Two classic Mercedes from the same era - an ultra-luxury 600 limousine and a 190 SL Roadster - stands out in the second April listing from Bilweb Auctions.
Elvis had one. Mao Tse-tung and Fidel Castro as well. John Lennon’s was white. Drug lord Pablo Escobar would see his being blown up by a rival cartel. And the soul legend Bobby Womack claims that Janis Joplin wrote the lyrics for her 1971 hit ”Mercedes Benz” after riding in his.
Mercedes 600 from the start in 1964 a car for heads of state - often dictators - and super rich artists. A technically very advanced limousine and the most expensive car on the market in the 1960:s.
Now there is a chance to experience the stardom in a 600 from 1970. Imported from USA to Sweden in 1989 to be driven in a limousine company, and then being subject to a major service at the German specialist Wörle-Fahrzeugtechnik, with lots of money spent.
Under the hood you find Mercedes own direct injected 6,3 litre, 250 horsepower, V8, developed to match the weight of this magnificent car. But what makes a Mercedes 600 really interesting from a technical perspective is that all features that normally is electrically powered - for example windows, sun roof, seats, tailgate - is operated by a complex hydraulic system. Electric motors were considered too bulky and too noisy - and the cost wasn’t an issue.
Despite the weight of around 3 tons and its 5,5 meter length, the road manners are perfect. An advanced air suspension makes the huge car float over any kind of road surface.
The Mercedes 600 mas produced up until 1981, a life span of almost 18 year. Only 2 677 were made, out of these 14 were sold new in Sweden.
The market value is estimated to between 1,1 and 1,3 million SEK.
Significantly smaller - but not less sought after - is the Mercedes 190 SL Roadster. When presented in 1955 it was considered being one of the most beautiful cars in the world - and without doubt it still is.
The car at Bilweb Auctions is from 1963, the last year of the 190 SL. It has the tasteful combination of a black exterior and red leather interior and was subject to a restoration 20 years ago, receiving a new paint in cellulose. A few years later the engine was rebuilt and has since then just covered a few thousand kilometers. The 1,9 litre machine produces 105 horsepower with the help of twin Solex carburetors and an overhead cam.
The Mercedes 190 SL was a car for customers that wanted a more comfortable ride compared with what its Italian and British competitors could offer at the time. Therefore it comes with no surprise that the USA was the biggest single market for the car. Out of 25 881 cars built from 1955 until 1963, around 40 percent was exported to the United States.
The ownership is also comfortable: the supply of spare parts is huge, mostly remanufactured, especially from German suppliers where 190 SL is one of the classics that has skyrocketed in value the last decades.
Bilweb Auctions has estimated the value of the car to between 1 and 1,2 million SEK.
