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, Félix Houphouët-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 sent to Luxembourg for use by French President Georges Pompidou. The last official use of this car was later in May during a visit by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, during the first edition of the Fédération Équestre Internationale Driving World Championship in Münster, Germany.

The car remained under the control of Daimler-Benz until it was sold to Berthold Rückwarth on 29 April 1974, marking the first time this car was sold to private ownership. The car was then shipped to his home in Germany in May and remained in his possession until his passing, at which point his family inherited this remarkable car. They then sold the car in November 2015 to the current owner. After being removed from storage, the car was sent for service in preparation for the auction, invoices are on file and available for review. Today the car is accompanied by its original Data Card, Mercedes-Benz sales documents, and logbooks documenting its official use duties and meticulous factory servicing during that period.

As head of passenger car development for Mercedes-Benz, Rudolf Uhlenhaut had three focal points for the Grand 600: supreme passenger comfort, ultimate safety, and exquisite performance. While any 600 is a special car, this particular four-door Pullman Landaulet marks a truly unique opportunity to acquire one that was used extensively by several European governments to welcome official guests of the state. One of just 33 in this configuration, this example reigns supreme due to its factory ownership and unique history with the German government to transport guests of the state, potentially representing one of the most extraordinary examples of a Pullman Landaulet in existence.

Addendum & Administrative Notes

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