There are many reasons why you might want to hire a chauffeur driven limo. Maybe you have a birthday or anniversary to celebrate. Maybe you have a special night planned with a loved one. Or maybe you want to see some Christmas lights.

The last of those sounds rather unusual, but it is an increasingly popular reason for hiring a limo in the US. At this time of year, when many homeowners create Christmas displays more elaborate than Blackpool illuminations, it makes a certain amount of sense that people would want to see them to get themselves in the Christmas spirit.

Overly decorated houses are often seen as something of a joke, but they do get our attention. Some limo companies are now taking people round the local town, showing them the most striking and shameless displays.

One homeowner in Phoenix, Arizona, has a display featuring 32,000 lights. His yard is decorated with a manger, a Ferris wheel and an inflated snowman sitting on top of a basketball hoop. Unsurprisingly, this house is frequently a stop on limo tours of Christmas lights in that area, as passengers gawp at the effort that has been made.

Daimler has announced that it is to cease producing the Maybach in 2013. The luxury car, considered a Rolls Royce competitor, has long suffered from poor sales and the firm has concluded that it would be wise to abandon it.

The car has failed to meet sales expectations and has been making a loss. Daimler CEO, Dr Dieter Zetsche, said:

“We held extensive discussions internally about which way would promise the greatest success in the luxury segment and we came to the conclusion that the sales chances for the Mercedes brand were better than that of Maybach. It would not be sensible to develop a successor model for the current Maybach.”

Relaunched in 2002, there were initially two turbocharged V12 models available. More versions have followed, but only 63 cars were sold in 2010.

According to one Daimler insider, the gap will be filled by further versions of the Mercedes S-Class. It is suggested that as of 2013, the car will be available in six body styles and with multiple different wheelbases.

One reason why the car was not successful may have been that it was not so well-known outside Germany at the time it was relaunched, whereas competitors Rolls Royce and Bentley have international reputations.

Many people are chauffeur driven in a Mercedes van, but it is usually the luxurious Viano, not the commercial Sprinter. However, a new trend is developing in New York where many are opting to be driven around in customised versions of the latter.

It seems that people are having Sprinters fitted out like mobile offices, so that they can work and travel at the same time. Apparently some owners go so far as to add leather sofas and Persian rugs. Others install massage chairs and sofabeds. Bars and flat screen TVs are common and Wi-Fi is virtually standard.

Mercedes offer the customisation service themselves after noting that many owners were employing people to modify their vehicles. By taking control of the work themselves, the firm can guarantee quality and attract a different kind of customer as well. They sold 8,000 in 2010 and have already sold 13,000 this year.

The interesting thing about this is that the vans generally look fairly plain from the outside. It is only once you get inside that you realise the extent of the work and get some idea of the probably cost.

A custom made 1912 limousine is to go up for auction at Bonhams’ December sale. The auction, taking place at Mercedes-Benz World, Weybridge, will see a Lanchester State Limousine made specifically for the Maharajah of Rewa go under the hammer.

The car features a removable limousine top and driver canopy, meaning the car could be open-topped as well. Estimates value the car at somewhere between £80,000 and £100,000.

Cars such as this were popular with the Indian nobility and it is said that a sizeable proportion of Lanchester’s products made their way to the subcontinent. The Maharajah of Rewa was so satisfied with this particular limo, that he then ordered a 40hp Lanchester later on.

This car made its way back to the UK in the Sixties and was initially purchased by a Douglas Thompson of Teesside. It has since remained with the same owners for 27 years, serving as the focal point of a Lanchester car collection. Fully restored, it features maroon livery and red linking in the interior.

It’s not the way most people leave prison and it’s not the occasion for which most people make use of a chauffeur driven car. This week the son of David Gilmour, who played guitar in Pink Floyd, was collected from prison by a limo after serving a quarter of his sentence for violent disorder.

Charlie Gilmour spent four months in Wayland Prison after being convicted of violent disorder during the tuition fee protests.

His solicitor said:

“Today, 15 November, Charlie Gilmour was released from HMP Wayland subject to him complying with a home detention curfew. The curfew will continue until the halfway point of his 16-month sentence. This is standard procedure for prisoners who are serving a sentence of between three months and four years.”

Charlie Gilmour had been studying history at Cambridge University, but it is unclear whether he will be permitted to continue there. A spokesman for the university said a decision hadn’t yet been taken.

During the protests, Gilmour was seen swinging from a union flag on the Cenotaph. He also leapt onto to the bonnet of a Jaguar car that was part of a royal convoy and also threw a bin at it.

It is thought that David Gilmour was waiting for Charlie in the chauffeur driven car, which then took them to the family home in Sussex.

Rolls Royce is going from strength to strength at the moment. Since the Ghost was launched two years ago, it has seen its sales triple, with the Phantom also proving popular.

Much of this growth is down to overseas markets. The US has always been significant, but China is increasingly important, as is the Middle East. In light of this, Rolls Royce chief executive, Torsten Muller-Otvos, is looking to broaden the firm’s reach still further.

He said:

“We have started a process in South America where we are looking into Brazil and also Chile and I have been travelling for the past two weeks there to have a look at potential candidates for dealerships.

“I think now is the right time to look for some strong partners [in South America] and that’s what we’re doing.”

Muller-Otvos believes Rolls Royce should have around 100 dealerships worldwide. There are only six in the UK, while in China there will be 10 by the end of the year. It is thought that two will be created in South America.

The Ghost, priced at £200,000, is driving much of this expansion, reaching a different market from the £300,000 Phantom.

Have you ever seen a giant stretched limo driving round town? They can be extremely eye-catching and the larger they are, the more striking they are. If you’ve wondered how big a limo can get, look no further than the Midnight Rider – the biggest limo in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records.

However, if you’re after “460 square feet of luxury” then you’ll have to take a smaller chauffeur driven car to the airport first, because not entirely surprisingly, this monster vehicle operates in the States, in southern California.

More like a train than a car, air-ride suspension makes for a ride so smooth that passengers can walk from lounge to lounge. 70ft long and 13ft8ins high, it is basically a nightclub on wheels – one which can accommodate as many as 40 passengers. And at $1,000 an hour, you may need a few people with whom to split the cost.

The plush interior boasts polished brass, wood veneer trim and even velvet curtains. There are three lounges, a bar and a bathroom. There is also a solid brass staircase, because one of the lounges is actually upstairs.

When Mercedes displayed the F125 at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, they revealed that much of the cutting edge technology was already earmarked for the S-Class of 2025. However, some elements will be finding their way to the market rather sooner than that.

One of the most immediately striking innovations was an autonomous driving feature. Integrated into the 2012 S-Class, this built-in chauffeur system allows the car to effectively drive itself when in slow moving traffic. If you’re in a traffic jam, the car can take control and drive without you at speeds of up to 25mph.

This makes use of a number of sensors and cameras which allow the car to safely control its speed and distance from other vehicles. However, if you want to sit back and relax for your entire journey, you’ll still need a human chauffeur.

They won’t have to know the route though, because another feature is the COMAND online system. This allows you to upload a route from Google Maps to the car’s sat nav system.

You can also expect a few more predictable features, as outlined by Mercedes systems engineer, Peter Ebel:

“The new S-Class will feature our latest breakthrough in audio technology, bigger, ultra-high-quality display screens and even more premium materials.”

Having spent some time enjoying himself at a Halloween party in Las Vegas, rock star Marilyn Manson found himself waiting outside a bar waiting for his chauffeur driven limo. Spying an opportunity when a different chauffeur got out of his car to make a call, Manson climbed into the driver’s seat, only to be hauled out by the chauffeur in question.

Manson’s behaviour might easily be explained by the fact that he had only arrived at the bar at 4am, having spent the rest of the night at Bank Nightclub for Halloween. He had wanted to go to a karaoke bar, but none was open. Unfazed, he had friends download Justin Timberlake songs to their iPods and performed over the bar’s PA system. He apparently sang Cry Me a River six times, his voice lubricated by absinthe and beers.

Manson did try and apologise to the chauffeur whose car he had pretended to hijack, saying that it had just been a joke. Fortunately, his own car arrived shortly afterwards, taking he and his friends off to their next destination. As they departed, he is said to have explained his behaviour away by saying “I’m sorry I went nuts, but I am a rock star.”

The Chauffeur Car of the Year Awards have been held since 2005. Launched by thechauffeur.com, they recognise vehicles that are well suited to the UK chauffeur market.

There are a number of categories with the most significant being the £50,000 to £100,000 category. This year, that was won by the Audi A8L TDi, which edged out last year’s champion, the BMW 7-Series as well as the Lexus LS600hL and the Jaguar XJL.

Explaining why the Audi was considered the best chauffeur driven car, thechauffeur.com editor, Paul Gibson, said:

“We had an incredible challenge on our hands this year deciding the winner of this category. The A8 simply offers chauffeurs the whole package – a great chauffeur programme, massive amount of luggage and passenger space and outstanding fuel economy.”

Gibson also pointed to the Audi’s Quattro system as being a decisive feature. With many chauffeur firms struggling as a result of snow in recent years, the four-wheel drive system was the clincher for the judges.

Winners in other categories included the Hyundai i800 Automatic and the BMW 5GT.