This 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 SWB was purchased in 2009 by the previous owner and is now offered for sale by the current dealer out of Cary, Illinois. Finished in White (050) over a Blue Velour (972) interior, power comes from a 6.3-liter M100 V8 paired to a four-speed automatic transmission with column shift with records going back to 2015. This example has no rust and the odometer reads 44k miles from new. Features include original and complete brightwork, hydraulic windows/seat controls, rear reading lights, in-period replaced Blaupunkt radio with rear seat controls, interior curtains, rear foot rests, climate control, rear headsets, and spare wheel. This 1971 600 SWB is offered by the selling dealer with a clean Illinois title.
The car is finished in White (050) and shows in excellent condition. Original brightwork is also shown and noted to be complete including window trim, bumpers, door trim, and accessories. Front door locks can be seen below the front pull handles and a Euro plate frame is mounted on the rear with holes that can carry North American plates. The original polished tailpipe beauty cover is included and shows no damage. The radio antenna is stuck in the up position.
Factory 14” steel wheels are equipped with polished and body-colored covers and American Classic white wall tires sporting 2018 date codes. Self-leveling air suspension came standard on the 600 and does operate accordingly. Braking is performed not by vacuum, but air working in tandem with the suspension and stopping power is provided by a twin front brake caliper system.
The cabin is trimmed in Blue Velour (972) across the seats, door cards, head rests, and center console. Ebony Macassar wood traces the interior cabin. Climate control that conditions both the front and rear cabin is equipped. Original blue rear foot rests are seen available for passenger use. Rear passengers can also operate the hydraulic windows, adjust the rear seat, and control the radio volume. Reading lights can be seen above the rear velour headrests.
Original VDO instrumentation includes a 140-mph speedometer and a tachometer with a 5k-rpm redline. Just under 44k miles are shown on the five-digit odometer. Other gauges read out fuel level, oil pressure, coolant temperature, and selected gear. The dashboard has analogue readouts for exterior temperature, clock, and a readout for suspension settings of which there are three: “N” for Normal, “H” for High, and “S” for locked position.
The 6.3L M100 V8 features Bosch mechanical fuel injection and is paired with a 4-speed automatic transmission. Power output is 247 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque sent to the rear wheels. An original sticker showing valve clearances and other information is still attached to the driver side valve cover. The 1971 Mercedes-Benz 600 can hit a top speed of 135 miles an hour and can hold 100 mph for an extended amount of time with reported ease.
This 1971 600 SWB is offered by the selling dealer with records from 2015. The W100 is offered with a clean Illinois title.
The seller has included the followinig videos:
The W100 Mercedes-Benz 600 was a car that appeared in magazines and newspapers highlighting not the car, but for the people that owned it. For the longest time, that is all most people knew about the 600 – it carried world leaders between making peace deals to committing war crimes. These were largely mysterious cars that surpassed Rolls-Royce in quality and engineering. In short, it was the most technologically advanced, highest quality car in the world at the time. For a lot of enthusiasts, the first time we got to see one in action and learn about their intricacies was in Season 11: Episode 5 of BBC’s Top Gear “Classic Luxury Limousines” episode that aired in 2008. Most of the rhetoric that’s echoed in the auto industry today stems from Jeremy Clarkson’s review of his personally owned 600. Jay Leno also owns a 600 and has put out several educational videos on YouTube about what being a steward to one is like. There is just not a log of information about these with production numbers being a touch above 2000 units made for SWBs. This White over Blue Velour example is very complete and very operational. Parts are exorbitantly expensive for these, so finding one in this kind of condition is paramount to buyers. The velour interior is rare to boot and the engine bay is proof the car was kept in healthy, working order. This is a historically important automobile and will continue to rise in value as it is historically rare to see post-war four door sedans become collector items. The W100 time-after-time contradicts that, however.
Open Transit:
Enclosed Transit:
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39 Comments
@Rado Congratulations! Thanks everyone for all the great feedback! This is the first car we have listed on MB Market I'm extremely pleased with the whole experience. Much faster getting the car listed and the level of service provided compared to the competition! I have a 1978 Mercedes 6.9 with 37k original miles. I will be listing here next and look forward to another successful auction! ThanksWell done!! Incidentally, when these cars were new, Mercedes supplied a set of black spacers for the rear suspension in case an airbag collapsed. They are now available again- call David at Bud's Benz in GA, and have the VIN ready. They were NLA for ages.I am out. All yours.$82,500 bid placed by @Rado
$82,000 bid placed by @sirmathrocks
Still a good deal for a functioning 600. They are not exactly thick on the ground.$81,500 bid placed by @Rado
$81,000 bid placed by @sirmathrocks
$80,500 bid placed by @Rado
$80,000 bid placed by @sirmathrocks
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$76,777 bid placed by @Rado
$76,277 bid placed by @sirmathrocks
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$71,000 bid placed by @sirmathrocks
$70,500 bid placed by @Rado
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$69,000 bid placed by @sirmathrocks
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$68,000 bid placed by @sirmathrocks
Yes, these cars do drive beautifully.. Good luck bidders, we are pretty close!@MAbbott I'm drooling over it, I have to think this is one of the best cars still on the road. Nothing feels like an M100 (but I've only played with them in W109's)Ultimate classic boss status! This is the perfect spec as a SWB for someone who wants to actually drive and enjoy this beauty.$67,500 bid placed by @Samuelson88
$65,500 bid placed by @Chef
$65,000 bid placed by @sirmathrocks
$61,100 bid placed by @NYCdriver
$60,600 bid placed by @Chef
$57,500 bid placed by @sirmathrocks
$56,666 bid placed by @Rado
$55,600 bid placed by @Chef
Good morning everyone! We are looking forward to some great action as we roll into the final hours of the auction! I would be happy to help arrange shipping & storage arrangements if necessary. Please feel free to contact me, I will be available all day to answer any questions. Best of luck everyone and bid with confidence! Someone will be getting a beautiful car!$50,000 bid placed by @ClassicAutoSMTH
More records have been uploaded to the gallery.$44,444 bid placed by @Chef
$40,600 bid placed by @NoNames
@jtwoods4 I called Gahh and words upholstery. No one supplies velour for seats.Accompanying service records have been uploaded to the gallery.Good morning! I've just uploaded service records for the car to MB. They should be live shortly! Thanks!@NYCDriver we used GAHH out of California for all of our upholstery orders. You will need to find a local upholstery shop that can install the material for you.@sirmathrocks I was wondering the same, maybe @jtwoods4 knows?$35,500 bid placed by @sirmathrocks
@sirmathrocks JJproducts.net would be where I'd start. they've offered custom upholstery solutions for MB velour for some time. Westtrading.nl also likely has it. Both have been around since the internet.@sirmathrocks There are several shops I've found online carrying vintage fabrics in the past. Most of them are located in Europe. I haven't check specifically for this car, but In the past I've found sources for Porsche & BMW fabrics. Thanks!Where can one source velour material to restore?It was sort of like piloting the SS United States would have been- took a while to get to speed, but once there, nothing was going to touch it.$35,000 bid placed by @Chef
@Jim_Rosenthal I bet that was a riot! Don't judge me for this but I'd like to see what an M156 would be like in one (obviously savong the M100 for posterity).$30,600 bid placed by @ClassicAutoSMTH
$25,500 bid placed by @arjang
I've driven a couple of these over the years... including one that Karl M fitted with a Vortec centrifugal blower. Quite the experience, that was.A video has been added to the auction.$25,000 bid placed by @Chef
Thanks!@NYCdriver Yes, I will have the video finished and uploaded tonight. Thanks!@seller are you in a position to get us some videos? I'd love to see a video showing the car driving and a video showing all the features working.$20,000 bid placed by @NYCdriver
An additional 40 photos have been added to the gallery showing undersides, details, and accessories.APSloan1 No, there is no rust at all. Including under trim & bumpers. I took photos of the complete undercarriage today & uploaded them. I also shot a video of the car running & driving, hydraulic operation, power windows , AC, Power seats etc... It should be updated shortly, Thanks!$10,000 bid placed by @Chef
Will there be any pictures of the undercarriage? Has the car been repainted? Is there any rust under the stainless wheel well trim? Looking forward to service records. ThanksThis is epic!@sirmathrocks Yes the suspension works. Sure, I will take closeup shots of those areas for you. Thanks!@autowerks does the suspension settings work? Can you also focus on the chrome trim below drivers door. Seems like it is coming apart. Basically need to see everything that needs to be fixed on this car.@sirmathrocks Yes, I will have a video of the car posted tomorrow. It's raining here today... It will include a complete walk around, running & driving and also include hydraulics & air conditioning. Thanks!A video with all the hydraulics working would definitely help. How is the AC on this? This is a German market car…the production card should show all the options it came with$7,000 bid placed by @Bankrep40
@classicmb The only item I've found inoperable is the horn. The owner told me it was working prior to listing the car and we are having it looked at. Thanks!What isn't functioning on the car?@sirmathrocks I have the original owners manual and service records. I have to check about the production card but remember seeing a card with the documents. The documentation and service records are being scanned and uploaded shortly! Thanks!Hello...what documentation do you have with this car? Do you have the production card on this?Hello MB Market and welcome to our 1970 Mercedes Benz 600 Auction! This is our first listing on MB Market and look forward to A successful auction! This particular car is owned by a very close client and Mercedes collector. He has loved and cared for the car for the last 15 years. It was acquired from a friend of his who had owned the car for 20 years prior to that. It has always been well maintained and serviced under their ownership. The car runs and drives exceptionally well. The only issues are a few very minor cosmetic flaws shown in the photos, (seat wear, wood checking etc.) Mechanically it is very solid. Strong engine, transmission and the hydraulic suspension all function perfectly. I will be available to answer any questions during the auction and would be happy to take phone calls or any inquiries! Thanks everyone & good luck with the auction.Thank you! Yes, it definitely attracts attention! Every time I've had it out it draws a crowd!$6,000 bid placed by @NYCdriver
Can't recall the last time I saw velour in a 600- this is special! I can't help but think about seeing this amongst normal traffic.