The New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission will be voting on whether "black cars" are added to the 25 mpg requirement, and may discuss what happens to other categories such as "luxury limousines."
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By Martin Romjue
The latest addition to our ongoing "Loony Limos" gallery could actually achieve a balance of sorts: beer for fuel; no carbon emissions; and perpetually happy passengers who can exercise during their mobile happy hour(s).
But we wonder if the beer burps and belches are, um, green-friendly? And could the chauffeur effectively double as a server-bartender? We've heard of drinking and driving, but does this limo introduce the challenge of "serving and driving?" Is that even against the law?
Maybe an enterprising entrepreneur could add the Pedal Pub to a vehicle fleet with a modified swivel seat for the chauffeur-kegmaster. This boozer of a limo would do especially well in beachfront communities, and may be a safer, less rowdy alternative to bachelor party pilgrimages in a conventional stretch. You may read more about this
Dutch innovation.
MORE FOREIGN CLIENTS? The weak dollar has a silver lining for the chauffeured transportation industry in that more foreigners will be visiting the U.S. this year. For black car operators that means many new potential clients arriving at airports who will need targeted, hassle-free transportation -- especially in the Southern California freeway metropolis that can seem daunting to an outsider. For limousine services, many of these tourist-travelers may prefer limousine tours and/or rides to popular destinations. Operators may want to look closely at their individual markets and see if there are business opportunities that can help offset higher gas prices and declining corporate travel because of the economic slowdown. Increased foreign arrivals could become most pronounced at Los Angeles International Airport, where international airlines are planning to add several new flights from cities abroad, according to an article in this morning's
Los Angeles Times.
The latest meeting of the National Limousine Association at the ILCT Show this month underscored its success in recruiting new members and strengthening its finances. At a time when the chauffeured transportation industry faces many challenges, the NLAs resources can be a major source of unity and focus for the industry. LCT contributing writer Jim Luff has a report from the NLA meeting. Please click below.
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Daimler may be eyeballing the limousine market, which of course would heat up competition for American limousine and black sedan manufacturers. At least such a foray by Daimler confirms that chauffeured transportation remains an attractive investment and service opportunity. See Automotive News
article here.
Here's a press release on what Ford will be doing to advance plug-in hybrid electric vehicles...
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By Martin Romjue
. . . For a relaxing freeway breeze awaits. We LCTers have seen a lot of limos, but this one threw us a bit.
The "Hummer for Summer" was spotted March 22 on the Ventura Freeway in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley. We have heard of Hummer limos offering "VIP Rooms" in the rear compartment for those passengers too special to hang with the J-seaters, but a canopied outdoor compartment is a new one for us.
This may add a touch of mobile front-porch elegance in a relaxing ride through the country, but on an L.A. freeway, we can only imagine the noise, the fumes, the commuter glares. And we wonder whether you can remove the canopy to accommodate a BBQ grill? If any of you operate a canopied Hummer, we'd like to hear from you. Please post your comments here at LimoLicious, where chauffeured transportation always gets a bit stretched.
One of the strongest sentiments among industry operatives at the ILCT Show was a growing exasperation with increasingly meddlesome governments at all levels. It seems as if politicians grasping for more tax nickels can’t seem to leave their pudgy, smudgy fingers off the polished limos. Like the fat kid that wants one more cookie-jar treat, the greasy-slippery finger crowd keeps trying to pick the pockets of limousine and chauffeured vehicle operators.
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As contract negotiations between Actors' Equity Association and the Broadway League are on the horizon, fears of yet another strike loom large.
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Just before I left for the ILCT Show I had completed an RFP (request for proposal) for a nearby casino. The casino was looking for an “exclusive provider” of luxury transportation service for their regular clients as well as entertainers coming to perform at the casino.
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In Los Angeles, conditions are not easy for the industry at the airport, LAX. The Greater California Livery Association (GLCA) has been communicating in detail with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), the organization that runs LAX. The airport's proposed rules would make operations definitely more costly and complicated for the industry.
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Michael “Mad Mike” Hughes has been getting a lot of media coverage in the past few years. After making the longest jump ever (103 feet) in a limousine...
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Relationships with nightclubs and good restaurants are important to the continued growth of our business. That’s why every so often I have to go out on the town for the cause. I know it’s a tough job but somebody has to do it.
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ILCT Show 2008: A Big Power Boost
By Martin Romjue
The bustling ILCT Show at Mandalay Bay March 16-19 certainly lacked the appearance of a recession. While the R word passed the lips of some participants, the Show floor was packed with vendors and coachbuilders as registration reached peak levels. Several coachbuilders told me they had closed some good sales deals on limousines. And the diversity of vehicles was a testament to this industry’s creativity and ability to satisfy all market ta
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Upon my arrival in Las Vegas, the first order of my day was cocktails with Sara McLean, publisher of LCT Magazine. We were accompanied by...
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The audience at last night's LCT Awards Gala once again looked like the one attending the Academy Awards: women in gowns, men in tuxedos, and everyone with big smiles and bright eyes. Held inside a Mandalay Bay conference room, the setting was vivid with its white and silver layout in honor of LCT's 25th anniversary. The crowd was also pleased with LCT Publisher Sara McLean's video and slide show celebrating the magazine's anniversary.
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Here are some of the memorable moments from today, Day One of the International LCT Show at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas:
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PROGRAMMING NOTE: The LCT staff and bloggers will all be at the ILCT Show 2008 in Las Vegas March 16-19. We may have a few posts from the Show of any breaking news, but we'll each be sure to post our Show roundups on Thursday, March 20 when we return. We hope to see many of you there. Feel free to bend our ears, drop us a few lines, send some e-mails, leave a few messages, pull up in a limo and chat. . . whatever it takes it keep us in the loop.
There’s a controversy surrounding the 2012 London Summer Olympics with a ban on chauffeured cars, except for the VIPs and elites. The fact that it's happening four years now doesn't make it an urgent issue, but it fits with what Scott Solombrino warns about in an upcoming April issue story about congested cities possibly banning chauffeured cars from the densest inner areas. . .
To read the London Summer Olympics story, click here.
By Martin Romjue
As the price of gas barrels toward $4 a gallon, pundits and pseudo-scientists predict global warming catastrophe, and inflation and falling housing prices nibble away at consumers, we can't help but wonder where limousines are heading.
This photo shows what could become the logical destiny of the limousine industry. Years of high-gas prices, green hysteria, and tightened budgets could take their toll. Not to mention any increased regulation and traffic limits.
Gone would be the days of sleek, leather-bathed comfort, convenience, and speed -- all experienced behind the anonymity of black tinted glass. Say, it won't be so! How will Hollywood actresses bound for the Oscars and brides in billowing white navigate their draped finery amid the slavery of rotating sprockets? Will chauffeur qualifications include bench-pressing 400 pounds? Can you pedal effectively from a sideways J-seat? Oh, and all the sweat. . . would it be worse than the "alternative fuel" droppings from the horses n' stagecoach option?
Well, if the world of livery glides from eras of horse-n-buggy, to combustion engine, to pedaled vehicles -- the interactive cycling among chauffeur and passenger at least would help diminish the obesity crisis in America and lower related health care costs.
So if one of your clients insists on a "green" limo, have a little fun and show up with this. Then record the reaction.
Is it possible to achieve maximum horsepower without using gas? Can you transport clients while keeping things green? Here is one idea that accomplishes it all and could even enchant your clients with a sense of livery nostalgia. Please try not to whinnie about this.
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The economic downturn likely won’t leave foreclosed homeowners in the mood to rent a limousine, but those looking for a bargain deal may want to do so in comfort and style. For a possible revenue-generating idea for your operations, please click here.
Oh, I know that the two words clearly don't belong together. Unless of course you were thinking of healthy limousines and who doesn't love a healthy limousine? I am talking about my health and your health.
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By Martin Romjue
There’s no delaying honeymoon plans with this limo. Just buckle up and you’ll pull up to the hotel in a screeching roar. While the Ferrari limo could at first bust your company’s fleet budget, there are likely enough betrothed hipsters to make it cost-effective for the long haul.
This rocket of a rickshaw would fit into any Extreme Wedding services palette. But caution: While the Ferrari limo may give new meaning to the terms “whirlwind romance” and “roller-coaster marriage,” the belted bucket seats likely will deter any post-nuptial amorous advances at 170 mph.
View the full
Ferrari limo gallery
For the controversy, click
here.
Some more facts about the fascinating Ferrari:
• The world’s fastest limousine can go from 0 to 60mph in less than six seconds
• It is made from a Ferrari 360 Modena chopped in half and stretched by 9.5ft with a section of hand-built carbon fiber
• It has a top speed of around 166mph - just 17mph less than the standard 183mph Modena
• The 20ft long car - which only seats eight people - is set to claim two Guinness World Records as the fastest limousine and the longest Ferrari
A recent retail Luxury Summit held in Beverly Hills sheds some light on how luxury retailers and service providers -- such as limousine and chauffeured vehicle operators -- can approach their markets in uncertain economic times. For more information, please click below.
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The countdown has begun to… the International LCT Show, coming up next week. As we editors prepare to attend and cover this action-packed event, several scheduled programs stand out:
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With all the economic scare talk in the media, one of the things we'll try to do at LimoLicious is find sources of information that cut through the hype. Nothing spooks our industry more than a recession, since the implication is that clients will cut back on chauffeured services. The jury is still out on a full-blow recession, given today's UCLA Anderson School of Economics forecast. For a much-needed silver lining, and an island of sanity, click here for the Los Angeles Times
story.
By Martin Romjue
Learn all about retro-Communist limo chic by clicking on the link below. This loathsome piece of livery is guaranteed to leave you sprawled across the J-seat with laughter.
No matter how the economy may be challenging your operations, be thankful your fleet does not have one of these – unless of course you have clients who must get to the May Day parade in style.
This Stalinesque stalwart could make a comeback by rolling along with the upcoming spectacle of Fidel’s funeral procession. For added flair, the chauffeur can wear a get-up resembling a Kim Jong-Il drag queen.
See more of the retro nasty limo.
Brandan and Ron Stein (pictured left to right), owners of Exclusive Sedan Service in North Hollywood, Calif., know how to have a great staff meeting. Winners of the Operators of the Year award last year, the Steins love to work hard and blow off some steam surfing at some of Southern California's finest beaches. Kowabunga!
By Martin Romjue
This Austin-Mini stretch was spotted recently scurrying down a Los Angeles area freeway. We at LCT admit we've never seen nor heard of one, so this itsy-bitsy piece of livery remains a mystery. We can't help but wonder: Would the J-seat be an inflatable pool toy? Does it use a Little Igloo cooler for the mini-bar? Must passengers make do with Dixie cups? Are wedding rentals limited to petite couples?
We could have more fun-size amusement here, but we want to hear from you. Ever seen one? Would you add one to your fleet?
Not everybody is taken to the airport in a Town Car. Luxury sedans have increased in client demand, especially in some of the largest corporate markets like NYC, LA, and Chicago. The rates are higher than other sedans and the clients tend to be corporate execs, celebrities, and business owners.
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Is the economy really headed out for a prolonged recess? Or did it just have a big, brutal lunch and is snoozing off the bloated effects?
Amid all the tumult — emotional political rhetoric, doomsday forecasts and hysterical handwringing — we can conclude that the economy is not doing one thing yet: Taking a deep breath.
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Let’s face it, we have something everyone loves. People love to look and limousines, ride in limousines and take pictures next to limousines. Knowing this, why not make dreams come true? There are many opportunities that exist within communities such as chapters of Make-A-Wish Foundation or similar charities. Better yet, create your own event.
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Mayor Bloomberg’s speech last week on “green” regulations being implemented in New York City has intensely caught the attention of the chauffeured transportation industry. It’s not clear to the major companies whether they have to comply with these new rules and when that will happen. As for now, this is what we’re hearing about the proposed rules:
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