OAbou-Zied

It is MBWorld's position that the Mercedes-Benz 600 Grosser limousine is the all-time ultimate Mercedes-Benz ... the "most Mercedes" among all vehicles that have ever been branded "Mercedes", "Benz", or "Mercedes-Benz". Here's why we believe what we believe.

The Mercedes-Benz 600 limousine celebrated its 50th anniversary just last year. This larger-than-life and in many ways imposing car easily can be considered the spiritual successor to the 1930's Grosser Mercedes-Benz 7.7-liter top-of-the-line car. Even if you are not familiar with pre-war cars, the distinct identity of the 600 as a genuine Mercedes-Benz is absolutely undeniable, but what does it mean to be a genuine Mercedes-Benz?

Some intriguing insights can be found in Leslie Butterfield's 2005 book, Enduring Passion, which focused not so much on car models, but on the branding of cars carrying the names Benz, Mercedes, and Mercedes-Benz. According to Butterfield, words like "trusted", "reliable", and "well-engineered" characterized the Benz brand, while words like "advanced", "innovative", and "luxurious" characterized the Mercedes brand. Looking back from today's vantage point, one can more easily understand the 600 as quite possibly the sincerest expression of “Mercedes-Benz” brand values.

In April of 1945, Daimler-Benz AG officials announced that the company had “for all practical purposes ceased to exist.” However, the spirit of Gottlieb Daimler's nineteenth century motto, “the best or nothing,” was never lost as evidenced by the swift return to the luxury segment with the debut of the model 300 sedans in 1951, and an equally swift return to racing in 1952 with the “gullwing” 300SL that was hastily cobbled together from the 300 sedan's parts bin--engine, axle, and transmission included.

Read more of this feature on the MBWorld blog.

dbtk

I am continuously reminded of how well this car performs whenever I take it out for a spin... despite its 42 year old vintage. While some may argue its overdone complexity (and its maintenance difficulty) I believe its one of Mercedes engineering achievements in its day.

beachbenz63

I would wholeheartedly agree. Had the pleasure, and pain of maintenance, of a 1972 lwb from 1984 - 1994.
Just picked up a 2014 G550, the last Benz to be hand assembled, for the most part.

Still miss the mighty 600