Mercedes-Benz – 600 (1972)

Mercedes developed the new ‘Großer Mercedes’ – or ‘Grand Mercedes’, as the W100 series was also known – in the early 1960s. The unambiguous aim was to challenge their competitors for the best car in the world. The contenders were Cadillac in the USA and, of course, the Rolls-Royce Phantom in Europe. The Mercedes 600, as it was officially named, was destined to be twice as good as the 300 Adenauer in every respect, hence the name even though the V8 engine actually had a displacement of 6.3 litres. The 600 promised the performance of a sports car while at the same time being imbued with unsurpassed comfort. The opulent saloon made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 1963. British automotive publication ‘Autocar’ called the 600 “The biggest sports car on the planet”. Two different lengths were offered, a 5/6-seater with a total length of 5.54 metres and the 7/8-seater designed with an overall length of 6.24 metres. These dimensions made it significantly longer than a Bugatti Royale. The car represented state-of-the-art engineering, and development pushed the limits of what was technically feasible. Virtually everything in the car was hydraulically controlled, from seat adjustment through the tailgate release system to the window winders. The self-levelling suspension was fitted with air springs. The equipment list left nothing to be desired and included items that were trailblazing even for Mercedes. There was the factory option of a refrigerator, a thermos flask with crystal glasses in the centre console and even a Sony television set. This 600 was ordered by Dieter Holterbusch in New York. Holterbusch had exceptional taste in automobiles and the courage in 1972 to order his 600 in Red Metallic. You might well think that this colour was more redolent of a rock star than a scion of the Löwenbräu brewery clan. Production ran for an incredible 18 years until 1981 but only one other Mercedes 600 of all the 2,677 units built was originally delivered from the factory liveried in this colour.