A Big Limo for Cinderella The Cinderella story is an evergreen favourite that can be retold again and again. And in one modernised version of this classic fairy tale, the fairy godmother doesn?t provide the heroine with a coach made from a pumpkin, a driver made from a toad and horses made from mice. Oh no. Instead, the heroine goes to the ball ? glass slippers and all ? in a big limo.
And what else would Cinderella use to go to the ball in a modernised setting? A big limo is a vehicle that is almost stereotypical of the rich and famous. A big limo is used by pop stars and politicians alike. And big limos are often hired for the day or evening, complete with chauffeur, for a big occasion like ball or wedding.
The name limousine originates from the French district of Limousin, where the local shepherds wore distinctively long cloaks. These original ?big limos? were so distinctive that the name was applied to a lengthy motor vehicle ? the first motorised big limo dates to 1900 or so - to indicate size.
But a big limo of today has shaken off all traces of its peasant origin. A big limo is usually black or white, although other colours have been chosen to give a big limo some novelty value (remember the song Pink Cadillac? This has probably led to more than one big limo built by Cadillac being painted hot pink).
A big limo is usually based on a sedan car. Common makes of car that have a big limo option in their line-up include the BMW 760 li, the Mercedes-Benz S-class, the Hummer H2, the Cadillac DTS and the Audi A8L. But the most popular big limo make of all is the Lincoln Town Car. This is the type of big limo that is often used for hire to transport brides to their weddings and to take modern-day Cinderellas to their homecoming or graduation balls.
Other vehicles are often converted into a big limo. The base vehicles for conversion to a big limo may be anything from a Bentley to a Beetle. European, American and Australian marques are popular for big limo conversion, with some popular choices being Jaguar, Chrysler, Audi, BMW, Holden, Ford, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus.
The seating configuration inside a big limo varies from car to car. However, every big limo usually comes with privacy glass between the rear seats and the driver?s seat (a big limo is nearly always chauffeur driven). This privacy glass means that the chauffeur of the big limo can?t hear what the passengers are saying ? or doing. Older version of big limo had a row of rear-facing seats in the passenger compartment, but modern big limos don?t always have this.
The creature comforts possible inside a big limo are limited only by the imagination. A privately owned big limo often comes fitted with a refreshment cabinet ? a drinks bar and/or refrigerator, and a superb sound system. Televisions and video players are also common accessories inside a big limo.
However, in a specially adapted big limo, anything is possible. The top big limo designer, Vini Bergeman, claims that if a client can dream about it, he can adapt a big limo to fit the dream. Bergeman has fitted Jacuzzis (a popular exotic big limo option) a putting green and more!
