This article is about the Mercedes 600 (type W100) "Grosser Mercedes". For other Mercedes-Benzes with 600-range model codes, seeMercedes-Benz 600 (disambiguation).
Mercedes 600 Saloon rearMercedes 600 Pullman rear viewMercedes 600 LandauletMercedes 600 Landaulet rear seating area600 inMuseum Sinsheim, sitting low until the air compressor re-supplies pressure to the suspension
TheMercedes-Benz 600 (factory code "W100") is a single-generation line of full-sizeultra-luxury limousines and Pullman limousines, made byDaimler-Benz from 1963 through 1981. NicknamedGrosser (Grand/Large) Mercedes,[2][3] succeeded theType 300d"Adenauer" as the company's flagship model. It was positioned well above the subsequent300-series in price, amenities, and status. When launched in 1963, it was the most expensive car in the world. Its few lesser adversaries included British and American marques such asRolls-Royce,Cadillac andLincoln's top model lines. The Mercedes 600 still remains to be a very expensive car to own and maintain.
The Mercedes-Benz 600 models are well known for theirownership among celebrities, political leaders androyalty throughout the late 20th century.[4] Widely regarded by many automotive experts and enthusiasts as the greatest luxury vehicle ever made,[5] the 600 was notable for its advanced hydraulic systems. Ownership of a Mercedes-Benz 600 remains costly due to the vehicle's complexity and the high expense of parts and maintenance. Well-preserved examples and historically significant models can command prices of up to $3.5 million reflecting their rarity and prestige.
Generally, the short-wheelbase (SWB) models were designed to be owner-driven, whereas the long-wheelbase (LWB) andlimousine models, often incorporating a central divider with power window, were intended forchauffeur operation.
"Living legend: the Mercedes-Benz 600 is nothing but grand. With its groundbreaking engineering, this iconic vehicle has been defining automotive luxury since its first appearance in 1963." -Mercedes Benz[6]
The 600 replaced theMercedes-Benz W189 300d limousine, the final version of theW186 and W189 model 300-series company flagship produced between the early 1950s and early 1960s. The elder W186 received the nicknameAdenauer afterKonrad Adenauer, the firstChancellor of West Germany, who employed several of these automobiles during his tenure in office.
Production began in 1964 and continued through to 1981.[7] During this time, production totalled 2,677 units, comprising 2,190 Saloons, 304 Pullmans, 124 6-door Pullmans and 59 Landaulets.[7]
With its demise in 1981, the 600 marked the last ultra-luxury model that the brand produced in an unbroken line since the model 60 hp Simplex from 1903.[10] The company would return to this segment some 20 years later with theMaybach 57/62, but these extremely expensive cars failed to sell in expected and necessary numbers. As a result,Daimler ended production of the Maybach brand in 2012 and has not returned to this segment.
As of 2019[update], the Mercedes flagship is theMercedes-Maybach S-Class, which occupies a considerably lower price bracket and is not a true successor to the 600 and earlier models. However, it is seen as a spiritual successor, since it is the first luxury Mercedes-Benz production model since the 600 to feature some bespoke design touches not available on the standard S-Class.[citation needed]
Mercedes-Benz 600 "Pullman" limousine, carrying US PresidentJimmy Carter in Liberia, 1978
The 600 came in two wheelbase lengths, producing three main variants:
A short wheelbase 4-door saloon, available with a power divider window separating the front seats from the rear bench seat, although most were built without this feature.
A long wheelbase 4-door "Pullman" limousine (with two additional rear-facing seats separated from the driver compartment by a power divider window, of which 304 were built)
A long wheelbase 6-door Pullman limousine (with power divider and two forward-facing jump-seats at the middle two doors and a rear bench-seat).
A number of the limousines were converted intolandaulets, with a retractable top over part or all of the rear passenger compartment. The more common short roof version folds down like a cabriolet over just the last row of seats, leaving the door frames in place and the area forward of it covered with the metal roof, while the long roof folds back from the cabin divider (and leaves all door frames in place). Known as the "Presidential roof", it was especially rare with 6-door landaulets. In all, 59 landaulets were produced, 23 four-door models of unknown breakdown, 17 6-door short roofs, and 9 six-door long roofs.
Landaulets like these were also notably used by the German government, as during the 1965 state visit ofQueen Elizabeth II. The Vatican, in addition to an elongated Mercedes 300d 4-door landaulet, used for the Pope a specially designed Mercedes 600 4-door landaulet, which now resides at theMercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. Production of the landaulet versions of the 600 ended in 1980. A six-door long roof landaulet used by former Yugoslavian presidentJosip Broz Tito sold in 2017 in England for£2.5 million.[11]
Mercedes also made one special short-wheelbase, 2-door 600coupé, in 1965, with the standard wheelbase shortened 22 cm (8.6 inches) between the axles, to 298 cm (117.3 in).[12] A single example of a short-wheelbase 4-door landaulet, combining the handling of a short-wheelbase with the qualities of a landaulet, was built by Mercedes in 1967 for former racing driver Philipp Constantin von Berckheim.[citation needed]
The 600's great size, weight, and numeroushydraulically driven amenities required more power than Mercedes' largest engine at that time, the 3-litre 6-cylinderM189, could produce. A newV8 with more than twice the capacity was developed, the 6.3 L (384.4 cu in)M100. It featuredsingle overhead camshafts (SOHC) and aBosch-made intermittent multi pointmanifold injection, and developed 250 PS (184 kW; 247 hp).[13]
The 600 used what Mercedes referred to as the 'Komfort Hydraulik System',[14] which was made specifically for the 600 in conjunction with Bosch. The system was extremely complex, utilizing pressurized hydraulic fluid to control the cars windows, seats, optional sunroof, boot lid, ventilator flap, and air conditioning. On early models, this system was also able to pull the doors in if they weren't fully latched, acting as an early form of self closing doors.
The closed loop hydraulic system was powered by an engine driven pump that pressurized the fluid to around 150-bar (2,176 psi). When a switch for a hydraulically controlled amenity was pressed, it would activate a control valve that would allow the fluid to transfer energy to the pistons that powered said amenity. There was a nitrogen-filled accumulator present to maintain some hydraulic pressure when the car was off. The hydraulics gave the amenities of the 600 unusually quick and quiet operations compared to the more traditional vacuum and electrical setups of other luxury cars. The hydraulics require attentive maintenance, as a leak in any of the lines could lead to amenities not working as they should and eventually a complete failure of the system. Mercedes offered an optional 'hydraulic repair kit' with special tools that owners could use in the event of a minor hydraulic failure.[15]
The suspension of the 600 was not fully hydraulically controlled, asCitroën owned a patent for ahydropneumatic suspension system at the time. Instead, the 600 used a load leveling air suspension system similar to the Mercedes-Benz W112. Like the Komfort Hydraulik System, the air suspension was pressurized using an engine driven pump. The suspension had multiple settings that the driver could control from a switch on the steering column. These include 'N-mode' (for normal driving), 'H-mode' (increases ride height by 50 mm (2.0 in)) and 'S-mode' (disables air suspension for servicing). Unlike the other Mercedes models with this system, the 600 also uses the air pressure pump to control brake boosting. In the event of an air system failure, the brakes are designed to take priority over the air suspension and can even pull from the suspensions air supply in low pressure situations.[16] The adjustableair suspension delivered excellentride quality and sure handling over any road surface.[17] It even beat lap times of theMercedes-Benz 230SL.[14]
Josip Broz Tito, who owned four 1965 LWB 6-door Pullmans, one of which was armored, and two LWB Pullman landaulets, acquired in 1971 and 1978 respectively (both of these were of the very-rare type where the folding parade roof extends to cover 2/3rds of the vehicle top, only 9 were made with such a roof arrangement and 6 doors, and Tito was the only statesman in the world at the time who had two such cars).[50][51]
Todor Zhivkov, former President of Bulgaria from 1956 to 1989. Used Government owned high-end Benz models from 300D Adenauer to 450 SEL 6.9 for daily routine, and for State visits- 1967 600 Pullman 6-door Landaulet. The 600 Landaulet is still in use today by Bulgarian Government for Special occasions and visits.[67]
^Oswald, Werner[in German] (2001).Deutsche Autos [German Cars] (in German). Vol. Band [Volume] 4: 1945–1990 Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche und andere [and others]. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. p. 54.ISBN3613021315.
^meaning both the "Grand Mercedes", as well as "the big one", given that its"short" wheelbase version was some 5.5 metres (18 ft; 217 in), or over half a metre (some two feet) longer than a "regular" Mercedes S-model of 1963
^SeeWomack, Bobby; Ashton, Robert (2006).Midnight Mover: Autobiography. John Blake Publishing. Archived fromthe original on March 3, 2016.We rode a couple of blocks while she fixed a tune in her head and then started singing. A line just spilled out. 'Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz. 'My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.'
^Pattni, Vijay (2 January 2009)."Jay Kay's multi-million pound car collection".Autotrader. Archived fromthe original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved9 July 2012.Jay's Merc 600 boasts a history as impressive as the car's looks – it was previously owned by none other than Coco Chanel
^Walker, Michael (23 July 2013).What you want is in the limo : on the road with Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, and the Who in 1973, the year the sixties died and the modern rock star was born. Random House Publishing. p. 241.ISBN978-0812992885.
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Koehling, Bernd S. (2021).Mercedes-Benz: Everything you want to know about the W100: From the SWB 600 and coach-built models to the Pullman Landaulet. Independently published.ISBN9798741990841.
———————— (2021).Mercedes-Benz, The 1960s. Vol. 2: From the Pagoda SL and 600 to the W108/W109. Independently published.ISBN9798739183910.
McComb, F. Wilson (1980).Mercedes-Benz V8s: Limousines, Saloons, Sedans. 1963 to date. Osprey AutoHistory series. London: Osprey Publishing.ISBN0850453836.
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Oswald, Werner[in German] (2001).Deutsche Autos [German Cars] (in German). Vol. Band [Volume] 4: 1945–1990 Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche und andere [and others]. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag.ISBN3613021315.
——————— (2001).Mercedes-Benz Personenwagen [Mercedes-Benz Passenger Cars] (in German). Vol. Band 2: 1945–1985 [Volume 2: 1945–1985]. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag.ISBN3613021684.
Rohde, Michael; Koch, Detlef (2000).Mercedes-Benz. Typenkompass series (in German). Vol. Band 1. Personenwagen 1945 - 1975 [Volume 1. Passenger Cars 1945 - 1975]. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag.ISBN361302019X.
Sacardi, Cajetan (2013).Mercedes-Benz 300 & 600: Staatslimousinen 1951–1981 [Mercedes-Benz 300 & 600: State Limousines 1951–1981]. Schrader-Typen-Chronik series (in German). Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag.ISBN9783613035324.
Taylor, James (1985).Mercedes-Benz since 1945: A Collector's Guide. Vol. 2: The 1960s. Croydon, UK: Motor Racing Publications.ISBN0-900549-96-3.
Wiedmaier, Michael; Knetsch, Wulf H. (1999).600: Der Grosse Mercedes / The Grand Mercedes (in German and English). Gundersheim, Germany: Verlag Direkte Kommunikation.ISBN3933797012.
————————— (2008).Mercedes-Benz 600: die Feine Art des Fahrens [Mercedes-Benz 600: The Fine Art of Driving]. WKP-Edition Klassik series (in German). Freilassing: WKP-Verlag.ISBN9783980727143.
Chilton Automotive Editorial Staff (1974).Mercedes-Benz: 1968-73 All 220, 230, 250, 280, 300, 350 and 450 models, gasoline and diesel engines. Chilton's Repair & Tune-Up Guide Series. Radnor, PA, USA: Chilton Book Co.ISBN0-8019-5907-1.
Freeman, Kerry A.; Rivele, Richard J.; Hallinger, Jeffrey W., eds. (1983).Mercedes-Benz: 1959-70 All 190, 200, 220, 230, 250, 280 and 300 models, gasoline and diesel engines. Chilton's Repair & Tune-Up Guide Series. Radnor, PA, USA: Chilton Book Co.ISBN0801960657.
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