Mercedes-Benz 600


 * See also Mercedes-Benz 600 (disambiguation) for other models called "600"

The Mercedes-Benz 600 was a large luxury automobile, intended to represent the absolute pinnacle of automobile engineering. When introduced in September, 1963, it had few competitors, except Rolls-Royce and some US-made limousines. It was intended to be driven primarily by a chauffeur, not the owner, thus a power divider window separating the front seats from the rear bench seat was available.

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Background
Production began in 1964 after considerable ramp-up, with most styles built through 1972. The oil crisis, as well as the introduction of new range of S-Class models, slowed demand. Modest production continued to 1981, however. During this time, 2,677 vehicles were made.

Mercedes made two coupés, one of them as a gift for Dr. Rudolf Uhlenhaut when he retired. He had designed the car, together with Fritz Nallinger and Karl Wilfert

Some companies altered the car, according to wishes of customers. A funeral coach (hearse) was made from an SWB car. This car, and the two coupés mentioned above, survive to the present day in the United States.

The 600 was so heavy that the largest engine of Mercedes at that time, the 6-cylinder 300, was inadequate. Instead a new engine with more than twice the capacity was specially developed to move the vehicle and its hydraulically powered amenities, the massive 6.3L V8 "M100" engine with single overhead camshafts, dry sump and Bosch mechanical fuel injection. Adjustable air suspension gave the car a smooth ride and good handling over any road surface. Although the car's agility was inevitably compromised by its mass, the top end speed still was only equalled by the new Porsche 911.

Produced from 1964 to until 1981 in low numbers, this model had no equal in the Mercedes-Benz lineup until the introduction of the modern Maybach 57 and 62 models.

The 600's "M-100" engine and air suspension were fitted to the 300SEL 6.3 model in 1968, providing the lighter (and more affordable) car with more competent propulsion. Upon the introduction of the "W116" chassis, a larger version of the M-100 was installed in the limited-production Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9.

Apart from German and other governments and the Pope, famous owners of the 600 include numerous celebrities (Hugh Hefner, Elizabeth Taylor, John Lennon, Jason Kay, Aristotle Onassis, Jack Nicholson, Simon Spies, Bob Jane, Elvis Presley, Rowan Atkinson, Jeremy Clarkson ), Communist rulers (Nicolae Ceauşescu, Josip Broz-Tito, Fidel Castro, Pol Pot, Kim Il-Sung, Mao Zedong, Leonid Brezhnev, Todor Zhivkov), a religious leader (Guru Maharaj Ji), and African revolutionaries (Idi Amin Dada, Jomo Kenyatta)

The model was featured in the film Trading Places, while the 600 Pullman was featured in the film Dragnet. Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson's Green 600 Grosse was shown during Episode 5 of Series 11, when it was routinely referred to as "the Big". The Grosse was a 2007 Christmas present from his wife, Frances Cain.

Styles and Major Options
The 600 featured many luxuries, including a complex hydraulic system which powered everything with a pressure of 150 bar, from the windows and seats to the automatically closing doors. The model came in two main variants:


 * short wheelbase
 * 4-door sedan, similar to a modern S600 sedan in layout.
 * 4-door sedan, but with a power divider window separating the front seats from the rear bench seat.


 * long wheelbase chassis Pullman
 * 4-door limousine, featuring additional two rear-facing seats behind the driver compartment which was separated by a power divider window (in all but three built)
 * 6-door limousine, with two forward facing jump seats stationed at the additional middle two doors and a rear bench seat.


 * A few of the limousines were made with a convertible top over the rear passenger compartment and were called landaulets. This was mainly intended for government use, by the Pope, or by the German government, e.g. in 1965 during the visit of Queen Elizabeth II, when she was accompanied by Kurt Georg Kiesinger in open-top tour in Baden-Württemberg. Production of this model ended a year early, in 1971.

Horn
One of the Mercedes-Benz 600's unique attributes is its horn which is the loudest than any car horn ever. In Series 11, Episode 5 of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson got stuck in the indoor parking bay and as a traffic of cars build up and the drivers were getting cross, he decided to activate the car's horn. The 600's horn was so loud that it can be heard from a distance from the parking bay in London.

Technical Specifications
 Technical data Mercedes-Benz 600 (W100)  (Manufacturer's figures except where stated)