In this article
The first stretch limousine is generally credited to Armbruster & Company of Fort Smith, Arkansas, a coachbuilder that began building stretched vehicles around 1928. According to the usual account, its early stretched cars carried big bands and their instruments between performances. Armbruster — later Armbruster/Stageway — went on to build stretched multi-door sedans and wagons used as airport limousines, hotel shuttles and tour vehicles in national parks for decades. Those vehicles are the ancestors of the stretch limousines that became a pop-culture icon in the 1980s.
At a glance
| Company | Armbruster & Company (later Armbruster/Stageway) |
| Location | Fort Smith, Arkansas |
| Origins | Carriage and wagon building, late 1800s |
| First stretched vehicles | Around 1928 |
| Famous products | Multi-door “airport limousines” and touring cars |
From carriages to cars
Armbruster started as a carriage and wagon maker. As the car replaced the horse, it turned its body-building skills to motor vehicles, including hearses and ambulances — both of which required lengthened chassis.
Stretched cars for groups
In the late 1920s and 1930s, touring musicians, hotels and sightseeing companies needed vehicles that could carry more people than a sedan but offered more comfort than a bus. Armbruster cut production cars and added sections with extra doors and rows of seats. These stretched sedans became common as airport limousines, shuttling passengers between downtown hotels and airports in the early air-travel era.
Stageway
Under the Stageway name, the company built long, multi-door vehicles on Ford, Checker and other chassis for decades — some with as many as eight doors. They were used by airlines, hotels and national parks. Checker’s own Aerobus served similar roles.
The glamour stretch
From the 1970s, coachbuilders began stretching Cadillacs and Lincolns not for capacity but for luxury — bars, televisions, mood lighting and privacy partitions. The Lincoln Town Car became the most common base. Read the rise and fall of the stretch limousine and the Lincoln Town Car.
From stretch to Sprinter
Today, most groups prefer vehicles with standing room, forward-facing seat belts and space for luggage, such as the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Read stretch limo vs Sprinter, or see our Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Who made the first stretch limousine?
Armbruster & Company of Fort Smith, Arkansas, is generally credited with building the first stretched vehicles around 1928.
What was an airport limousine?
A stretched multi-door sedan or wagon used to shuttle passengers between hotels, downtown terminals and airports.
Why were early stretch limos built?
To carry groups — such as bands with their instruments, hotel guests and tourists — in more comfort than a bus.
