Rare Car Archive

Makes › Mercedes-Benz Germany › 600 › 600 (W 100) · Rare production · Royal, state & papal · 1963–1981 Rare

Mercedes-Benz
600 (W 100)

Mercedes-Benz’s large luxury car of 1963–1981, built as a saloon, Pullman and Pullman-Landaulet.

Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman-Landaulet of Pope Paul VI with registration SCV 1, Mercedes-Benz Museum (photographed 5 June 2005)
Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman-Landaulet of Pope Paul VI with registration SCV 1, Mercedes-Benz Museum (photographed 5 June 2005)
Photo: Thomas Vogt · CC BY 2.0
2,677Built 1963–1981Independently researched
1Chassis documentedin this archive
?SurvivingNot yet verified
Contents
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Production & history
  3. 03Specifications
  4. 04Colours & options
  5. 05Individual cars
  6. 06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built
2,677 Built 1963–1981
Years
1963–1981
Engine
V8 · 6,330 cc / 6.33 LFactory: 6.33 L
Power
184 kW / 250 PSFactory: 250 PS
Top speed
205 km/hFactory: 205 km/h
Body
Not yet verified
Designer
Paul Bracq (design drawings)
Surviving
Not yet verified

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

The 600 is included as the base of the Pullman-Landaulet presented to Pope Paul VI in 1965. Of 2,677 cars, 59 were landaulets.

How rare is it?

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

Model rarityRare 2,677 · Built 1963–19811,2,3
Specification rarityNot yet assessed
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityNot yet assessed
Survival rarityNot yet assessed

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is countedFigureBasisStatus
Factory package productionArmoured (special protection) cars up to 1980: 26 saloons, 17 Pullmans 433 Factory production Independently researched
Body style productionPullman-Landaulet 591,3 Factory production Independently researched
Body style productionPullman saloon, four-door 3041 Factory production Independently researched
Body style productionPullman saloon, six-door 1241 Factory production Independently researched
Body style productionAll Pullman saloons (four- and six-door) 4293 Factory production Independently researched
Body style productionSaloon 2,1901 Factory production Independently researched
Total model productionAll 600 (W 100), August 1963 – May 1981 2,6771,2,3 Factory production Independently researched
Total model productionW 100 cars built in total over the 17-year run (including 429 Pullman limousines and 59 landaulets) 2,6774 Factory production Factory reported
Why more than one figure?

automobile.at and the Oswald-based table list 304 four-door and 124 six-door Pullman saloons separately; mbpassion gives 429 Pullman saloons. The difference of one car is not resolved.

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

History

Series production ran from September 1964 to June 1981 (mbpassion). The launch prices in 1964 were DM 56,500 for the saloon and DM 63,500 for the Pullman; the last list prices in 1979 were DM 144,368 (saloon), DM 165,760 (four-door Pullman) and DM 175,728 (six-door Pullman) (Watch I Love). Up to 1980, 43 armoured cars were built – 26 saloons and 17 Pullmans (mbpassion).

Variants

How each version differs from the standard 600 (W 100).

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine familyNot yet verified
Engine codeM 1001
LayoutV81
Cylinders85
Displacement 6,330 cc / 6.33 LFactory: 6.33 L1Also reported: 6332 cc6Rounded figure; no cc value found in the sources checked.
Bore 103 mmFactory: 103 mm7
Stroke 95 mmFactory: 95 mm7
Compression ratio9.0:17
Valvetrain1 intake, 1 exhaust / overhead; 1 overhead camshaft per cylinder bank; camshaft drive: double roller chain5
Fuel systemMechanically controlled manifold injection, Bosch eight-plunger injection pump7
Power 184 kW / 250 PSFactory: 250 PS1,3Rating: DINDIN 70020 per the Oswald-based table (level D).
Power at 4,000 rpm6 Independently researched
Torque 500 Nm / 51 kgmFactory: 51 kgm3
Torque at 2,800 rpm6 Independently researched

Transmission & drivetrain

GearboxAutomatic1,3
Gears46 Independently researched
Gear ratios1st 3.98 · 2nd 2.46 · 3rd 1.58 · 4th 1.00 · reverse 4.156 Independently researched
Final drive3.23 : 16 Independently researched
Driven wheelsRear wheels7

Chassis, body & dimensions

ChassisFloor assembly integrated with steel unit body7
Front suspensionDouble wishbones, air-spring bellows with supplementary rubber springs, telescopic shock absorbers adjustable while driving7
Rear suspensionSingle-joint swing axle with level control, air-spring bellows with supplementary rubber springs, adjustable telescopic shock absorbers7
BrakesHydraulic dual-circuit four-wheel disc brakes with pneumatic booster; two calipers per front wheel7,8
SteeringRecirculating-ball power steering7
Body constructionSteel unit body7
Wheelbase 3,900 mmFactory: 3,900 mm1Pullman and Landaulet. The saloon has a 3,200 mm wheelbase.
Length 5,540 mmFactory: 5,540 mm6 Independently researchedSaloon. Pullman: 6,240 mm.
Width 1,950 mmFactory: 1,950 mm6 Independently researched
Height 1,485 mmFactory: 1,485 mm7Saloon (type 100.012). Pullman versions are taller.
Front track 1,587 mmFactory: 1,587 mm7
Rear track 1,581 mmFactory: 1,581 mm7
Kerb weight 2,475 kgFactory: 2,475 kg7Saloon. Four-door Pullman 2660 kg; six-door Pullman and Landaulet 2710 kg (Mercedes-Benz Classic).
Dry weightNot yet verified

Performance

Maximum speed 205 km/hFactory: 205 km/h3,9Saloon. Pullman: 200 km/h (Oswald-based table).
0–100 km/h 10 s3Also reported: 9.7 s9 Discrepancy
Fuel tank 112 LFactory: 112 L6 Independently researched
Fuel consumption 17.8 L/100kmFactory: 17.8 L/100km5Mercedes-Benz archive figure in litres per 100 km: 17.8 l (DIN 70030: consumption, determined at 3/4 of top-speed (not more than 110 km/h), plus 10 %)

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

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

ChassisBuiltOriginal colourWhere nowStatus
Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman-Landaulet of Pope Paul VI1965—Mercedes-Benz Museum, StuttgartHistorically documented

Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman-Landaulet of Pope Paul VI

A four-door Pullman-Landaulet built specially for Pope Paul VI and presented to him in autumn 1965. According to the Vatican Museums it long remained the sole papal automobile. It carried the Vatican registration SCV 1 and was used by three popes over two decades.

Production date
1965
Delivery date
1965-09
Where now
Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart
  1. 1965
    Factory Built by the test department and production at Sindelfingen on the long-wheelbase (3,900 mm) 600. Rear doors widened by 256 mm, reaching up to the partition; roof raised by 70 mm; flat floor with covered driveshaft tunnel; a single individually adjustable rear seat for the Pope with rear-facing fold-down seats; air conditioning and an intercom to the driver.10,2,11,12
  2. 1965-09
    Delivery Presented as a gift to Pope Paul VI at Castel Gandolfo by a Daimler-Benz delegation led by Hermann Josef Abs (chairman of the supervisory board), with Walter Hitzinger, Fritz Nallinger, Arnold Wychodil and Karl Wilfert. Registered SCV 1 (Vatican City State). A period photo caption dates the handover to 10 September 1965.2,13,10
  3. 1965
    Ownership In Vatican service for about two decades, used by three popes.14
  4. 1986
    Exhibition On display in the Mercedes-Benz Museum, Stuttgart-Untertürkheim, since 1986.3,15
  5. 2026-10-28
    Exhibition Shown in the exhibition “Mercedes-Benz: A Century of Popemobiles” in a glass pavilion near the Vatican Pinacoteca, until 31 January 2027.16,17
2,13,12

The full story of Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman-Landaulet of Pope Paul VI →

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

06Reference

Identification guide

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

Mercedes-Benz Classic lists separate type numbers for each body: 100.012 saloon (3,200 mm wheelbase, 2,190 built), 100.014 four-door Pullman, 100.016 six-door Pullman and 100.015 Pullman-Landaulet (all 3,900 mm wheelbase). The engine type is M 100 / 100.980, a 6,332 cc 90° V8 with mechanically controlled manifold injection from a Bosch eight-plunger pump. Genuine cars have air-spring suspension with level control, shock absorbers adjustable while driving, four-wheel disc brakes with two calipers on each front wheel, and a hydraulic comfort system that works the seats, windows, doors and boot lid. Fewer than 500 cars of any long-wheelbase version were built, so a claimed Pullman or Landaulet should be checked against its type number.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    Mercedes 600 (1963–1981): Klotzen statt Kleckern Level C Roland Hildebrandt · automobile.at · 2020-04-21
    • Production table: 2,677 in total
    • Production table: 59 Landaulets
    • Production table: 304 Pullman saloons
    • Production table: 124 six-door Pullman saloons
    • Production table: 2,190 saloons
    • M 100 V8
    • V8 with 6.33 litres
    • 250 PS (183 kW)
    • automatic transmission
    • 3,900 mm for Pullman saloon and Landaulet
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  2. 2
    Vor 60 Jahren: Ein Mercedes 600 für den Papst Level C Roland Hildebrandt · Motor1.com Deutschland · 2025-08-11
    • 2,677
    • Rear doors widened by 256 mm; roof raised by 70 mm
    • September 1965 handover; number plate SCV 1
    • Pullman-Landaulet with plate SCV 1, built for Pope Paul VI
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  3. 3
    Der Mercedes-Benz Typ 600 und Pullman von 1963 bis 1981 Level C Markus Jordan · mbpassion.de · 2024-11-03
    • 2,677
    • 43 armoured 600s up to 1980 (26 limousines, 17 Pullman)
    • 59 Landaulets
    • 429 Pullmans
    • 250 PS
    • “ein maximales Drehmoment von 51 mkg”
    • automatic as standard
    • “über 205 km/h”
    • 0–100 km/h in 10 s
    • “Seit 1986 im Mercedes-Benz Museum ausgestellt”
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  4. 4
    600 and 600 Pullman (W 100), 1964 - 1981 (Classic M@RS) Level A Mercedes-Benz Group AG (Classic M@RS, Mercedes-Benz Public Archive)
    • a total of 2,677 of these cars were built
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  5. 5
    600 / W 100, 1964 - 1981 (Classic M@RS) Level A Mercedes-Benz Group AG (Classic M@RS, Mercedes-Benz Public Archive)
    • Number of cylinders / arrangement : 8 / 90° V (Technical data)
    • Valve operation : 1 overhead camshaft per cylinder bank (Technical data)
    • Fuel consumption : 17.8 l (Technical data)
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  6. 6
    600 (W 100), 1964 - 1981 – Specifications (type 100.012) Level A Mercedes-Benz Classic · Mercedes-Benz Classic (Mercedes-Benz public archive) · 2026-11-11
    • Total displacement: 6332 cc (tax classification: 6289 cc) (Engine)
    • Rated output: 250 hp at 4000 rpm (Engine)
    • Rated torque: 51 mkg at 2800 rpm (Engine)
    • Gearing: 4-speed automatic transmission (Transmission and Performance)
    • Gear ratios: I. 3.98; II. 2.46; III. 1.58; IV. 1.0; R. 4.15 (Transmission and Performance)
    • Final drive ratio: 3.23 (Transmission and Performance)
    • Length: 5540 mm (Dimensions and Weights (saloon 100.012))
    • Width: 1950 mm (Dimensions and Weights (saloon 100.012))
    • Fuel tank: in the rear / 112 l (Engine)
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  7. 7
    600 (W 100), 1964 - 1981 – Specifications (type 100.012) Level A Mercedes-Benz Classic (Mercedes-Benz public archive)
    • Bore x Stroke: 103 x 95 mm (Engine)
    • Compression ratio: 9.0 (Engine)
    • manifold injection, mechanically controlled; Bosch 8-plunger injection pump (Engine)
    • Driven wheels: rear wheels (Chassis and Drivetrain)
    • Frame design: floor assembly / steel unit body (Chassis and Drivetrain)
    • double wishbone; air-spring bellows, supplementary rubber suspension (Chassis and Drivetrain)
    • single-joint swing axle with level control (Chassis and Drivetrain)
    • hydraulic dual-circuit … pneumatic booster … four-wheel disc brakes
    • Steering: recirculating-ball power steering (Chassis and Drivetrain)
    • floor assembly / steel unit body
    • Height: 1485 mm (Dimensions and Weights, 600 saloon (type 100.012))
    • Front / rear track: 1587 / 1581 mm (Dimensions and Weights)
    • Kerb weight: 2475 kg (DIN 70020) (Dimensions and Weights)
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  8. 8
    600 and 600 Pullman (W 100), 1964 - 1981 – series overview Level A Mercedes-Benz Classic (Mercedes-Benz public archive)
    • front wheels … fitted with two double jaw brakes each
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  9. 9
    The Mercedes-Benz 600 “Grand Mercedes” (W 100) celebrates its premiere in 1963 Level C Dan-Andrei · Watch I Love · 2023-04-16
    • 205 km/h
    • 0–100 km/h 9.7 s
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  10. 10
    Rückblick: Die Mercedes-Benz Landaulets der Nachkriegszeit Level C Markus Jordan · mbpassion.de · 2018-05-25
    • Built by test department and production in Sindelfingen; doors +25.6 cm, roof +7 cm
    • Handover delegation at Castel Gandolfo
    Limitations: Text credited to Daimler AG; official Mercedes-Benz pages could not be fetched. Accessed 2026-11-11
  11. 11
    Mercedes popemobiles: a century exhibit Level C Roland Hildebrandt · Motor1.com · 2026-11
    • Individually adjustable seat, cooling system, intercom
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  12. 12
    Mercedes-Benz landaulets (press release, Stuttgart, 5 November 2007 – reposted) Level C Mercedes-Benz press release, via Mercedes-Benz-Blog
    • “Special equipment included air conditioning, an intercom”; rear doors 25.6 cm wider
    • 59 landaulets built on the 600; papal car shown with plate SCV 1
    Limitations: Blog repost of an official release; original not reachable. Accessed 2026-11-11
  13. 13
    Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL limousine – Carriage Pavilion Level A Musei Vaticani
    • “In autumn 1965 Pope Paul VI received as a gift in Castel Gandolfo”
    • 1965 gift to Pope Paul VI at Castel Gandolfo
    • “long remained the sole papal automobile”
    Limitations: Page about a different car; mentions the 1965 gift of a car to Pope Paul VI at Castel Gandolfo. Accessed 2026-11-11
  14. 14
    A 600 worthy of a Pope Level C PostWarClassic.nl · 2011-02-23
    • “Over two decades, the car was used by three popes.”
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  15. 15
    The Mighty Mercedes-Benz 600 Series Level C Heacock Classic
    • Official car of the Vatican until 1986, when it was donated
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  16. 16
    Ausstellung im Vatikan: Mercedes-Benz zeigt seine Papamobile Level C Mercedes-Fans · 2026-10-29
    • Until 31 January 2027 in a glass pavilion near the Pinacoteca
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  17. 17
    Vatican Museums exhibit marks a century of the Popemobile Level B India Iammancini · Vatican News · 2026-10-29
    • Exhibition opening 28 October 2026
    Accessed 2026-11-11

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