Description
The Mercedes-Benz 600 (W100) is a line of ultra-luxury cars produced by Daimler-Benz from 1963 to 1981. The Grosser Mercedes (“Grand Mercedes”), the predecessor of the modern Maybach brand, followed the type 300d “ Adenauer” as the company's flagship. It was positioned above the 300 series Mercedes-Benz W112 in price, features, and status. Its few competitors include British and American equivalents such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Lincoln Continental, Cadillac Series 75, and Imperial.
In general, the short wheelbase (SWB) models were designed for personal use, while the long wheelbase (LWB) and limousine models, often fitted with a central bulkhead with power windows, were intended for chauffeur use.
History
The 600 replaced the Mercedes-Benz W189 limousine, which was nicknamed Adenauer after Konrad Adenauer, who employed several during his tenure as West Germany's first chancellor.
Production started in 1964 and continued until 1981. During this period production totaled 2.677 units, consisting of 2.190 Saloons, 304 Pullmans, 124 6-door Pullmans and 59 Landaulets.
The 600 followed the 1961 Mercedes-Benz W112 in its use of a pneumatic self-levelling suspension, an improvement on the dashboard-activated mechanical torsion bar-based system of the Mercedes-Benz 300d Adenauer. A version is included in Mercedes' current Active Body Control.
With its demise in 1981, the 600 marked the last ultra-luxury model the brand produced in a continuous line since the 60 hp Simplex model of 1903. The company would return to this segment some 20 years later with the Maybach 57/62 (but the Maybach was extremely expensive), but these cars ultimately failed to captivate customers in the same way as their British rivals. As a result, Daimler ended production of the Maybach brand in 2012. As of 2019, Mercedes' flagship is the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, which occupies a significantly lower price range and is not a true successor to the 600 and earlier models. However, it is seen as a spiritual successor, as it is the first luxury Mercedes since the 600 to feature a number of bespoke design touches not available on the standard S-Class.
Models; The 600 was available in two variants:
A short wheelbase 4-door sedan, available with a power divider window separating the front seats from the rear seats, although most were built without this feature.
A long wheelbase 4-door “Pullman” limousine (with two additional rear-facing seats separated from the driver's compartment by an electrically operated dividing window, of which 304 were built), and a 6-door limousine (with two forward-facing jump seats at the middle two doors and a rear seat).
A number of the limousines were made as landaulets, with a convertible top over the rear passenger compartment. Two versions of the convertible roof were made: with a long roof and with a short roof. The short roof, which only opens above the last, third row of seats, is the most common version. Rarer, especially on the 6-door landaulets, is the long roof, called the Presidential roof. A total of 59 landaulets were produced, of which only 26 were 6-door landaulets. Of these 26, only nine were 6-door landaulets with the long Presidential roof. One of these nine cars was used by former Yugoslavian president Josip Broz Tito, and it was sold in 2017 in England, for £2,5 million.
