1963 Mercedes-Benz 600 'Grosser' Saloon

Unveiled at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show, the regal looking 600 was a big car, with the 4/5 seater short wheelbase 600 Saloon measuring more than 5.5 metres, while the larger Pullman versions had a total length of 6.25 metres. Power came from a potent 6.3 litre mechanical fuel injected V8 that produced 300HP and a lusty 500NM of torque. Matched to a four-speed automatic transmission and fitted with standard air suspension, a limited slip differential and four-wheel disc brakes, the 600s were an automotive tour de force. The 600 series was built in small quantities each year and remained unsurpassed in most aspects of its design throughout its lengthy, but very limited special order production from 1963 to 1981. Despite its hefty 2.4 tonne weight, a 600 SWB saloon was capable of silent cruising in the 200-210km/h range with acceleration from 0-100km/h accomplished in around 10 seconds. Power-operated equipment, via hydraulics included all the windows and the interior privacy glass, front and rear seats (the first in a Mercedes-Benz), the sunroof, cowl vent, fuel filler door, rear boot lid, and doors in the early models. The 600 was virtually a custom-made model, sharing little with other Mercedes-Benz cars, other then its V8 engine.

A total of 2,667 600 models were built over the 18 years of production. Of these, 2,190 were the SWB 600 Saloons.