Imperial One Limousine is a leader in providing professional Limousine Service to the Clearwater, Tampabay area and now our blog will provide opinions, advice and tips on limo rental for the limo renting consumer!
Imperial One Limousine Blog
3780 Tampa rd. Suite 104, Oldsmar, Florida 34677 (727) 809-1209
Who's been in that limo?
I think this is one of the most common questions asked of a Chauffeur-
The easy answer is 'no-one you'd know', but that's not entirely the truth...
It was just the other day that I realized how interesting and diverse our clients have been. We have had groups of doctors, chefs, attorneys, bands, secretaries, girl scouts, coast guardsmen, swat team members, firefighters, the owner of a nationwide chain of fast food restaurants and a group of jockeys from Tampa Bay Downs, 1 Limo was used in a music video shot in Orlando, another was used in an episode of a reality show shot in Tampa.
We have provided service to worthy causes such as the 'Littles & Middles; Prom' for children with cancer and their families and we shuttled people to and from a fundraiser for abused & abandoned former circus animals.
We have taken many children to Proms and out for Birthdays, driven many Brides & Grooms off into the sunset and helped many other groups celebrate their events safely and in style.
-So you see the answer to the question is not so simple, and maybe the next time it's asked of us -the answer will be YOU!!
Excursion Limo vs. Expedition Limo what's the difference?
We have been asked on more than one occasion what the difference is between an Excursion and an Expedition. Well aside from being totally different vehicles lets first list the similarities -both are full size SUV's made by Ford, both were commonly used for conversion into limousines.
Now here's the major difference, Excursions have not been produced by Ford since 2005 when the model line was discontinued. Expeditions are still in production to this day and are currently the largest SUV made by Ford.
So lets take a moment to reflect on what that means to the limousine renting consumer,
What it means is simply this- if you rent an excursion it's very likely to be older (several locally are 2001-2002 models), have higher mileage and a lot more use than a new Expedition Limo is likely to have. This means more people have spilled drinks and alcohol inside or sorry to say have vomited in the vehicle. In this instance newer is definitely better, cleaner, smells better and is more reliable due to lower mileage. Most Limousines really are due to be retired after about 5 years of steady use, so if your preparing to rent an SUV Limo and someone offers you an Excursion- just try to think how many people have partied in the limo throughout the years that it's been in service and just what did each group leave behind.
What is QVM and what Does This Mean to Consumers Renting a Limousine?
If you are planning on renting a limousine, the National Limousine Association (NLA), the QVM-CMC Vehicle Manufacturers Association and Ford Motor Company strongly recommend that you only ride in limousines that are built by manufacturer certified Coachbuilders.
Ford Motor Company's certification program is called, "QVM" which stands for Qualified Vehicle Modifier. The rules governing the QVM program are stringent and are designed with the vehicle capabilities in mind.
QVM rules state that only Lincoln Town Cars, Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators are approved for conversion into a stretch limousine. In addition, QVM rules specify that a Town Car can only be stretched 120" and Expeditions and Navigators 140" (basically, about twice the normal size).
To qualify as a QVM, a coachbuilder must be successfully evaluated by Ford Motor Company on criteria such as engineering, the manufacturing process, quality control, and adherence to Ford and Lincoln Divisions guidelines
The Evolution of Modern Wedding Transportation
When it comes to wedding transportation, almost always a long stretch limousine comes to mind. Sometimes, if you're the inquisitive type, you might wonder just how did people start using limousines for wedding transportation. You may ask, “What did they use for transportation at weddings back in the late 1800's and early 1900's?” Well, wedding transportation has a long and interesting history that is worth examining in closer detail.
The first wedding transportation methods were designed to carry the bride and groom in as much comfort as possible on their momentous day. To do this, carriages that had once been stagecoaches were converted to opulent horse drawn vehicles that had hard rigid bodies with luxurious interiors. These were designed with comfort and protection from the elements in mind. The interiors of the stagecoaches would be decked out with plush velvet cushioned seats, walls, and ceilings in order to provide the most comfort when riding the rough and rugged roads that abounded in the country during the 1800's and very early 1900's. The idea was to make the ride as smooth as possible for the bride and later the matrimonial couple. In addition to plush interiors, extra springs and shocks were added to the suspension of the stagecoaches in order to smooth out the ride. Sometimes, even the horses themselves would be given specialized horseshoes. These were designed to try to stop the bumping that could occur from them stepping the wrong way on the rough roads. As time progressed, and cars became more prevalent, the converted stagecoach method of wedding transportation changed into a more recognizable mode of travel.
With the invention of cars, roads began to be better constructed and as such wedding transportation evolved into the predecessors of today's limousines. One of the first vehicles to be used as a limousine type vehicle was an enclosed movie set truck. These were designed for moving large crews and sensitive equipment from one set to another on a movie studio lot. As such, they were ideally designed to provide a smooth ride. By taking these trucks and enclosing their beds with a passenger cabin and then installing luxurious interiors, wedding planners were able to create some of the first vehicles that were truly designed to transport brides and grooms in comfort.
One of the most famous of the early wedding vehicles that early 1900's wedding planners used was the 1908 Studebaker. As time went on, Studebaker became a legendary limousine brand in the 1930's and 1940's. Movie actors and actresses were seen all over Hollywood being transported in Studebaker limousines. Anyone who was a VIP always had a Studebaker limousine at their wedding. Seeing this growing market, the major auto makers like Lincoln, Chrysler, and General Motors all wanted a piece of the action.
Since the 1950's and up through modern times the major auto makers have taken over the market, and the limousine has become synonymous with a vehicle that abounds in luxurious accessories. Whatever type of limousine one can think of from a Lincoln, to a Chrysler 300, to a stretch Hummer, all of them have one thing in common and that's luxury. When it comes to wedding transportation in the present era and arriving in style, these vehicles certainly deliver. The bride and groom now have luxuries from an in car bar to a television. This is certainly a far cry from the olden days, when the best they could hope for was a smooth ride on a rough dirt road.
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History of the Hummer
We're all used to the commanding sight of a Hummer SUV on the street, but few are aware of the rich history behind one of the best off-road vehicles. Outside of its civilian use, it was actually employed strictly by the military back then.
The history of the Hummer began 30 years ago in the US military. In the 1970's, the US Army concluded that its militarized civilian trucks no longer satisfied their requirements. They needed a new strain of vehicle.
In 1979, the army drafted a design for a High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) or the Humvee. It was designed to be more agile and have exceptional speed and mobility. In just 11 months from conceptualization, they were already testing the first prototype, the M998.
In 1981, AM General requested a contract to develop several more prototypes including the more muscular breed that the Army required. They were awarded the initial contract of producing 55,000 Humvees for delivery in 1985. All were sold to LTV Aerospace and Defense Company as the AM General Division.
An additional production contract for 33,331 military vehicles was awarded to GM General in 1989. Then in 1990 came the initial design for a civilian prototype, which was then called the Hummer, "the world's most serious 4x4". The vehicle was patronized by civilian users who seek the ultimate in toughness and mobility, and they appreciated the value of the Hummer's long life and astonishing performance.
March 1992 marked a milestone in the history of the Hummer with the production of the 100,000th military vehicle. In April, the company was sold to Renco Group, Inc.
In December 1999, GM acquired the exclusive ownership of the HUMMER brand worldwide and the existing HUMMER was renamed the HUMMER H1. AM General began assembling the "next generation" sport utility vehicle designed by GM, HUMMER H2, in 2002.
In 2005 General Motors released the 2006 HUMMER H3 midsized SUV.
Over the years, the HMMWV has proven to be an asset to the military. It has played an important role in military actions worldwide. It was just a matter of time before its benefits were recognized by the civilian sector. Aside from a few refinements for comfort and practicality, the Hummer is virtually unchanged. It maintains all of the power, sturdiness and versatility of the military Humvee.
Today, all of these amazing features are incorporated into our reliable Hummer H2 limousine.
