Mercedes 600 SWB (Kurzversion) (diecast 1:18, AUTOart Signature)

The Mercedes-Benz 600, internally referred to as W 100, was probably the state and representative vehicle of Daimler-Benz in the 1960s and 1970s. The "big" Mercedes was the successor of the type 300 (Adenauer-Mercedes)

The series was presented in September 1963 at the IAA in Frankfurt. The "big Mercedes" was received very positively. The first customer was an architect from America.

Body styles and equipment:

The four-door sedan is just under two meters wide and 5.54 meters long, the Pullman sedan and the six-door versions are 6.24 m long. The four-door version is also known as "SWB" (Short Wheel Base = short version !!!)
The third variant is an open Pullman Landaulet. Very suitable as a state vehicle.
The long version was also offered with six doors and a middle folding seat row; It was designed for clients traveling with staff or bodyguards.
One of the best-known custom-made items is that for Pope Paul VI. built landaulet. The car has four doors, a single rear armchair, a 70mm roof and a higher floor in the rear. This unique piece is now back in Germany in 1985 after twenty years of service in the Vatican and is exhibited in the Mercedes-Benz Museum.

The equipment of the limousine included much that was technically possible at that time, and is not taken for granted decades later in today's vehicles. For example, a comprehensive hydraulic servosystem (so-called "comfort hydraulics"), an electrically adjustable heating and ventilation system, air conditioning, hydraulically adjustable front seats, hydraulically adjustable seat back, hydraulic window lifts and hydraulically operated sliding roofs rear sliding roof possible). Notable in comparison to conventional electric motors was virtually noiseless hydraulics, which lost power quickly when the engine was switched off.

engine:
The V8 injection engine with a displacement of 6.3 liters was a new development at the top of what was then technically feasible. The top speed of the shorter four-door vehicle is 205 km / h, the acceleration to 100 km / h takes ten seconds. The Mercedes 600 was at that time one of the fastest standard cars in the world and was also titled "the biggest sports car of all time".

Prices:
In August 1964, the list price for a 600 Mercedes was 56,500 Marks (today approx. 116,000 Euro).
Towards the end of its construction, the car cost according to the price list of 1 February 1979:
600 sedan, five / six seats, four doors: 144,032 DM (166,000 euros)
600 long Pullman, seven / eight seats; four doors: DM 165,424 (190,000 euros)
600 long, seven / eight seats, six doors: 175,392 DM (202,000 euros)

Importance:
The production of the 600 has always been a loss business over all years because of the special wishes of the customers and the necessary manual work despite the high prices for Mercedes which was operated only for prestige reasons. Rolls-Royce, Bentley or Cadillac were not to be left with any market shares.
The 600s did not make a direct contribution to the economic result of Daimler-Benz. But the pictures of the news broadcast "Tagesschau" of the ARD, in which citizens were always seen in the rear open 600er Landaulet, formed the opinion of generations about how a state limousine had to look.
In addition, the 600 was seen in many films. Hardly a director who was in the film did not drive with a 600.

Owner:
Many states had a 600 in the fleet, including Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Jordan, Cambodia, Cuba, Austria and Turkey. Only Germany was an exception here ... The government "lent" itself from Daimler-Benz the necessary vehicles (resp. They were made available from their vehicle fleet).

In addition, there were numerous prominent owners who made a Mercedes 600. For example:
Elizabeth Taylor, Rudolf Schock, Udo Jürgens, Elvis Presley, Herbert von Karajan, Aristotle Onassis, Coco Chanel, Gunter Sachs, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Emperor Hirohito of Japan
Gustav Schickedanz (mail-order company "Quelle")

The model:
One of the best models that AUTOART has produced. Very heavy and extremely professional quality. The chrome parts are actually separate small and small parts and not just painted. The lacquer is perfect, all doors and hoods can be opened and closed with minimal gap.
The seats are leather-covered and the curtains in the rear are made of real fabric. In the trunk are 6 suitcases with real belts and a removable spare wheel in a separate part.
From the beginning the model was relatively expensive, for some time a model is hardly on the market and the Price for one model is very.........much;)