Have you ever seen a Mercedes that was more expensive than a Rolls-Royce back then?
This is the Mercedes-Benz 600 pullman!
Back in the 50s of the 20th century, although Mercedes-Benz launched the 300 series to win a lot of praise, but there is still a big gap with the status of its predecessors 460 500 (W08) and 770 (W07), at that time Mercedes-Benz urgently needed a real luxury car to continue to write glory and reconstruct the pattern of top luxury cars.
Against this backdrop, on June 4, 1955, the "600 Project", internally codenamed W100, was launched with the ultimate goal of "creating the ultimate model of automotive aesthetics and engineering". The project brought together Friedrich Geiger, Karl Wilfred and Fritz. Fritz Nallinger, Paul Bracq, Rudolf Uhlenhaut, Bruno Sacco and many others.
The only requirement of the project: to be free from any constraints and let the strongest R&D team in the history of Mercedes-Benz play at will.
At the 1963 IAA Motor Show in Frankfurt, the 600 made its debut and caused a huge sensation and was hailed as the crown jewel of the automotive industry. It redefined the new standard of luxury sedans in the post-war era, defending Mercedes-Benz's status as a top luxury brand.
At the time, Mercedes-Benz planned to produce a long-wheelbase luxury sedan positioned as a flagship, and the elongated LWB version was called "Pullman" by many, a letter that came from the name of the famous entrepreneur George Mortimer Pullman, whose company mainly produced passenger cars for trains.
When the Interstate Railroad was built in the United States in 1867, Mr. Pullman's company showed people the most luxurious and comfortable train carriages of the time. And thus began a legendary history.
The 600 pullmans have a wheelbase of 3,900 mm and six doors and eight seats. Upon its launch, it immediately became the most luxurious sedan on the market. Pullmans models are built in a special order to fit everything the customer wants and meet the individual needs of different customers, but the pullmans models all have one thing in common - they are considered to be the most expensive cars in the world at the time.
Many heads of state and ** heads of state have unanimously chosen 600 pullmans as their cars.
Queen Elizabeth II, Pope Paul VI, Brezhnev, Castro, Emperor Hirohito, Saddam Hussein, Tito, King Khalid of Saudi Arabia, King Pahlavi of Iran, King Bhumibol of Thailand, King Sihanouk of Cambodia, etc., as well as many celebrities such as Elvis Presley, George Harrison, John Lennon, Hugh Hefner, Chanel, Jack Nicholson, etc., are innumerable.
In 1969, 5 Mercedes-Benz 600s were imported domestically, including 1 with a standard wheelbase and 4 with a 600 pullman. All are used as diplomatic vehicles.
About a few years ago, someone saw the 600 pullman in the underground parking lot of the State Guesthouse.
At that time the designers equipped 600 with the most advanced technology of that time. The complex hydraulic system, known as "comfort hydraulics", can drive windows, seats, sunroofs, trunk lids, etc., without generating noise, and can automatically open and close doors compared to ordinary motors.
In addition, adjustable air suspension, automatic transmission, power steering and power brakes ensure excellent ride quality and perfect handling on any road surface. Electronically controlled heating and ventilation system for maximum comfort.
From production began in 1963 until production was officially discontinued in 1981, a total of 428 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman luxury sedans were produced. The 304 is the standard four-door version and the 124 is the six-door version (with ejection seats, you read that right, ejection seats). This also includes 59 Landaulet (semi-convertible) versions and 41 original bulletproof versions.
Because it was manufactured regardless of the cost, the W100 was the most expensive car that money could buy at that time, and even Rolls-Royce's ** was not as good as the W100 at that time.
In the late '60s, John Winston Lennon, then a member of the Beatles Rock Band, bought the car and held it for a long time, and the car often appeared in the public eye as a daily car.
However, after the Beatles disbanded in April 1970, Lennon and Yoko moved to New York in the spring, where he sold the limousine to former band member George Harrison.
Harrison owned the car "for a few years" and subsequently sold it in 1975.
The third owner of the car was Mary Wilson, a member of the Motown record group The Supremes, who often used the car with Diana Ross after purchasing it.
In fact, before buying it, she knew that it was the car used by the members of the famous band Beatles, and she kept the car until 1989, and then the car was successfully auctioned at Christie's at that time**.
Years later, Mercedes-Benz officially got the car. Because of its storied history, Mercedes-Benz has completely restored it and used it in its marketing campaigns.
In 2007, the car was officially Mercedes-Benz **, became part of a private collection, and disappeared from the eyes of the world.
As of last month, it reappeared, planned**, and partly marked as "on-demand" like many expensive cars.
Generally speaking, the ** of this type of car is usually in the million-euro class, and even without the halo of stardom, such a basic model can easily sell for more than 2 million euros.
The luxury sedan, chassis number 001580, has been called "the most important" Mercedes Pullman sedan of all time, and it is also in excellent condition. It has an all-white exterior with a black interior, black velvet, and gray carpet that looks elegant and atmospheric. Precious woods have been polished, adding an extra touch of sophistication to the elegant interior.
The rear seats are separated from the cab by a privacy glass door, and unlike the bar that the regular models are equipped with, the rear seats are equipped with the entertainment system that was optional to the first owner, Lennon, including a Blaupunkt radio, a pioneer recorder and a Philips Mignon record player.
Today, all of these features can be easily replaced by smartphones, but at the time it was a real luxury. Multiple speakers allow passengers in the rear to enjoy high-quality audio. Also to ensure privacy, the rear row is also equipped with privacy curtains.
It is powered by a newly developed V8 engine, so why? This is because the M189 engine in the 300 series does not provide enough power for the bulky body. Therefore, a new V8 engine was tailored for the 600 with a displacement of 63L, engine code M100.
The M100 features a single top camshaft (SOHC) and Bosch mechanical fuel injection technology. It has 250 horsepower, a maximum power of 180kW, a maximum torque of 500Nm, a top speed of more than 205 km/h, and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 10 seconds.
Given the professional restoration of the Classic Car Center at Mercedes-Benz's headquarters in Germany and the subsequent status of the private collection, there is no doubt about the condition of this Pullman limousine. Of course, as a "celebrity car", it also comes with a large number of autographed **, records and historical materials.