Frequently the vehicle of choice for dignitaries, limousines should represent the epitome of class, style, luxury, and dignity.
Cashing in on pop culture, limos now take many shapes and forms with any four-wheeled vehicle seemingly suitable for conversion, unfortunately leading to some of the least luxurious vehicles finding themselves stretched in the pursuit of profits.
There is no accounting for personal taste, bling, and size matter in modern society where arriving in any limo is all that seems to matter.
10 Hummer H2 Stretch Limo - Oversized In Your Face Bling
In Vegas, anything goes, including this stretch H2 monster available for just $120 per hour including free bottled water. With space enough for 14 occupants, wedding parties, corporate entertaining, or most likely bachelor or bachelorette parties, it's undeniably a head-turner! Unless, of course, you prefer a more sophisticated arrival, then black would be a better color.
If limos were only judged by internal appearance and features then this Hummer H2 would be ideal, plenty of space and luxury (if slightly OTT) trim. The problem comes when its occupants arrive at their destination, Hummer isn't a name normally associated with class or style.
9 PT Cruiser Wedding Car - Chrysler Meets Disney Princess Carriage
In a deliberate move to be classified as a light truck, Chrysler used their PT Cruiser to lower the average fuel efficiency across the truck range. Retro 1930s themed styling bestowed Cruisers with above-average height making for a roomier cabin and higher seating position. Several Cruiser limo conversions exist with most being stretched rather than what can only be described as "disneyfied"
Any list of limo or wedding cars is sure not to include "PT Cruiser," even in its factory form they are not a good-looking car. Classified as compact or Mini MPV coupled with what can only be described as a retro-styled carriage plug in the middle.
8 Citroën 2CV Limo - Basic From Nose To Tail
Utilitarian Farmers vehicles designed to be cheap to run trouble-free motoring for the masses, Citroën's 2CV fitted the requirements perfectly. Simple air-cooled 2-cylinder engines were reliable if underpowered affairs with later models boasting 29hp. With design requirements met, it's hard to imagine a luxury version, with basic bench-style seating.
One of the few "bad" limo conversions that sort of works, what you see is definitely what you get with this stretched 2CV.
7 Ferrari 360 Modena - Automotive Blasphemy
Following Ferrari's, 355 wouldn't be an easy task, with the arrival of the 360 Modena scoring well for power, but losing out on looks. Whatever the limo 360 creator thought would be a good plan doesn't really work, with the existing upswept door lines abruptly stopping for the plugged mid-section ruining the overall Ferrari special appeal.
Ferrari makes sports cars, no arguments, please. Converting a 2000s 360 model into a limo is not a good idea, originally mid-engined with its F1 style paddle-shift transmission is not how its designers envisaged their creation.
6 Limo Jet - Cool If It Still Had Jet Power
As custom limos go this Learjet based example at least hasn't butchered and extended its body to increase internal space, and externally at least it still looks pretty much like a jet. Downsides for any serious aviation buff, no jet power just a 400hp Chevy V8 motor, which should make it cheaper to run.
Inside, well imagine a combination of an amusement arcade and go-go bar and it wouldn't be too far from the styling. Aimed squarely at younger customers out for a fun night on the town it's passable.
5 Trabant Stretch Limo - Composite Materials Cannot Hide Dated Engineering.
In standard two-door form, Trabant actually produced a factory badged limo model, choosing the name for the bog-standard sedan. With one of the worst reputations ever in the automotive industry due to poor build quality, materials, and outdated underpowered engines, surely this stretch model has to be a novelty item.
On a plus note, using Duroplast for its body means no rust, with the material resembling a cheap version of fiber-glass using cotton or wool in place of glass matting.
4 Fiat Panda Stretch Limo - Top Gear At Its Best?
True to form, Top Gears' attempt at homemade limousines could only end badly like so many of the team's other projects. Clarkson got off to a bad start with his choice of a donor car, Fiat's tiny Panda model - well known for its diminutive size. Lacking internal height drastically reduced the headroom with barely enough space for the driver and the rear occupant in a seated position.
There is a very good reason why limousines are not 47 feet long, with many of the UK's inner-city roads unable to accommodate the triple-stretch Panda, added to which the original 1992 Panda engine just isn't powerful enough, struggling t0 produce 44hp.
3 VW Beetle Stretch - Air-Cooled But Not Cool
Here is a perfect example of a limo that doesn't appear to be finished, creating this stretch model could have been so much better if the builder had hidden the all too obvious two Beetles welded together look. With a little more work to conceal the rear doors' origins, or even changing the paint job would make a world of difference.
VW Beetles have a huge following with dedicated "air-cooled" fan clubs supporting owners to keep their bugs in the road. Here lays the biggest issue with the Beetle limo, its iconic exhaust soundtrack doesn't conjure images of luxury.
2 Fiat 500/600 Limo - Micro Car With Big Car Aspirations
Surprisingly there are a few Fiat 500 models stretched, which with the original cabin directly affected the vehicle's external size, it is easy to imagine this micro limo being rather cramped. Space issues aside, any limo designed to carry more passengers is going to be a struggle with the 500cc engine producing just 13hp.
Only die-hard Fiat 500 fans would consider arriving for that special day in one of these, too small to be practical for any formal occasion with limited space ruling out any bride arriving in style.
1 Ford Mustang Limo - Automotive Blasphemy Part 2
Splicing extra length into a standard car is the usual method of custom-building a stretch limo which is fine with less desirable cars, but sacrificing two 1966 Mustangs is sure to upset a few gearheads. On the plus side, this Mustang started life with its Ford small-block V8 adding to its appeal.
Despite Ford producing less than 23,000 examples in 1966, Mustang Coupes are still affordable collectible muscle cars with lower-spec models hovering around $23,000. It does raise the question of why anyone would want to weld two Mustangs together drastically reducing their value in the process.