Mercedes-Benz 600 Classic Cars for Sale

The Mercedes-Benz 600 was a high-end luxury car, most notable for its long wheelbase four-door Pullman limousine, and often referred to as the Grand Mercedes. The 600 was also dubbed the Dictator due to its many infamous owners. The other model was a short wheelbase four-door sedan. Although the main variants of the Mercedes 600 were the four-door model, various special edition six-door limousine, and four-door landaulet models were also manufactured. The Mercedes 600 was in production between 1963 and 1981 though has been re-designed up until as recent as 2015. It's said the Mercedes-Benz 600 was manufactured with cost being no object; it was the flagship model of Mercedes, and one of the most luxurious cars in the world.

History of the Mercedes-Benz 600

The Mercedes 600 was designed by Paul Bracq (Chief of Mercedes-Benz Advance Design Studio), Bruno Sacco, and Friedrich Geiger. During its production there were 2'677 Mercedes-Benz 600 models built: 2'190 short wheelbase, 428 long wheelbase, and 59 landaulet. Mercedes wanted to build the most luxurious car in the world, and they succeeded, only rivalled by the likes of Rolls-Royce. As standard each car's trim, both the interior and exterior, was hand-made. The 6.3 litre V8 engine, capable of reaching 205kph (0-100kph in 10 seconds), powered an extensive hydraulics system, giving the Mercedes-Benz 600 some of the most advanced technical features of its day. The engine-driven hydraulics powered: heating, air conditioning, central locking, electric windows, boot, sunroof, and a front suspension unique to the 600 (3200 psi). Besides being one of the most luxurious cars ever built by Mercedes, it was also one of the most robust, weighing in at over two and half tonnes.

The original W100 has only been redesigned twice since the end of its production in 1985. These Pullman editions were exhibited at the Frankfurt Car show in 1995, and the latest at the Geneva International Car Show in 2015.

Special editions of the Mercedes-Benz 600

The Mercedes-Benz 600 was the king of the road. It had many famous and infamous owners. The famous included the King himself, Elvis Presley. Others included John Lennon, George Harrison, and Jack Nicholson. Among the infamous, earning the 600 the name the Dictator, was the likes of Fidel Castro, and the King of Saudi Arabia. Due to its prestigious owners, many were armoured (41) and bulletproof. There was also one prototype Mercedes-Benz 600 designed for the Pope in 1965 which had a high roof. Amongst the special edition Mercedes-Benz 600 series, 124 six-door jump-seat limousines, including 59 convertibles, were also built. None of these had an advertised price tag. Two special edition coupé were also built; one for one of the designers of the Mercedes-Benz 600.