer for an outside market

621-803: The sides of the cabin. A "stretch limousine" was created in Fort Smith, Arkansas , around 1928 by the Armbruster coach company. Their vehicles were primarily used to transport famous "big band" leaders, such as Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman , and their members and equipment. These early stretch limousines were often called "big band buses". Armbruster called their lengthened cars "extended-wheelbase multi-door auto-coaches". Their 12-passenger coaches were used by hotels, taxis, airlines, corporations, and tour companies. Knock-down programs by automakers made coachbuilders stretch vehicles, but Armbruster also custom built limousines using unibody construction such as

648-403: The vehicle owner, but this has changed to specialist chauffeur service companies or individual drivers that provide both driver and vehicle for hire . Some service companies merely provide the driver. The term chauffeur comes from the French term for stoker because the earliest automobiles, like their railroad and sea vessel counterparts, were steam-powered and required the driver to stoke

675-494: The weather. The name was then extended to this particular type of car with a permanent top projecting over the chauffeur. This former type of automobile had an enclosed passenger compartment seating three to five persons, with only a roof projecting forward over the open driver's area in the front. Wealthy owners of expensive carriages and their passengers were accustomed to their private compartments leaving their coachman or driver outside in all weathers. When automobiles arrived,

702-498: Was the 1951 Jaguar Mark VII . The Mark VII was replaced by the 1956 Jaguar Mark VIII , then the 1959 Jaguar Mark IX and the 1961 Jaguar Mark X , which was renamed the "Jaguar 420G" in 1966. The 420G was replaced by the Jaguar XJ in 1968, which has been produced for four generations and has just ceased production in 2020. The 1952–1963 BMW 501/502 sedans are predecessors to BMW's current line of F-segment cars. The successor to

729-615: Was the 1989 Lexus LS400 . Before the debut of luxury orientated Japanese manufacturers such as Lexus or Infiniti , most flagship models were limited for Japan only. Examples included the Toyota Century and Nissan President . In South Korea, early F-segment cars were the result of partnerships with long-established manufacturers, for example the 1999 Hyundai Equus (based on the Mitsubishi Proudia/Dignity). More recent F-segment cars from South Korea include

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