Rare Car Archive

Makes › Mercedes-Benz Germany › S 500 Long Landaulet papal car (W 140) · Royal, state & papal · 1997 One-off

Mercedes-Benz
S 500 Long Landaulet papal car (W 140)

Factory landaulet S-Class with electro-hydraulic roof built for John Paul II

IDENTIFICATION CARD · MERCEDES-BENZ S 500 LONG LANDAULET PAPAL CAR (W 140) 1997
No licensed photograph yet. Photographs are published only when their licence permits it.
1BuiltFactory reported
0Chassis 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
1 Built
Years
1997
Engine
8-cylinder 90° V; light-alloy block; front, longitudinal; vertical · 4,973 cc / 5.0 LFactory: 4,973 cc
Power
239 kW / 324 PSFactory: 320 hp · converted
Top speed
Not yet verified
Body
Not yet verified
Designer
Not yet verified
In this archive
Not yet verified
Surviving
Not yet verified

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

The long-wheelbase S 500 Landaulet of March 1997 was a one-off vehicle built for Pope John Paul II. Its electrohydraulic soft top gave a clear view of the pope on a centrally positioned throne seat, with folding seats for two attendants, so it is the 140-series counterpart of the earlier Mercedes-Benz papal Landaulets.

How rare is it?

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

Model rarityOne-off 1 · Built1
Specification rarityNot yet assessed
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityNot yet assessed Production figure not yet verified.
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
Total model productionone-off vehicle (long-wheelbase S 500 landaulet for Pope John Paul II) 11 Factory production Factory reported

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

History

The archive overview lists the landaulet as a further variant of the 140 series produced in March 1997, built on the long-wheelbase S 500. The landaulet top was operated electrohydraulically, and the car had folding seats for two attendants. The archive picture list also carries it as "S 500 long wheelbase Landaulet".

The donor car was the ordinary long-wheelbase S 500 (design name V 140 E 50, type 140.051), built from March 1994 to September 1998 with the 4973 cc M 119 V8. The Pullman limousines, also special-order cars, were a separate variant whose first units were produced in August 1996.

Variants

How each version differs from the standard S 500 Long Landaulet papal car (W 140).

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

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine familyNot yet verified
Engine codeM 119 E 50 / 119.970; from 09.1995: 119.9802Figure is for the standard long-wheelbase S 500 (V 140 E 50) documented by the archive; the one-off landaulet is not separately documented.
Layout8-cylinder 90° V; light-alloy block; front, longitudinal; vertical2Figure is for the standard long-wheelbase S 500 (V 140 E 50) documented by the archive; the one-off landaulet is not separately documented.
Cylinders82Figure is for the standard long-wheelbase S 500 (V 140 E 50) documented by the archive; the one-off landaulet is not separately documented.
Displacement 4,973 cc / 5.0 LFactory: 4,973 cc2Figure is for the standard long-wheelbase S 500 (V 140 E 50) documented by the archive; the one-off landaulet is not separately documented.
Bore 96.5 mmFactory: 96.5 mm2Figure is for the standard long-wheelbase S 500 (V 140 E 50) documented by the archive; the one-off landaulet is not separately documented.
Stroke 85 mmFactory: 85 mm2Figure is for the standard long-wheelbase S 500 (V 140 E 50) documented by the archive; the one-off landaulet is not separately documented.
Compression ratioNot yet verified
Valvetrain2 intake, 2 exhaust / V-shaped overhead; 2 overhead camshafts per cylinder bank (intake camshafts adjustable); camshaft drive: double roller chain2Figure is for the standard long-wheelbase S 500 (V 140 E 50) documented by the archive; the one-off landaulet is not separately documented.
Fuel systemNot yet verified
Power 239 kW / 324 PSFactory: 320 hp · converted2Rating: manufacturerArchive also gives 235 kW. Figure is for the standard long-wheelbase S 500 (V 140 E 50) documented by the archive; the one-off landaulet is not separately documented.
Power at 5,600 rpm2Figure is for the standard long-wheelbase S 500 (V 140 E 50) documented by the archive; the one-off landaulet is not separately documented.
Torque 470 NmFactory: 470 Nm2Figure is for the standard long-wheelbase S 500 (V 140 E 50) documented by the archive; the one-off landaulet is not separately documented.
Torque at 3,900 rpm2Figure is for the standard long-wheelbase S 500 (V 140 E 50) documented by the archive; the one-off landaulet is not separately documented.

Transmission & drivetrain

GearboxNot yet verified
Gears52The archive lists a five-speed automatic as standard on the long-wheelbase S 500 from September 1995, which would apply to a car built in 1997; the landaulet itself is not separately documented.
Driven wheelsrear2Figure is for the standard long-wheelbase S 500 (V 140 E 50) documented by the archive; the one-off landaulet is not separately documented.

Chassis, body & dimensions

ChassisNot yet verified
Front suspensionNot yet verified
Rear suspensionNot yet verified
BrakesNot yet verified
SteeringNot yet verified
Body constructionNot yet verified
WheelbaseNot yet verified
LengthNot yet verified
WidthNot yet verified
HeightNot yet verified
Front trackNot yet verified
Rear trackNot yet verified
Kerb weightNot yet verified
Dry weightNot yet verified

Performance

Maximum speedNot yet verified
0–100 km/hNot yet verified
Fuel tankNot yet verified

“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.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

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.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

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

The archive describes only one landaulet, so a genuine car must be the single vehicle built for John Paul II in March 1997: long-wheelbase S 500 bodywork with an electrohydraulically operated landaulet soft top, a central thronal seat for the pope and folding seats for two attendants. The standard long-wheelbase S 500 it is based on has the type number 140.051.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    140 series S-Class Saloons, 1994 - 1998 (Classic M@RS, series overview) Level A Mercedes-Benz Group AG (Classic M@RS, Mercedes-Benz Public Archive)
    • a one-off vehicle for Pope John Paul II
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  2. 2
    S 500 long wheelbase / V 140 E 50, 1994 - 1998 (Classic M@RS) Level A Mercedes-Benz Group AG (Classic M@RS, Mercedes-Benz Public Archive)
    • Engine type : M 119 E 50 / 119.970; from 09.1995: 119.980 (Technical data)
    • Number of cylinders / arrangement : 8 / 90° V; light-alloy block (Technical data)
    • Total displacement : 4973 cc (Technical data)
    • Bore x Stroke : 96.5 x 85.0 mm (Technical data)
    • Number of valves / arrangement : 2 intake, 2 exhaust / V-shaped overhead (Technical data)
    • Valve operation : 2 overhead camshafts per cylinder bank (intake camshafts adjustable) (Technical data)
    • Rated output : 235 kW / 320 hp at 5600 rpm (Technical data)
    • Rated torque : 470 Nm at 3900 rpm (Technical data)
    • Gearing : 5-speed automatic transmission ... Availibility : as standard (from 09.1995) (Technical data)
    • Driven wheels : rear wheels (Technical data)
    Accessed 2026-11-12

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