Mercedes-Benz
300 SEL Pullman (W 109) Vatican limousines

Why it matters

Between 1966 and 1967 Mercedes-Benz built a very small group of special 300 SELs for the Vatican: a landaulet with a single rear seat for the pope, and two identical six-seat Pullman limousines on a lengthened chassis for guests. They were one-off commissions, not part of series production, and were used alongside the 600 Pullman landaulet that Paul VI had received in 1965.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The factory archive says the landaulet, with the standard wheelbase, was completed in June 1966 and used with the 600 for the pope. In May 1967 two identical six-seated limousines were ready for delivery, built on a chassis lengthened by 650 mm with modified rear side doors and two folding rear seats; they carried guests.

The Vatican Museums describe the 1966 car as a 300 SEL (W 109) landaulet that was handier and shorter in wheelbase than the Pullman. It stayed in use for many years in parallel with the 600 but was rarely driven. It had no air conditioning, and Pope John Paul II chose it as his main vehicle; after the assassination attempt in St Peter's Square it was heavily and fully armoured.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

The archive separates the two forms. The landaulet has the standard wheelbase and a single seat in the rear, and its landaulet hood extends forward to the front edge of the rear door. The Pullman limousines are built on a chassis lengthened by 650 mm with modified rear side doors, two folding rear seats and six seats in total. Both are based on the W 109 300 SEL, which has air suspension as standard. The Vatican Museums note that the landaulet had no air conditioning and was later fully armoured.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   Types 250 S - 300 SEL 6.3 (108, 109 series), 1965 - 1972 Level A Mercedes-Benz Public Archive (Classic M@RS)

   • two identical six-seated limousine were ready for delivery

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   Vatican Museums page on the papal 300 SEL limousine Level B Vatican Museums

   • Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL limousine

   Accessed 2026-11-12