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MERCEDES BENZ Laundalet Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Generations: 3
First production year: 1960
Engines: Gasoline
Body style: Convertible (spider/spyder, cabrio/cabriolet, drop/open/soft top)
MERCEDES BENZ S-Klasse Landaulet (A140) photo gallery

Mercedes-Benz was known for producing one-off vehicles for special occasions, and the A140 was one of the finest examples that ever left the assembly lines of the three-pointed-star brand.

Such a unique vehicle was built for a unique person: Pope John Paul II in 1997. This custom limousine was made to transport the Holy Father based on the long-wheelbase version of the S Class W140. But it was more than just a vehicle with a similar shape and size. It went through a complete change and upgrades that made it appropriate for the highest-ranking person in the Catholic Church.

While it wasn't specified if the car was armored, the external design was altered for the A170. At the front, it featured the same headlights and tilted grille, but on the fenders, it sported flag-poles. The front doors were carried over from the rest of the S-Class range, but the metallic roof ended behind the B-pillar. Behind it, a canvas roof covered the rear-passenger area when needed. It could've been retracted between the cabin and the trunk. The rear doors were regular, sporting frames for the windows but without the safety arch above them.

Inside, Mercedes-Benz installed its best materials available. At the front, the two bucket seats were used for the driver and the security officer who sat on the right. In the back, the automaker installed a single central wide seat covered in leather and with two armrests. A pair of rear-facing jump seats were mounted on the panel that separated the front and rear areas of the cabin.

Under the hood, Mercedes-Benz installed the five-liter V8 engine from the S500 paired with a five-speed automatic gearbox that provided very smooth gear changes.

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MERCEDES BENZ 600 Landaulet (W100) photo gallery

Mercedes-Benz introduced the model 600 in 1963 at the Frankfurt International Motor Show. Then it added new versions for it, including the state-limousine Pullman and the open rear top Landaulet.

The German carmaker was known for its exceptional products designed and engineered for motorcades. It made the vehicles for more heads of states than any other carmaker in the world. Among its customers were tyrants and democrats alike. For them, but especially for the latter, Mercedes-Benz made the Landaulet version.

Friedrich Geiger, Bruno Sacco, and Paul Bracq worked together to design the car 600 Pullman, and then they continued their work for the Landaulet version. If the Pullman was the most expensive car in the world in 1964, the open-top version was even pricier. Mercedes-Benz applied the "if you have to ask, then you can't afford it" principle. The long vehicle featured an open area behind the driver's cabin and made it available with four or six doors.

The car featured hydraulically adjustable dampers. The pneumatic system controlled the door locks, windows, and even seat adjustments. The trunk lid was closed by the pneumatic system too. The brakes were not on hydraulic fluid, but with air, like on a big truck. But all that system came with a cost of a 3 ton (6590 lbs) vehicle. And, in the armored version, it was even heavier.

Under the hood, there was a 6.3-liter V8 engine with a fuel injection system. It offered a vast amount of torque, but, unfortunately, the hydraulic system used a big part of it. The automatic transmission provided the best comfort when it changed gears. But still, the car was not slow and could go over 200 kph (120 mph). The Pullman Landaulet was built in 59 units in three body versions: two with four doors and one with six doors.

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MERCEDES BENZ Typ 300 "Spezial" Landaulet (W189) photo gallery

In 1951, at the first Frankfurt International Motor Show after the WWII, Mercedes-Benz unveiled among other new vehicles the top-of-the-line 300 series. One particularly unit was specially built for a very special customer: The Pope

In 1957, a profoundly revised version of the 300 model was presented, which, technically as well as regarding its exterior, was clearly different from its predecessor. The design number W 189 confirmed a new construction with its own series for the model 300 d.

In 1960, four very special vehicles were built by special order on the basis of the 300 d. One was used as a testing vehicle for the factory. Three of them, Pullman limousine and two Pullman landaulets were built on an elongated chassis with a wheelbase of 3600 mm and with a higher roof. One of the two landaulets was fitted with a single armchair in the rear as an extra feature for and delivered to Pope John XXIII in December 1960. The second landaulet and the Pullman limousine remained in the factory as representation cars to be rented out to the government or other wealthy parties for special events. The fourth was a completely new bodied two-door estate wagon, which was used as a powerful measuring car in the test department for many years.

Despite being a half-convertible, the 300 d Landaulet featured an Artic-Kat air-conditioning unit. Inside, the car-maker installed new seats, with better support for the back of its occupants.

A big improvement was found under the hood, where an inline-six unit was fitted with a Bosch gasoline injection system in the manifold, instead of a classic system with a carburetor. It was fitted with a 3-speed automatic transmission.

full description and technical specifications