Mercedes-Benz 600

Mercedes-Benz 600
Mercedes-Benz W100
600
Mercedes-Benz 600 vl silver TCE.jpg
Manufacturer Mercedes-Benz
Production 1963–1981
2,677 built[1]
SWB: 2,190
LWB: 428
Landaulet: 59
Predecessor Mercedes-Benz W112
Successor Maybach 57 and 62
Class Full-size limousine
600 Pullman in Mercedes Museum, formerly transporting guests of the German Government
Mercedes 600 Landaulet
600 in Museum Sinsheim, sitting low until the engine re-supplies hydraulic pressure to the suspension
See also Mercedes-Benz 600 (disambiguation) for other models called "600"

The Mercedes-Benz 600 is a large luxury automobile offered in several variants worldwide. Introduced in September 1963, it had very few competitors, these being Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Cadillac Fleetwood 75, the stretched Lehmann-Peterson Lincoln, and the Crown Imperial Ghia. Generally, the long-wheel-base (LWB) 600 was intended as chauffeur-driven; many featured a central divider incorporating a powered window between front and rear compartments. Short-wheel-base (SWB) 600 models were designed to be owner-driven.

Contents

History

Production began in 1964 and most 600 variants were built until 1972. The oil crisis, as well as the introduction of new S-Class models, slowed demand. Modest production continued until 1981. During this time, 2,677 vehicles were made.

Models

The 600 came in two main variants:

  • short wheelbase
    • 4-door sedan
    • 4-door sedan with a power divider window separating the front seats from the rear bench seat.
  • long wheelbase chassis
    • 4-door Pullman limousine with additional two rear-facing seats behind the driver compartment which was separated by a power divider window (three built).
    • 6-door limousine with two forward-facing jump-seats positioned 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 official 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 in 1980.

Mercedes also made two coupés, one of them was made by Mercedes as a gift for Dr. Rudolf Uhlenhaut when he retired. He had designed the car, together with Fritz Nallinger and Karl Wilfert. A third coupe was constructed from a 600 SWB by Karl Middelhauve and Associates.[citation needed]

A SWB car was also converted into a funeral coach (hearse).

Mechanical

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 developed to move the vehicle and its hydraulically powered amenities, the 6.3 L V8 "M100" engine with single overhead camshafts (SOHC), and Bosch mechanical fuel injection.

The 600's "M-100" engine and hydraulics were fitted to the 300SEL 6.3 model in 1968, creating - at that time - the worlds' fastest four-door sedan. Upon the introduction of the "W116" chassis, a larger version of M-100 was installed in the Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9.

The 600 featured many luxury features, including a complex hydraulic 150-bar (2,176 psi) pressure system that powered everything from the windows and seats to the automatically closing doors, sun-roof, and boot lid. Adjustable air suspension gave the car a good ride quality and handling over any road surface.

Owners

Apart from the Pope and governments, famous owners of the 600 have included celebrities such as Coco Chanel, Hugh Hefner, Elizabeth Taylor, John Lennon, George Harrison, Jay Kay, Aristotle Onassis, Jack Nicholson, Simon Spies, Ronnie Wood, Bob Jane, Frank Packer, Elvis Presley, Rowan Atkinson, and Jeremy Clarkson.[2][3] Communist leaders include Nicolae Ceauşescu, Josip Broz-Tito, Fidel Castro, Pol Pot, Enver Hoxha, Leonid Brezhnev,[4] Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-Il also owns a landaulet (both seen in the 65th anniversary parade in Pyongyang on October 10, 2010) and religious leader Guru Maharaj Ji. African revolutionaries Idi Amin Dada, Jomo Kenyatta and the former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos had four 600s including a Landaulet, a 1981 bulletproof and a six-door version.[citation needed]

Iran royal court and Iran's Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi owned multiple 600 models that were used for official and personal use of the late Shah and his court. Some of them were sold after the 1979 islamic revolution and 3 of them are in the National Car Museum of Iran in Karaj.[citation needed]

Other notable owners include Saddam Hussein, Sukarno, Frederik Willem de Klerk, Éamon de Valera, and Archbishop Makarios III of Cyprus.[citation needed]

Former Chinese Foreign Minister Chen Yi, Deng Xiaoping, wife of the first Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai - Deng Yingchao, and the former King of Cambodia Norodom Sihanouk when he fled to Beijing after the Cambodian coup of 1970 all used the 600.[5]

Technical data

References

  1. ^ Oswald, Werner (2001) (in German). Deutsche Autos 1945-1990, volume 5. Motorbuch Verlag. p. 54. ISBN 3-613-02131-5. 
  2. ^ J Clarkson (January 13, 2008). "Mazda MX-5: It’s far too cool for you, Mr Footballer". The Sunday Times. http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/jeremy_clarkson/article3171178.ece. Retrieved 2008-01-13. 
  3. ^ Top Gear: Grosser vs. Corniche old car challenge part 1 - Top Gear - BBC & Top Gear: Grosser vs. Corniche old car challenge part 2 - Top Gear - BBC Uploaded by TopGear on Aug 28, 2009
  4. ^ Oliver Bilger (31 January 2008). "Mercedes 600: Dahingleiten wie Breschnew". Spiegel Online. http://www.spiegel.de/auto/aktuell/0,1518,532258,00.html. 
  5. ^ 诗香雅韵 (29 July 2007). "二十世纪豪车极品-奔驰600系列". http://xiangxuanqingya.bokee.com/viewdiary.16839615.html. 
  6. ^ Oswald, Werner (2001) (in German). Deutsche Autos 1945-1990, Band 4. Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-613-02131-5. 
  7. ^ US prices: Mike Covello: Standard Catalog of Imported Cars 1946-2002, Krause Publication, Iola 2002, ISBN 0-87341-605-8, p. 533

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Mercedes-Benz 600 — Mercedes Benz W100 Hersteller: Daimler Benz Produktionszeitraum: 1964–1981 Klasse …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mercedes-Benz 600 — Fabricante Mercedes Benz Período 1963 1981 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Mercedes-Benz 600 — 600 Constructeur Mercedes Benz Années de production 1963 1981 Classe Haut de gamme …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mercedes-benz 600 — 600 Constructeur Mercedes Benz Classe Haut de gamme Moteur et transmission Architecture moteur Essence …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mercedes-Benz 600 (desambiguación) — Mercedes Benz ha puesto en el mercado a lo largo de su historia diversos modelos con la denominación 600 empleando diferentes plataformas, concretamente los siguientes: Mercedes Benz W100 1965 Mercedes Benz 600 Mercedes Benz W140 1992 600SEL 1993 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Mercedes-Benz 600 (Begriffsklärung) — Die Bezeichnung Mercedes Benz 600 steht für folgende Mercedes Baureihen und Modelle: Mercedes Benz W 100, der große Mercedes (1964–1981) Mercedes Benz W 140, 600 SE/L, später S 600 (1991–1998) Mercedes Benz C 140, 600 SEC, später CL 600… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mercedes-Benz 600 (disambiguation) — Mercedes Benz has sold a number of automobiles with the 600 model name: 1965–1979 W100 1965–1979 600 Pullman 1992–1994 W140 1992–1993 600SEL 1993 600SEC 1994 S600 1994 CL600 1993–2000 R129 1993 600SL 1994–1998 SL600 2000 S600 2000 CL600 2001… …   Wikipedia

  • Mercedes-Benz 600 — …   Википедия

  • Mercedes-Benz W100 — Hersteller: Daimler Benz Produktionszeitraum: 1964–1981 Klasse …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mercedes-Benz W 100 — Hersteller: Daimler Benz Produktionszeitraum: 1964–1981 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”