1980 Buchmann-Mercedes 600 Pullman

By 1980, Buchmann had created a number of interesting one-offs and conversions from normal cars. The quality was stunning, and the finished products were legendary. This reputation had attracted customers from all over the globe to the small garage in Frankfurt, and in November 1980, Buchmann received his most ambitious commission yet.

A Mercedes from the Thirties
The buyer (whose identity was never released) yearned for a fleet of identical W100 Mercedes 600 based specials. The car had to evoke memories of past motoring, mainly from the Thirties. So, with this brief, Buchmann drew up the plans for a Pullman, but with running boards and long flowing wings, along with large headlamps and an upright grille to complete the look. However, the interior was to be the complete antithesis of the exterior - it had to be fully loaded with all of the current technology available. It was clear from the beginning of the project that money was never going to be an issue. From the delivery of the brand-new Mercedes 600 Pullman to the completion of the project, took only four months.

The customer specifically wanted running boards beside the doors that would take the weight of a grown man on either side of the car. Buchmann found that to create these boards, the sheet metal would have to protrude 300 mm from the door sills - something which looked awkward and terribly ugly. To disguise this, the front wings were extended to meet the base of the running boards, front and rear. The paintwork specified was Porsche Signal Red, with white dots entirely covering the car, each the size of pencil dots. Later, this was changed to an elegant Burgandy red, as the customer found a modicum of sense.

However, the changes to the Mercedes were not just bodywork-specific. Under the skin, the front axle was moved closer to the front of the car, lengthening the wheelbase of the already-massive 600 by 700 mm. To complete this task, all-new axles had to be fabricated, along with a whole new steering system. The braking system was re-routed, but the car was finished on time, despite the numerous engineering headaches. Inside, the cabin remained almost standard - ie, the fully specified cabin of a 600 Pullman. The seats were trimmed in thick red velour cloth, to match the colour of the exterior.

The official price, per car, was never released by Buchmann, but the cost was rumoured to be 335,000 DM (Deutch Marks) - twice that of a standard Mercedes. Nine identical cars were completed and sent overseas to compliment the customer's already bulging car collection.

Gallery
the wheelbase was also widened about 350 mm to accomodate the extra wide metal fenders.