Volko Aktas from Heteren in Gelderland is a man with good taste and a realistic view of the road. He's selling his Caddy Limo. For € 3 the kilo. The limousine weighs about two and a half tons empty. And then you are at an asking price of € 7.500 for a neat 1991'er, whereby you still need two parking meters for every parking action.
Which brings us to limousines
A limousine is an extended luxury car, which usually can transport more than four people. The word limousine originates from France. The name is derived from the province of Limousin where carriages were in vogue sometime in the eighteenth century… Never mind. After all, AMK is not a horse magazine.
Size matters
Limousines as we know them have always had to do with imposing behavior, power, being or wanting to be important, and more of that kind of vanity. That is why the basis of a limousine was by definition a masterpiece of the automotive industry. And that base then got a long wheelbase and considerably more stretching centimeters in length. We don't talk about the fact that later jokers made limousines based on Austin, Minis, Ugly Ducks and Fiat 500s. Because those are serious whistles of the principle.
Such a large, also extended car was never intended to be the pinnacle of ease of use. It was all about confirming the idea of 'size does matter'. To convey the importance of the passenger. But renew an automobile seriously? That is no small matter. Within limited outgrowth it may be clear that classically built cars had an advantage. Because with a loose, load-bearing chassis you can play more and more easily than with a self-supporting body, which already involved a lot more calculations since the - then still - drawing board. If the extension will - over time - result in the limo getting a sagging back like that of an old horse… It will be after the warranty period… But the problem is no less.
The Pope, Idi Amin and Elvis
In order to transport a pop star, movie star, president, dictator or other dignitary safely and stylishly, the suspension and braking system must of course be adjusted. There were and are factories that built their own limo versions. But in the States there were quite a few companies that simply performed the trick on order. Americans think in broad lines, they work sloppily and worship Bondo, the god of the polyester filler. And between the doubled or tripled layers of sheet metal of all those square meters of non-corrosion-protected metal, it could rust fantastically. So be careful when purchasing an unofficial limo from the States.
Classic limousines now
The usability of such an extra long classic is not too bad. It is just as much of a relaxation machine as a twenty meter long tjalk. You can rent out your limo for graduation parties, bachelor parties and weddings. VIPs and artists are also sought after. In my youth there were a few British smokers in The Hague's van Merlenstraat who had bought an old Cadillac Limo. One of the men had been roady at Stone's concerts. He had the relationships. The construction project lasted and lasted. It only stopped after a shooting and the burning of the revenue model in the making. The Hague was quite rough at the time.
The choice is huge
You can mainly choose from Americans, Citroëns, Mercedes and Peugeots, because a Peugeot 604 was also delivered in size XXXL. Somewhere near Dinteloord is an armored Zil V8 from the former Soviet Republics. The giant weighs nearly four tons. In terms of driving pleasure, a limousine is about the level of a hearse. The ride is comfortable if driven with utmost rest. The whole limousine concept is unimaginably far from erasing with a Fiat 600 Abarth, or let it be a 1968 Mustang with V8.
A limousine is impressive and soothing in an almost Zen-like way. The common partition between the driver and the luxury department with radio, TV, refrigerator makes the difference between the on-board staff and the Really Important People. And as long as you don't go for an extended Mercedes 600, the purchase can also be very easy. As the Volko Aktas Caddy proves.
As a subscriber I have been enjoying your beautiful magazine for many years. Nowadays the beautiful daily stories have been added. Thanks for that Dolf, Erik and Dirk, because it is a pleasure every day!
By the way, at VENEMA CLASSIC CARS in Drempt there was a 1986 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham one of ARMBRUSTER STAGEWAY this time, a custom gold edition for sale but it has since been sold.
Besides, other renowned makers of limos as well as hearses and flower cars are S&S (Sayers & Scovill), Superior, Hess & Eisenhardt, Bradford, Cadillacs and Lincolns, but also Buick, Pontiac and Oldsmobile. Some manufacturers are still operating or otherwise acquired under the wing of an existing manufacturer / competitor.
Under Juliana's rule, the royals had at least 5 Royal Blue 1979 Lincoln Continentals in the royal stables, 2 of which were extended versions of Moloney.
If this is one of Moloney then you can certainly expect quality, a company that builds limousines for decades and took over Lehmann Peterson in 1970 who already built many limousines for all the presidents, including that of JFK (the XP-100).
Quality and safety have always been paramount. Also did a crash test and the firm surprised Cadillac even beyond expectations how the bodywork held up. Also AHA (Andy Hotton Associates is renowned for its products also Dillinger Gaines, american custom coach works and many others.
That is a nice addition. Thanks!
in my Groningen student days I had a secondary job driving funeral cars and wedding cars.
One of the rental companies I worked for had about 3 or 4 Pontiac Parisiennes limo from 1965 with six / stick, six cylinders and three on the tree, and oh dear drum brakes all around. Then you had to go from Groningen to say Loppersum and empty back with gas on the shelf. 3 tons, almost no brakes, laughs we have!
I have nice thoughts of the late 70s when we were driven from the station to a chemical giant for a night or weekend shift in extended Cadillac's. Floating to work at a leisurely pace.
That Mercedes limo is surely a stylish 'kilo blast'. And the interior is even very stylish, with TV and all!
In those days it was a kind of science fiction. Yet.
There seem to me to be less comfortable ways of traveling.
In front of father it is bound to be a roar of laughter from front to back.
A cartload of excise duty due to an excessive fuel thirst and a lot of motor vehicle tax
because of the heavy carriage. But that stylish nonetheless. Awesome!
It was somewhere in 1988 or something when I came to visit Hans Bezemer through a friend. He had a nice collection of Classics for renting out weddings. But secretly also because he was a real car crazy. The collection also included 2 Cadillac's Fleetwood limousine ('60) that differ only one number from each other. Both belonged to Frank Sinatra. Unfortunately Hans is no longer alive, his collection is still there.
Hans was well known. And a unique person.
Looks like Alfred Heineken's limo. It was preceded by a large Ford Scorpio and behind it a fat BMW! All cars armored, that was a must after the kidnapping. You didn't have to try to get close, you would be sympathetically kept at a distance.
Then such a limo may be luxurious, it is and remains a cage.
To brush up on your general knowledge, Dolf; Limousin is not so much known for its horses, but for the breed of cows Limousin of which you can see many in the Netherlands.
Furthermore, of course a nice article.
the limousin is also sometimes found in parts on the plate, yes ...
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limousin_(rund)
Dear Hans and also Gerrit,
Dolf is talking about a limosine!
With an e at the end, wikipedia says this:
A limousine (also often called a limo) is originally a vehicle with a closed roof for the passengers, while the part for the driver had no cover. The name comes from the French limousine, a region in central France. In the Limousin region, residents wore hoods and robes, which symbolized both the open part and the closed part of the limousine.
Hello. This car has been the 1st owner of a rental company in the Amsterdam area. Then sold to a nightlife center in 'tharde of which I was the driver. Then Sold to a car enthusiast in Elburg who sold on to a student association in Wageningen after him. I don't know otherwise. Lots of great memories and stories from this car.