250 hp, 6.3 liter SOHC V-8 engine, Bosch fuel injection, four speed automatic transmission, four-wheel independent self-leveling suspension with sway bars, and four-wheel power disc brakes. Wheelbase: 126 in.

• Superbly restored and maintained 600 SWB sedan

• Fully documented service and restoration history

• Possibly the best-driving 600 sedan in existence

When the W100 Mercedes Benz 600 was introduced in 1963, it was aimed directly at the Rolls-Royce Phantom V. It was a stunning design, with a new 250 horsepower SOHC, dry-sump V-8, self-leveling air suspension, and a 2,200 pound hydraulic pump that operated the dual-circuit brakes and powered the seats, trunk, windows, and sunroof. Despite its size, the 600 SWB was a true sports limousine: a driver’s road car with excellent handling, capable of cruising at over 100 mph, and fully deserving of MB’s title of “The Grand Mercedes.”

The 600 was offered from 1963–1981 in two wheelbase lengths. The “short” wheelbase sedan (the limousine) was the most popular, with 2,190 sold. The gigantic Pullman had a 153½-inch wheelbase and was favored by royalty, movie stars, and heads of state around the world. Mercedes-Benz built 428 Pullmans with both four and six doors and 59 rare landaulets with folding rear roofs.

Chassis 1626 was sold new in Texas in 1970, and it was passed to its second owner, near San Francisco, in 1981. In 1999, it was acquired by its third owner in South Carolina, who ordered a bare-metal repaint plus an interior restoration. In 2004, it was acquired by the present owner, who commissioned RM Auto Restoration to undertake an extensive 18-month mechanical restoration, which was completed in 2008. A supplementary eight month RM restoration (including extensive road testing) was just completed in May 2012. This 600 was rebuilt mechanically and cosmetically to superior specifications in every regard. The car’s history includes the original MB owner’s package with the computer punch cards and is accompanied by detailed invoices of all work performed since 1981. The new owner can lay claim to owning what is simply one of the best-driving and most attractive short wheelbase Mercedes-Benz 600s in existence.