Vehicle Description
Chassis No. 100.015.12.000705
The Mercedes-Benz 600 was the world-class luxury automobile perched
at the top of its class during its nearly 20 years of production.
It was the natural choice for anyone who valued space, civility,
and ride quality, including well-known celebrities David Bowie,
Rowan Atkinson, and Elvis Presley. Given the grand nature of the
car, it is debatable if they ever were behind the wheel or if they
left it to their chauffeurs. So advanced was the 600, according to
Mercedes-Benz, that the purchase price evidently included a two-day
training course that allowed the driver to familiarize themselves
with the operation, system functionality, and numerous other
nuances of the car. And so revered was the 600 within the company,
that every employee involved with the assembly had to have a
minimum of 15 years of experience building other Mercedes.
Earning the nickname "Der Grosse Mercedes" (The Big Mercedes), the
600 was a technical tour de force, not only elevating the company
to the status it enjoyed before the war but Germany itself as a
world leader in technological development and engineering
advancements. As a result, the 600 was a showcase for numerous
technical innovations. The 600 utilized a 6.3-liter V8 rated at 250
horsepower, the first time a V8 engine was used in a Mercedes-Benz
passenger car, with the same engine gaining mass-market fame in the
300 SEL 6.3 sports sedan in 1969. All four wheels utilized disc
brakes with a unique dual-circuit system with two calipers for
every wheel to provide maximum braking safety. Deeming conventional
coil springs unsuitable, this grand Mercedes was equipped with air
suspension with adjustment controls mounted to the dash. The
interior amenities were particularly ahead of their time and
included central locking, multi-zone electronic heating, and an air
conditioning system. Nearly every function inside the car was
controlled by a central hydraulic system replacing the typical
electrical components ruled out due to size and lack of refinement.
This hydraulic system included all adjustments of the front and
rear seats, operation of the windows, the optional partition
divider, and the landaulet roof. Hydraulic controls even extended
to the trunk, and on early versions, both opening, and closing of
all the doors. Given the sheer size of the 600, the standard star
used to adorn every other Mercedes radiator grille was deemed to be
too small and needed to be enlarged by 20-percent.
In 1968, Formula One racing driver Innes Ireland, winner of the
1961 United States Grand Prix for Lotus, enjoyed a "Weekend with
the Grosser" and described his experiences in detail within his
regular column in Autocar magazine. The weekend involved driving
his friend's Pullman limousine from Germany back to the United
Kingdom, covering over 700 miles. Reviewing the trip, Ireland said,
"She could be steered to a hair and I was amazed to find that her
vast wheelbase did nothing to detract from the cornering ability.
By moving a lever on the control column to put her on hard ride,
roll was almost completely eliminated, even when cornering
enthusiastically." Succumbing to the magic of the 600, he did not
want to return it to his friend and concluded, "and so our
beautiful relationship came to an end; like all the best love
affairs, it had been short and oh so sweet."
The 600 was available in several standard forms that offered a high
degree of customization. As per the Mercedes-Benz Archive, a total
of 2,677 "W100" series 600s were constructed between 1963 and 1981.
The short-wheelbase 600 sedans represented the vast majority of the
production total, accounting for 2,189 cars, followed by the
Pullman limousine with 429, with the remaining 59 being Pullman
Landaulets. Of these 59 cars, just 33 were built with four doors.
With several different body styles available, each offered various
seating layouts, yet these different body designs and interior
configurations did not exhaust the expansive list of options, as
there was still the matter of selecting the paint color and
interior trimmings. There was a long list of recommended options,
from telephones, radios, and televisions. Even a hydraulically
operated glass partition with an intercom system could be ordered
in conjunction with a pair of forward facing fold away jump seats
for the Pullmans. Given the exclusivity of this model, no
reasonable request would be denied. With this high level of
customization available, especially on the Pullmans, Mercedes-Benz
believes, "it is probably impossible to find two cars with
identical equipment, especially among the Pullman limousines and
landaulets."
On 29 September 1966, final delivery inspections were performed on
this particular 600 Pullman Landaulet, but unlike nearly every
other passenger car produced by Mercedes-Benz that year, its first
owner was Daimler-Benz A.G., as shown in its original
"Kraftfahrzeugbrief." Following tradition, the car was finished in
formal 040 Black over a Cognac leather interior and a black
landaulet roof. Interior equipment included a partitioning glass
divider option with an intercom system, seating for seven, with a
fixed position middle row facing the rear of the vehicle, Becker
Grand Prix radio with remote controls for the rear passengers, and
front flag holders for both the front left and right fenders. This
created an ideal vehicle for use during visits from distinguished
guests.
While it was kept for internal use by Mercedes-Benz, the company
itself loaned it, most notably to several European governments,
including both Germany and Austria, to transport guests of the
state during their official visits. The official duties of this car
are documented by a digital copy of the logbook from Mercedes-Benz,
which is available for review, showing its first official role
arriving in April 1967 when the Vice President of the United
States, Hubert Humphrey, visited Germany to stress the importance
of The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Later that month, German
Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger used the car during a reelection
tour.
An amazing piece of Mercedes and German history, the logbook shows
the 600 was next used when the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi,
visited Germany in May 1967. His use was followed by the President
of the Ivory Coast, Felix Houphouet-Boigny, and His Serene
Highness, The Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein Hans-Adam II, in
July. The last official use by the German government that year was
during a visit by the King Olav V of Norway. In 1968 the 600 was
used sparingly, pressed into action by the German government once
that year, transporting the Secretary General of NATO, Manlio
Brosio. Following this, the car was used by the President of Zaire,
Mobutu Sese Seko's week-long tour of Germany in March 1969.
Following this extensive use by the German government, the car was
next used by the Austrian government in early May 1969. President
Franz Jonas hosted Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal
Highness The Duke of Edinburgh. Chauffeured around Vienna in style,
they both experienced the graceful comfort of this 600 Landaulet.
The car then returned to Germany to welcome the arrival of the
Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz
Aldrin in Bonn in October 1969. Following this, the logbook shows
the car was next used in Munich during a visit by Baudouin, King of
the Belgians, in September 1971. Jullian, Queen of the Netherlands,
and her husband, Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, were the
next guests of honor to be transported in the car in October 1971.
In May 1972, the car was ...for more information please contact the
seller.
