VIN 100.012-12-002010
- Matching-numbers 6.3-liter M100 V8 confirmed by Data Card on
file
- Desirable Sedan with individual seating and hydraulic sliding
sunroof
- Attractive factory Grey Blue Metallic (DB 906) over blue
leather specification
- Equipped with numerous factory options including air
conditioning
- Offered with original books, Data Card, and recent servicing
receipts
Few automobiles of the postwar era embodied engineering ambition
quite like the Mercedes-Benz 600. Unveiled at the Frankfurt
International Motor Show in September 1963, the W100 represented an
extraordinary statement of intent from Mercedes-Benz, conceived not
simply as a larger luxury sedan but as a new standard by which the
world's finest automobiles could be judged. Its combination of
immense performance, remarkable refinement, imposing presence, and
almost obsessive engineering quickly established the 600 as one of
the defining prestige automobiles of its generation.
At the heart of the 600 was Mercedes-Benz's formidable 6.3-liter
M100 V8, an advanced fuel-injected engine developed specifically
for the marque's new flagship. Producing abundant torque with
exceptional smoothness, it provided the performance necessary to
move the substantial W100 with an ease that belied its size. Just
as impressive was the sophisticated hydraulic system that operated
many of the car's comfort features, including the windows, seats,
doors, trunk lid, and available sliding sunroof. The resulting
complexity was extraordinary, but so too was the experience:
switches and controls operated with a speed, silence, and solidity
unlike virtually anything else on the road.
Mercedes-Benz offered the 600 in two principal forms. The
long-wheelbase Pullman was intended primarily for formal,
chauffeur-driven use, while the 3,200 mm-wheelbase Sedan offered
essentially the same remarkable engineering in a more manageable
and distinctly owner-driver-oriented package. The shorter body
retained the commanding character of the W100 while giving the car
more balanced proportions and a somewhat more personal character,
qualities that have made the Sedan particularly appealing to
collectors today.
This 1972 Mercedes-Benz 600 Sedan, chassis number
100.012-12-002010, is a left-hand-drive example built to
U.S.-market specification and still retains its matching numbers
M100 engine per the Data Card on file.
Offered in an original and particularly attractive color
specification of DB 906 Grey Blue Metallic over blue leather, a
vibrant combination exceptionally well suited to the dignified
lines of the 600. The factory specification also reveals an
unusually appealing selection of equipment. Individual seating
provides a more luxurious arrangement for the occupants,
complemented by the desirable hydraulic sliding sunroof. Air
conditioning was specified for comfort in the American market,
while heat-insulating glass and a heated rear window further
demonstrate the remarkable attention Mercedes-Benz paid to
passenger comfort in the W100.
As a U.S.-market automobile, it was also ordered with
English-language instrumentation calibrated in miles. Additional
factory provisions included paint preservation treatment as well as
export and shipping preparation, details that help document the
car's original configuration and intended destination.
Taken together, the specification gives this 600 a particularly
appealing character and today it remains a fine example of the
type. The paintwork and upholstery both present well, while
importantly, the car operates as it mechanically should. Offered
with its original books, Data Card and recent servicing receipts,
this 600 is ideally suited to a dedicated Mercedes-Benz driving
enthusiast.
More than half a century after its introduction, the 600 remains an
extraordinary demonstration of what Mercedes-Benz could accomplish
when cost was allowed to take a secondary role to engineering
excellence. Few automobiles combine such immense presence with such
technical sophistication, and fewer still deliver it with the quiet
confidence of the W100. This beautifully specified 1972 Sedan
represents a compelling opportunity to experience one of the most
ambitious and celebrated luxury automobiles of the postwar era.
Offers welcome and trades considered.
