1972 Mercedes-Benz 600 Saloon
Filling a gap that had existed since the pre-war Grosser Mercedes, the 600 arrived at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show as Mercedes-Benz’s most technically ambitious postwar automobile.
The four-door saloon presented a formal, long-wheelbase silhouette with clean, upright lines and a scale that separated it from anything else in series production.
At the core was a 6.3-liter single overhead-camshaft V8 (Mercedes-Benz’s first production V8) with Bosch mechanical fuel injection, paired with a four-speed automatic transmission.
Air suspension with variable ride control, four-wheel disc brakes, power-assisted steering, central locking, and separate front and rear air conditioning completed a specification with few contemporary rivals.
A sophisticated high-pressure hydraulic network powered the multi-way adjustable seats, windows, sunroof (where fitted), and assisted in closing the doors and trunk lid.
Despite a curb weight of roughly 5,500 pounds (2,495 kg) in standard-wheelbase form, the 600 reached 60 mph in about 9.7 seconds and topped out at approximately 127 mph.
Of 2,677 examples built between 1963 and 1981, 2,190 were four-door saloons, 428 were Pullman limousines, and 59 were landaulettes.
The 600’s association with heads of state, royalty, and film stars has since established it as one of the most collectible postwar Mercedes-Benz models.
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