Mercedes-Benz 600

The Mercedes-Benz 600 (W100) is a single-generation line of full-size ultra-luxury limousines and Pullman limousines, made by Daimler-Benz from 1963 through 1981. Nicknamed Grosser (Grand/Large) Mercedes,[2] it succeeded the Type 300d "Adenauer" as the company's flagship model. It was positioned well above the subsequent 300-series in price, amenities, and status. At its launch in 1963, the Mercedes 600 was the most expensive car in the world. Its few lesser adversaries included British and American marques such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Cadillac and Lincoln's top model lines. Despite its age, the Mercedes 600 remains costly to own and maintain. It is widely regarded by automotive historians and enthusiasts as the greatest luxury automobile ever produced.[3]

The Mercedes-Benz 600 models are well known for their ownership among celebrities, political leaders and royalty throughout the late 20th century. 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) and limousine models, often incorporating a central divider with power window, were intended for chauffeur 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[4]

History

The 600 replaced the Mercedes-Benz W189 300d limousine, the final version of the W186 and W189 model 300-series company flagship produced between the early 1950s and early 1960s. The elder W186 received the nickname Adenauer after Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of West Germany, who employed several of these automobiles during his tenure in office.

Production began in 1964 and continued through to 1981.[5] During this time, production totalled 2,677 units, comprising 2,190 Saloons, 304 Pullmans, 124 6-door Pullmans and 59 Landaulets.[5]

The 600 succeeded the 1961 Mercedes-Benz W112 in using a pneumatic self-levelling suspension,[6][7] an enhancement of the Mercedes-Benz 300d Adenauer's dashboard activated mechanical torsion bar based system. A version is incorporated in Mercedes' current Active Body Control.

With its demise in 1981, the 600 marked the last ultra-luxury model that the brand produced in a line since the model 60 hp Simplex from 1903,[8] albeit not continuously. The company would return to this segment some 20 years later with the Maybach 57/62, but these extremely expensive cars failed to sell in expected and necessary numbers, as the 600 did too. As a result, Mercedes-Benz ended production of the Maybach brand in 2012. As of 2019, the Mercedes flagship is the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, which does not use its own platform and therefore represents a new approach: covering the luxury segment more cost-effectively. 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.

Models

The 600 came in two wheelbase lengths, producing three main variants:

A number of the limousines were converted into landaulets, 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 of Queen 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 the Mercedes-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 president Josip Broz Tito sold in 2017 in England for £2.5 million.[9]

Mercedes also made one special short-wheelbase, 2-door 600 coupé, in 1965, with the standard wheelbase shortened 22 cm (8.6 inches) between the axles, to 298 cm.[10] 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.

• 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).

Mechanical

The 600's great size, weight, and numerous hydraulically driven amenities required more power than Mercedes' largest engine at that time, the 3-litre 6-cylinder M189, could produce. A new V8 with more than twice the capacity was developed, the 6.3 l M100. It featured a single overhead camshaft (SOHC) per cylinder bank and a Bosch-made intermittent 8-point mechanical fuel injection, and developed 250 PS.[11]

Originally, chief engineer Fritz Nallinger overseeing the design envisioned two models: base model was to be 500, referring to the original 5-litre capacity of the V8 engine; and top model 750 was to feature a 7.5-litre V12, the design of which was assigned to engine designer Adolf Wente. The engine, codenamed M101, was to share the 90-degree bank angle with the V8 engine, with every cylinder bank having a single chain-driven overhead camshaft, opening in-line valves, and a Bosch fuel injection pump located in the central vee, with twin ignition distributors, the power was intended to be around 380-400 bhp. However, as the V8 engine was eventually enlarged to 6.3 litres, the V12 was rendered redundant and never entered production.[12]

The 600 used what Mercedes referred to as the comfort hydraulic system ,[13] 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. 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.[14]

The suspension of the 600 was not fully hydraulically controlled, as Citroën owned a patent for a hydropneumatic 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) 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.[15] The adjustable air suspension delivered excellent ride quality and sure handling over any road surface.[16] It even beat lap times of the Mercedes-Benz 230SL.[13]

Notable owners

Famous owners of the Mercedes-Benz 600 have included the following:

In popular culture

In cinema, the Mercedes 600 was featured in several James Bond films, most notably as transport of the villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld in On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Diamonds Are Forever. In Octopussy, the villain Kamal Khan is seen leaving Sotheby's London auction house in a 600 Pullman. Near the beginning of 1978 movie Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?, the character played by Jacqueline Bisset is abducted from Heathrow Airport in a 600 Pullman. 1979: DM 165,760 1965: US-$ 24,000

• 1964: DM 63,500

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External links

• Mercedes-Benz 600 – historical information at Daimler.com
• The International M-100 Group (with a car registry by serial number)
• Photos of the 1965 papal landaulet at Conceptcarz.com
• Presentation of the 600 SWB at Amelia Island, Florida - video
• Jay Leno's Garage – 1972 Mercedes-Benz 600 - video