This article needs additional citations for verification .(September 2010) |
Mercedes-Benz 600 (W100) | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Daimler-Benz |
Also called |
|
Production |
|
Assembly | West Germany: Stuttgart |
Designer | |
Body and chassis | |
Class | Ultra-luxury car Limousine |
Body style | |
Layout | FR layout |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 6.3 L M100 V8 |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | SWB: 3,200 mm (126.0 in) LWB: 3,900 mm (153.5 in) |
Length | SWB: 5,580 mm (219.7 in) LWB: 6,340 mm (249.6 in) |
Width | 1,950 mm (76.8 in) |
Height | SWB: 1,500 mm (59.1 in) LWB: 1,510 mm (59.4 in) |
Curb weight | 2,990–3,280 kg (6,592–7,231 lb) |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | |
Successor | Mercedes-Benz S 600 (600 SWB; 1993–present) (Spiritual Successor) Maybach 57 and 62 (600 Pullman; 2002–2012) (True Successor) Mercedes-Maybach S 600 (600 LWB; 2015–present) (Spiritual Successor) |
The Mercedes-Benz 600 (W100) is a line of ultra-luxury cars produced by Daimler-Benz from 1963 to 1981. The forerunner of the modern Maybach marque, the Grosser Mercedes ("Grand Mercedes") succeeded the Type 300d "Adenauer" (W189) as the company's flagship model. It was positioned above the subsequent 300-series (W112) in price, amenities, and status. In 1963 the Mercedes-Benz 600 was the most expensive car in the world. Its few competitors included British and American equivalents such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Lincoln Continental, Cadillac Series 75, and Chrysler Imperial. It was well known for its ownership among celebrities and political leaders and royalty throughout the late 20th century. [2] Many experts and enthusiasts consider it to be the greatest luxury vehicle ever made. Even today owning a Mercedes-Benz 600 can be very expensive and extremely costly to maintain, they can cost as much as 3.5 million dollars.[ citation needed ]
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.
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. It 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. [3] During this time, production totalled 2,677 units, comprising 2,190 Saloons, 304 Pullmans, 124 6-door Pullmans and 59 Landaulets. [3]
The 600 succeeded the 1961 Mercedes-Benz W112 in using a pneumatic self-levelling suspension, [4] [5] 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.[ citation needed ]
With its demise in 1981, the 600 marked the last ultra-luxury model that the brand produced in an unbroken line since the model 60 hp Simplex from 1903. [6] 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 a result, Daimler ended production of the Maybach brand in 2012 and has not returned to this segment.
As of 2019 [update] , the Mercedes flagship is the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, which occupies a considerably lower price bracket and is not a true successor to the 600 and earlier models. 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.[ citation needed ]
The 600 came in two main variants:
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: long roof and short roof. Of them, the short roof, which opens only above the last, third row of seats, is the more common version. Rarer, especially with the 6-door landaulets, is the long roof, called the "Presidential roof". In all, 59 landaulets were produced, and of them, only 26 were 6-door landaulets. Of these 26, only nine were 6-doors landaulets with the long Presidential-type roof. One of these nine cars was used by the former Yugoslavian president Josip Broz Tito, and it was sold in 2017 in England, for £2.5 million. [7]
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.
Mercedes also made two special 600 coupés: one as a gift for retiring long-time Mercedes chief designer Rudolf Uhlenhaut, and the other for Fritz Nallinger, head of the Mercedes research and development centre in the 1950s and 60s. These cars had a wheelbase 22 cm (8.6 inches) shorter than the SWB saloon.[ citation needed ] A single example of a SWB 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.
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2023) |
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 (384.4 cu in) M100. It featured single overhead camshafts (SOHC) and a Bosch-made intermittent multi point manifold injection, and developed 250 PS (184 kW; 247 hp). [8]
The 600's complex 150-bar (2,176 psi) hydraulic pressure system powered the automobile's windows, seats, sun-roof, boot lid, and automatically closing doors. Adjustable air suspension delivered excellent ride quality and sure handling over any road surface. [9]
Famous owners of the Mercedes-Benz 600 have included the following:
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. [60]
In a Top Gear challenge, Jeremy Clarkson compared his 1973 short-wheelbase 600 to James May's 1972 Rolls-Royce Corniche.
Technical data Mercedes-Benz 600 (W100) [61] (Manufacturer's figures except where stated)
Mercedes-Benz | 600 | 600 Pullman |
---|---|---|
Produced: | 1963–1981 | |
Engine: | 6.3 L V8, front-mounted | |
Bore x Stroke: | 103 mm x 95 mm | |
Displacement: | 6332 cc | |
Max. Power (DIN 70020) @ rpm: | 250 PS (184 kW; 247 hp) @ 4000 | |
Max. Torque (DIN 70020) @ rpm: | 51 kp⋅m (500 N⋅m; 369 lb⋅ft) @ 2800 | |
Compression Ratio: | 9.00: 1 | |
Fuel feed: | sequential manifold injection, Bosch injection pump | |
Fuel tank capacity: | 112 L (29.6 US gal; 24.6 imp gal) | |
Valvetrain: | SOHC, duplex chains | |
Cooling: | Water | |
Gearbox: | 4-speed automatic transmission K4B 050 · gear ratio · (1) 3.9789 · (2) 2.4589 · (3) 1.5789 · (4) 1.0000 · (R) - 4.1455 rear wheel drive · axle ratio 3.2307 (42:13) | |
Electrical system: | 12 volt | |
Front suspension: | Double wishbones, air suspension, rubber springs, stabilizing bar | |
Rear suspension:: | Low-pivot swing axle, radius arms, self-leveling air suspension, rubber springs, stabilizing bar | |
Brakes: | Disc brakes (Ø 291 mm two-caliper front, 294.5 mm rear), power assisted | |
Steering: | Recirculating ball steering, power assisted | |
Body structure: | Sheet steel, unibody construction | |
Dry weight: | 2,600 kg (5,732 lb) | 2,770 kg (6,107 lb) |
Loaded weight: | 3,050 kg (6,724 lb) | 3,340 kg (7,363 lb) |
Track front · rear: | 1,587 mm (62.5 in) · 1,581 mm (62.2 in) | |
Wheelbase: | 3,200 mm (126.0 in) | 3,900 mm (153.5 in) |
Length: | 5,540 mm (218.1 in) | 6,240 mm (245.7 in) |
Width: | 1,950 mm (76.8 in) | 1,950 mm (76.8 in) |
Height: | 1,500 mm (59.1 in) | 1,510 mm (59.4 in) |
Tyre/Tire sizes: | 9.00H15 Supersport (6PR) | |
Top speed: | 204.8 km/h (127.3 mph) | 200 km/h (124 mph) |
Fuel Consumption (petrol, 98 RON; estimates): | 24.0 litres per 100 kilometres (11.8 mpg‑imp; 9.8 mpg‑US) | 26.0 litres per 100 kilometres (10.9 mpg‑imp; 9.0 mpg‑US) |
Price Germany USA: | DM 56,500 (1964) − DM 144,368 (1979) $22,000 (1965) [62] | DM 63,500 (1964) − DM 165,760 (1979) $24,000 (1965) |
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a series of compact executive cars produced by Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 (W201) range, the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's line-up until the W168 A-Class arrived in 1997. The C-Class has been available with a "4MATIC" four-wheel drive option since 2002. The third generation (W204) was launched in 2007 while the current W206 generation was launched in 2021.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class, formerly known as Sonderklasse, is a series of full-sized luxury sedans and coupés produced by the German automaker Mercedes-Benz. The S-Class is the designation for top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz models and was officially introduced in 1972 with the W116, and has remained in use ever since. The S-Class is the flagship vehicle for Mercedes-Benz, being positioned above the other Mercedes-Benz models.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a range of executive cars manufactured by German automaker Mercedes-Benz in various engine and body configurations. Produced since September 1953, the E-Class falls as a midrange in the Mercedes line-up, and has been marketed worldwide across five generations.
The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is a grand touring sports car manufactured by Mercedes-Benz since 1954. The designation "SL" derives from the German term "Sport-Leicht", which translates to "Sport Light" in English.
The Mercedes-Benz W114 and W115 are the internal designations Mercedes-Benz used for a generation of front-engine, rear-drive, five-passenger sedans and coupés introduced in 1968, with three-box styling by Paul Bracq — succeeding the W110 models introduced in 1961; and manufactured until model year 1976, when the W123 was released.
The Mercedes-Benz W123 is a range of executive cars produced by German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz from November 1975 to January 1986. The W123 models surpassed their predecessor, the Mercedes-Benz W114, as the most successful Mercedes, selling 2.7 million units before production ended in the autumn of 1985 for the saloon/sedan versions and January 1986 for coupés and estates/station wagons.
The Mercedes-Benz W108 and W109 are luxury cars produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1965 through to 1972. The line was an upgrade of the Mercedes-Benz W114/W115, to succeed the W111 and W112 fintail sedans. The cars were successful in West Germany and in export markets including North America and Southeast Asia. During the seven-year run, a total of 383,361 units were manufactured.
The Mercedes-Benz W116 is a series of flagship luxury sedans produced from September 1972 until 1980. The W116 automobiles were the first Mercedes-Benz models to be officially called S-Class, although some earlier sedan models had already been designated unofficially with the letter 'S' for Sonderklasse. The W116 was selected as European Car of the Year in 1974.
The Mercedes-Benz W140 is a series of flagship vehicles manufactured by Mercedes-Benz from 1991 to 1998 in sedan/saloon and coupe body styles and two wheelbase lengths. Mercedes-Benz unveiled the W140 S-Class at Geneva International Motor Show in March 1991, with the sales starting in April 1991 and North American launch was on 6 August 1991.
The Mercedes-Benz W111 was a chassis code given to a range of Mercedes-Benz vehicles produced between 1959 and 1971, including four-door saloons (1959–1968) and two-door coupés and cabriolets (1961–1971). Their bodywork featured distinctive tailfins that gave the models their Heckflosse nickname — German for "fintail".
The Mercedes-Benz W189 model 300 was a four-door luxury tourer produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1957 and 1962. It was the company's flagship model at the time, equivalent to the modern S-Class and Maybach.
The Mercedes-Benz W112 is a luxury automobile produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1961 to 1967. Marketed as the 300SE, it was available as a coupé, convertible, sedan, and stretched sedan (Lang), all generally similar in appearance to the corresponding Mercedes-Benz W111.
The Mercedes-Benz W186 Model 300 was a four-door luxury sedan produced by Mercedes-Benz between 1951 and 1957. It was the company's flagship model at the time, succeeding the World War II era W150. Three versions were produced in succession, known informally as the 300a, 300b, and 300c. An enlarged "300d" variant built on the W189 chassis succeeded it in late 1957.
The Mercedes-Benz W 21 was a six-cylinder passenger car launched in 1933 using the name Mercedes-Benz Typ 200. It was one of several Mercedes-Benz models known, in its own time, as the Mercedes-Benz 200 and is therefore in retrospect more commonly referred to using its Mercedes-Benz works number, “W21”.
The Mercedes-Benz W 142 was a six-cylinder passenger car launched in February 1937, as a successor to the Mercedes-Benz Typ 290. The car was known by its name Typ 320 at the time of its production and service, but is in retrospect commonly referred to using its Mercedes-Benz works number, "W142", which gives a more unambiguous, unique nomenclature.
The Mercedes-Benz W18 was a six-cylinder automobile introduced as the Mercedes-Benz Typ 290 in 1933. It was a smaller-engined successor to the manufacturer’s Typ 350 / 370 Mannheim model. In terms of the German auto-business of the 1930s it occupied a market position roughly equivalent to that filled by the Mercedes-Benz E-Class in the closing decades of the twentieth century. The W18 was replaced in 1937 by the manufacturer’s W142.
The Mercedes 24/100/140 PS was a large luxury car introduced by Daimler of Untertürkheim in 1924. Production continued until 1929 by which time Daimler had merged with Benz & Cie and the car's name changed to Mercedes-Benz Typ 630. The car was conceptually and structurally similar to the contemporary Mercedes 15/70/100 PS, but the 24/100/140 PS was longer, heavier, more powerful, faster and more expensive.
The Mercedes-Benz W11 was a midsize six-cylinder automobile introduced by Daimler-Benz it 1929. It was developed from the Mercedes-Benz W02 first seen in 1926, and the W11 shared its chassis and bodywork with the W02, but the W11 came with a larger more powerful engine, a new name and a wider list of “standard bodies” from which customers could choose.
The Mercedes-Benz W03 was a large six-cylinder-engined automobile introduced as the Mercedes-Benz 12/55 PS and, initially, as the Mercedes-Benz Typ 300, by Daimler-Benz at the Berlin Motor Show in October 1926. It was developed in some haste under the manufacturer's Technical Director, Ferdinand Porsche in parallel with the smaller Mercedes-Benz W 01 and the two-litre-engined Mercedes-Benz W02 following the creation of Daimler-Benz, formally in July 1926, from the fusion of the Daimler and Benz & Cie auto-businesses.
We rode a couple of blocks while she fixed a tune in her head and then started singing. A line just spilled out. 'Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz. 'My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.'
Jay's Merc 600 boasts a history as impressive as the car's looks – it was previously owned by none other than Coco Chanel
Mercedes-Benz 600.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)