MERCEDES BENZ 600 (W100) 1964-1981 Photos, engines & full specs

It was the car built for the richest people in the world. At the time of its launch, it was the most expensive car in the world and the technology involved was way ahead of its time. That was the Mercedes-Benz S600 W100.

The "Grand Mercedes" as it was known, was created as a representation vehicle for the top leaders of the world. Some of the world-known figures such as John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor or Hugh Hefner and many others owned such a vehicle. It was available in wheelbases up to 3.9 m (153.5") long. Inside there was room for four or six people with a rear bench seat.

The luxurious limousine was available with a fixed roof or a landaulet version where the rear side of the roof was a canvas top that could be folded down. It was intended to be also used as a presidential vehicle and the nation's leaders could stand up and wave to the crowd. Some dictators such as Nicolae Ceausescu, Leonid Brezhnev, Todor Zhivkov and others used it for military parades.

For the comfort of their owners, the S600 featured a complicated hydraulic system that controlled the suspension, the power seats, power windows, power trunk-lid and, of course, the power-steering.

Since the car had almost 3 metric tons, the car was fitted with heavy-duty brakes with discs in all four corners. The front discs had two brake-calipers per wheel. But even after 40 years, the S600 was one of the most comfortable cars in the world. Its massive 6.3-liter engine featured a mechanical multi-point injection and offered 300 hp. But 50 hp were needed for the hydraulic system.