To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVEEstimate:
£75,000 - £110,000
- The "Grand Mercedes"-the high performance, ultra-luxury
limousine
- One of just 198 SWB examples produced for 1970
- Over €100,000 in accompanying invoices
- Imported to Germany in 1997; TUV-homologated in 2015
- Accompanied by tools, spare wheel, and extensive service
documentation
Please note that this lot will need to be collected from
Brusaporto, Italy.
When the Mercedes Benz 600 was introduced in 1963, it was aimed
directly at the Rolls-Royce Phantom V. The 600 featured a stunning
design by Paul Bracq, a new 250 horsepower SOHC, dry-sump V-8,
self-leveling air suspension, and an impressive hydraulic system
that operated the dual-circuit brakes and powered the seats, trunk,
windows, and sunroof. Despite its size, the hand-built newcomer was
a true sports limousine: a driver's road car with excellent
handling, capable of cruising at over 100 mph, and fully deserving
of "The Grand Mercedes" title bestowed upon it. Considered one of
the finest engineered automobiles ever built, the Mercedes-Benz
600-series defined the limits of luxury and performance for the
German marque.
This 1970 Mercedes-Benz 600 'offered here is a short wheelbase
example equipped for the US-market and completed in November in
1969. Clad in an alluring Bordeaux over black leather color
combination, this chassis is one of just 198 SWB examples produced
worldwide for the 1970 model year.
Delivered new in January 1970 to the Southwestern United States,
the earliest known owner provided this chassis with a full cosmetic
restoration in 1994 courtesy of noted 600-series specialist Karl H.
Middlehauve's Classic Car Restoration Ltd of Wausau, Wisconsin.
Refinished in its original Bordeaux paint, accompanying
documentation shows the addition of new glass, seals, rosewood
trim, Wilton carpets, and several important mechanical
items-notably the air suspension bags, shocks, and motor mounts. In
total, over $46,000 USD is stated to have been furnished on the
chassis at this time.
By 1997, this chassis had found its way into a private collection
in Leichlingen, Germany-where it remained sparingly used but
carefully stored---until it passed to a Freiburg-based dealer
sometime soon thereafter. Acquired by the consignor on December
27th of 2001, this attractive chassis has had just 2,000 miles
added to its odometer in his last nineteen years under his keen
custodianship.
Between 2015 and 2016, the consignor commissioned renowned Mercedes
600 specialists Woerle Fahrzeugtechnik of Syrgenstein, Germany to
complete over €50,000 of mechanical servicing and refreshment. A
bevy of highly detailed invoices showing hundreds of line items
indicate that this chassis is fully-sorted; the hydraulic, vacuum
and brakes systems were extensively addressed at that time. Equal
attention was similarly applied to the ignition and fuel delivery
assemblies, air conditioning system, window regulators, and
automatic transmission. All pertinent rubber seals, gaskets,
bushings, guides, clamps, and consumables were also refreshed as
needed during Woerle's extensive mechanical overhaul of this nicely
presented chassis. Finally, the consignor notes that the car was
also converted to European-spec headlights and all necessary
TUV-homologation adjustments were made by the workshop during this
period. As such, this chassis retains much of its outward
American-market bodywork, though is offered free from any pending
road-certification issues or exportation headaches.
Aesthetically, the rosewood trim, brightwork and leather seats
display a minor, if not handsome, patina befitting its older
cosmetic restoration. Importantly, all vacuum systems and hydraulic
features are stated to be in good operating order, including the
sunroof, seats, hood, trunk, locks, windows, and most notably, the
self-leveling air suspension system. The color matched wheels are
presently shod in a set of thin white wall tires befitting a
period-correct aesthetic. Now accompanied by a set of correct
tools, spare wheel, and service documentation, this 600 sedan
offers a tempting and alluring opportunity to experience the
epitome of over-engineered luxury.
Should you want more information on the condition of this lot and
or discuss the possibility of an in-situ inspection, please contact
our office at
+44 (0) 20 7851 7070 or email Britta Buchmann
at
[email protected]To
view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/lf20.