The First Limo 1994 Cadillac DeVille

I knew nothing about limousines. But something about that first one pulled me in, and that decision changed everything.

At the time, I was already rebuilding salvage cars and doing well enough to make a living. I understood vehicles. I understood how to fix things. But I had never stepped into the limousine world.

Then the opportunity came to buy my first limousine.

It was a 1994 Cadillac DeVille. Eight passenger. Long, different, and unlike anything I had worked on before. The outside of the vehicle was beautiful, and the inside was just as nice. It only had around 60,000 miles on it, and at the time, it felt like I had found something really special.

I went down to Southern Illinois to pick it up, and I brought my mother with me. That trip is something I will never forget.

On the way back, everything seemed fine until all of a sudden we heard a loud noise. The left rear wheel flew completely off the limousine.

It was sheer terror. Somehow we were able to get off the road safely. Looking back, I realize just how lucky we were. It could have gone very differently.

The people nearby came out to help us. They brought tools and stepped in when we needed it most. The brake rotor was destroyed, and two studs had snapped. It was clear the vehicle hadn’t been properly tightened before we bought it.

I went to the local parts store, got what I needed, and right there on the spot rebuilt it enough to get back on the road.

That was the beginning. And it started exactly how this business would continue… with pressure, problems, and figuring it out no matter what.

That 1994 Cadillac DeVille was not just my first limo. It was my introduction to what this industry truly demands, resilience, skill, and the willingness to keep going when things don’t go as planned.