1965 Mercedes-Benz 600 SWB

- World's most expensive car at launch
- Hand-built short wheelbase model
- One of 2,677 cars built over a 12-year period
- 6,322cc M100 V8
- German registration document

Please kindly note that this car will be available for viewing by prior appointment in DORTMUND(GERMANY): please contact [email protected] for booking.

Launched at the 1963 Frankfurt Auto Show as the world's most expensive car, the W100 600 Grosser's place in the cultural fabric is unmatched. Doyen of celebrities, royals, and rulers for decades after production finished in 1981, the handmade Mercedes-Benz 600's baffling technical specification includes pneumatic self-levelling suspension, separate heating and ventilation systems for the front and rear, and a 150-bar hydraulic system operating everything from the self-closing doors to the automatic windows and door locks. Despite a hefty kerb weight of over 2.5-tonnes, the hand-built M100 6,332cc overhead-cam V8 still moves the 600 to 100km/h in under 10 seconds. The long wheelbase Pullman limousines and convertible Landaulet models were favoured by passengers hoping to make an impression, with the SWB models aimed at owner-drivers.

This stately Mercedes-Benz 600 Short Wheelbase was first registered on March 15, 1965. The current owner has had the car since 2007, and the previous owner held it from 1987, when it was imported from Los Angeles, USA, to Dortmund, Germany, amidst Jaguars and Austin Healeys, according to the accompanying documents. It is noted that the car had been registered in Arizona since 1973. The file also contains its original German registration documents (Teil I and II).

The car has been maintained in the owner's professional garage. Despite this regular upkeep, it has been kept on static display in recent years. As a result, recommissioning will be required before it returns to the road.