The Journal
Where limousines, chauffeurs, livery and New York's black car industry came from — and how they became what they are today.
28 stories
Chauffeur & Limousine History
Armored cars went from WWI Rolls-Royces and gangster Cadillacs to factory-armored S-Class Guard and BMW Protection models. How civilian armoring evolved.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
The New York Black Car Fund provides workers' compensation for independent black car drivers, funded by a small surcharge on fares. How it works.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
Brewster & Company built America's finest carriages from 1810, then Rolls-Royce bodies in Long Island City. The story of New York's great coachbuilder.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
The British monarch's state cars include two Bentley State Limousines and historic Rolls-Royce Phantoms. Why they're claret, carry no plates and more.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
Where the chauffeur's peaked cap, gloves and livery coat came from — and why today's professional chauffeurs usually wear a simple dark suit.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
The Checker Marathon, built in Kalamazoo, Michigan, was New York's iconic taxi for decades. Its jump seats, huge back seat and the last Checker retired in 1999.
3 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
Before mass production, luxury cars were sold as chassis and bodied by coachbuilders like Hooper, Mulliner, Brewster and Fleetwood. Their golden age and end.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
In 1897 New York had electric taxicabs with swappable batteries. The Electrobat, the Electric Vehicle Company and why the first EV taxi fleet failed.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
The stretch limousine traces back to Armbruster & Company of Fort Smith, Arkansas, around 1928 — and to stretched cars for bands, tourists and airports.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
The Ford Crown Victoria and its Police Interceptor dominated taxi and police fleets until 2011. The Panther platform, why fleets loved it and its legacy.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
How the hearse evolved from horse-drawn carriages to motorized funeral coaches on Cadillac and Lincoln chassis, and how funeral limousines serve families.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
How New York's black car industry grew from corporate car services of the 1970s–80s to TLC-licensed bases, the Town Car era and the app revolution.
3 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
New York's first gasoline taxis arrived in 1907 with meters from France. How cabs became yellow, the Checker era, the Crown Vic and today's hybrids.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
Chauffeur comes from the French for 'stoker' — the man who heated a steam car's boiler. How the chauffeur evolved from mechanic-servant to today's professional.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
The word limousine comes from the Limousin region of France. How the limousine evolved from open-front chauffeur cars to stretch limos and executive sedans.
3 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
For three decades the black Lincoln Town Car was New York's car service. Why fleets loved it, what New Yorkers remember and what replaced it after 2011.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
The 1937 Haas Act capped New York taxi licenses, creating the medallion. How medallions became million-dollar assets and why their value collapsed.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission was created in 1971. What it regulates — taxis, green cabs, black cars, livery and app services — and key moments.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
From open cars in the 1960s to armored glass after 1981 and today's electric G-Class, how the Popemobile evolved and why popes ride where crowds can see them.
2 min read
Chauffeur & Limousine History
From the first White House cars in 1909 to FDR's Sunshine Special, JFK's Lincoln and today's armored Beast — how presidential limousines evolved.
2 min read
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Fine automobiles, travel across New York and New Jersey, and practical chauffeur advice — sent occasionally. Your address is never shared.