Chapter1&2 lowres

A star is born

The four-stroke petrol engine was the heart of the first modern car designed by Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz in 1886. Independently of one another, the two pioneers developed small engines as the drive system for their new cars, the Benz patent motor car and Daimler ’s motor carriage.

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Previous: On 29th January 1886, Carl Benz files a patent application for his “vehicle with gas-engine operation.” The patent specification DRP 37435 is today considered the birth certificate of the automobile.

Carl Benz builds about 25 specimens of the world´s first automobile in a three-wheel design. Type I is the original Patent Motor Car. It is provided with steel spoke wheels and other construction details reminding of state-of-the-art bicycle construction of the era.

Left: Benz Velo. Version from the year 1895.

S

ince then, the four-stroke petrol engine has development.

the longest journey covered by car at that time. Her

With their constant innovation, Daimler AG and its

194km ‘road trip’ demonstrated the feasibility of this

predecessor companies have played an important role

form of long distance travel. The innovative and widely

in the success story of this internal combustion engine

reported trip sparked interested buyers around the

for more than 125 years.

world. John Percy Hess, from Berea Park in Pretoria,

experienced

unparalleled

Karl Benz filed the patent for his ‘Motorwagen’ in

was so inspired that he imported Benz’s follow-up car,

1873- on the cusp of the Great Depression that was

the Benz Velocipede, thereby earning the crown of the

to last another five years- in a time where petrol was

‘first car in South Africa’. Hess went on to become the

scarcely available and the concept of personal mobility

sole agent for Benz Motors in South Africa.

was little more than a pipe dream. The Benz Patent

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In 1888, Benz’s wife, Bertha, also a pioneer, took

The

Velocipede,

considered

the

first

ever

Motorwagen was regarded as the first commercially

standardised car, set sustainablility into motion.

available car, with about 25 of them produced between

Hess’s Velocipede was shipped via Port Elizabeth

1886 and 1893. In the same year, just 100 kilometres

in 1896 and on 4th January 1897, was passionately

away Daimler presented his motor carriage, considered

paraded for spectators to see. Joined by Hess’s

the world’s first four-wheeled automobile. Having

business partner, A.E. Reno, the pair charged 2

recognised other areas of application for his engines

shillings and 6 pennies for spectators to watch this

at an early stage, in 1886 Daimler had already given

automotive history unfold. Even the President, Paul

thought to motorising boats, rail vehicles and aircraft.

Kruger, attended the historic event, but declined the 4

Left: Type 630, 24/100/140 PS, year of manufacture 1926.

Derived from the first supercharged production vehicle and used in the development of larger models from 1923 onwards.

Below: Type 630, 24/100/140 PS, year of construction: 1926.

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Left: In 1927, the Mercedes-Benz S (as in sport) is the first of a whole range of legendary high-performance sports cars to dominate the racing circuits in the years to come. Without compressor, it has an output of 120 hp (88 kW), the turbocharger achieve an official 180 hp (132 kW); factory engines reach an output of up to 220 hp (162 kW). Rudolf Caracciola wins the opening race of the then brand new Nürburgring, ahead of Adolf Rosenberger, both racing in a Mercedes-Benz S. The road car version is available as a chassis for external bodyworks and as a four-seater sports car. The nickname “white elephant” does not only refer to the car paint and its impressive size, but also to the infernal roar of the compressor.

Below Top: International Tourist Trophy in Belfast, 17 August 1929.

Rudolf Caracciola and co-driver Henry Kuehnle with a Mercedes-Benz Type SS won with the best time of day, distance and lap record.

Below Bottom: The SSK type pictured here, at the Mercedes-Benz Museum, is a version designed for sports car racing with windscreen, wings, headlights and two spare wheels.

offer to be a passenger. However, State of Secretary W.J. Leyds enthusiastically took up the offer.

Originally based in Cannstatt, Germany, Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft was founded in 1890 by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach. A keen interest from entrepreneur, progressive thinker and sports enthusiast, Emil Jellinek, helped to drive the inspiration, focus and pursuit of ever faster and more powerful vehicles from DMG. As early as 1899, Emil entered DMG vehicles in race meetings. After Gottlieb’s death in March of 1900, coupled with a few other set-backs, DMG eventually settled in Berlin by 1922.

Paul Daimler, the son of Gottlieb, was in put charge of design and engineering at DMG from 1909 until 1922, when he left the company, following a difference of opinion with the board on the development of new engines. He was succeeded by Ferdinand Porsche in 1923, prior to the formation of Daimler-Benz in 1924.

The initial result of Porsche’s work was the introduction of the 24/100/140 (typ 630K). Hailed as the fastest and 7

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Left: 1934 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Cabriolet C. In an outstanding balance of design and performance, this highly sophisticated 160km/h 5.0 litre supercharged car was the brainchild of technical director Dr Hans Nibel, former racing driver turned engineer.

most exclusive touring car in the world at that time, ‘K’ stood for the ‘Kompressor’ or supercharger, which was the centrepiece of the car’s design. The short, but glamorous history of the Stuttgart supercharged sports cars saw the launch of the 1927 MercedesBenz S 26/120/180 (W06) series of supercharged sports cars, also

known

as

a Tourenwagen,

it

helped to re-establish Mercedes-Benz’s reputation of building superbly built, quick and distinctly luxurious cars. Known for the characteristic scream from the supercharger, this ‘open tourer’ was designed as a racing and road going car by Ferdinand Porsche and was the first car to bear the Mercedes-Benz name.

The ‘S’ was very successful in pre-WWII sports racing, notching up more victories than any other – driven by famous drivers such as Rudolf Caracciola who won the International Tourist Trophy in Belfast - 146 cars were produced between 1927 and 1928 at the Daimler-Benz factory in Stuttgart.

There are few historic cars that can match the visual 9

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Left: After many years of working on its development, the Type 260 D was presented as a six-seated Pullman landaulet on the Berlin Automobile Exhibition in February 1936.

The first production diesel passenger car worldwide. Convincing with favourable features still typical for a diesel, even today: it was robust, reliable and long-lasting and in addition, it impressed with extraordinary fuel efficiency. It not only consumed just four litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, much less than its petrol equivalent; the cost of diesel fuel was only about half as much as petrol in 1936.

Below Top: The world’s first production diesel passenger car, the 260 D (W138), as a landaulet in an early version, with the small headlight housing and slim bodywork of the 200 (W21).

In fine weather, the passengers in the back enjoy a perfect view.

Below Bottom: Mercedes-Benz Type 260 D, 1936 - 1937.

impact of the 500K (W29), manufactured from 1934, the same year South African Airways was inaugurated and took over air services previously operated by Union Airways.

It was one of the world’s greatest supercars and created against a backdrop of the re-establishment of

Germany’s

position

at

the

forefront

of

car

manufacturing. This supercharged beauty was a car for the connoisseur and came in cabriolet, roadster and saloon versions. With glamorous names like ‘Motorway Courier’ and ‘Special Roadster’, all versions featured innovative advancements.

By 1936, 50 years after the invention of the petrolpowered automobile, the first diesel engine passenger cars were produced. The 260D (W138) established the diesel engine as an economical, powerful and refined passenger car drive unit with a great future potential.

Nearly 2,000 of these mid-size luxury cars were assembled until 1940, after which the Daimler-Benz group had to devote itself almost entirely to military 11

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Left: Mercedes-Benz Type 770, 155/230 HP Grosser Pullman limousine. Only a small number were built but the car’s rarity and build quality contributed substantially to the brand’s worldwide reputation. Constructed between 1938 and 1943, these cars were mainly used by governments as state vehicles.

manufacture. A variety of body types were made, including saloons, landaulettes and cabriolets.

In 1938, the Grosser (W150), also known as the Mercedes 770, is thought to have been the most expensive German passenger car of the time, though it appeared on no price list: the price was published merely as ‘auf Anfrage’ or ‘upon request’. Only 88 of these cars were built before production ended in 1943, with the last cars bodied and delivered in March 1944.

Hugely well equipped, this car moved automotive safety to a new level with its tubular chassis.

The 170 series (W136) were versatile mid-size luxury vehicles and saw life as sedans, vans, pickups, cabriolets, roadsters and station wagons from 1936 until 1939, when, on September 1, Adolf Hitler’s invasion of Poland marked the beginning of World War II. The stamps and dies from this model range were almost all that remained after the WWII Allied bombings destroyed the factories. Initially, the only configuration allowed to be in production by the Occupation Forces 13

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Left: With its more powerful 52hp/38 kW engine, improved front axle and spacious body, the dignified 170 S brings the sophisticated automotive lifestyle back to the road in 1949. In addition to the saloon, the two-passenger Cabriolet A and the four-passenger Cabriolet B (photo) are available. These tempting vehicles, open to the skies, are regarded as particularly luxurious for those with the highest standards, and round out the very top of the product range. Thus, Mercedes-Benz presents itself for the first time since the end of World War II as a luxury brand, once again offering its customers vehicles of extraordinary refinement.

Production of the two convertibles ceases after only two years. The specimen shown here is part of the Mercedes-Benz Museum’s inventory.

Below Top: 170 DS, 40 hp, limousine, construction: 1952 until 1953.

Below Bottom: 170 SV (SD) from the years 1953 - 1955.

were pickups and panel vans. The 170 series became the foundation on which Mercedes-Benz rebuilt. They were manufactured again between 1947 and 1953 and were the brand’s top selling range at the time.

1949, and the musical, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, opens on Broadway and the world sees the arrival of the 170S version, which is often considered to be the first Mercedes-Benz ‘S-Class’, although the first proper S-Class (W116) only saw the light of day, 24 years later, in 1973.

The first major new model created by Mercedes-Benz after the destruction of industrial Germany in WWII was launched in late 1951. Remarkably advanced and refined for its time, the beautifully handcrafted sports tourers known as ‘Adenaeurs’ (W186, W188 and W189) were available in two door, 2+2 coupe, roadster and cabriolet coachwork versions. Comparable to today’s S-Class, they were named after Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of West Germany, who had six custom versions during his tenure of 1949 to 1963.

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Left: The Mercedes-Benz 300 (W 186 II) type and its newly designed three-litre six-cylinder engine M 186 with overhead camshaft and 115 hp/85 kW output are a sensation at the IAA International Motor Show in April 1951 in Frankfurt (Main). Hermann Ahrens’ design adeptly integrates stylistic elements of the pre-and post-war period into its bodywork, thus preventing a visual shock for the mostly conservative clientèle. Ahrens’ penultimate creation in the passenger car segment is well received; customers are enthusiastic. Only the German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer would have liked to have had it somewhat bigger, so later he receives one of the first versions with the ten centimetre longer wheelbase. Technically, the 300 is also a mix of tradition and modernity. The X-oval tube frame goes back to a pre-war construction. For the front axle, Daimler-Benz utilises the trapezoidal-link design it invented in 1933; for the rear axle, the well-known double-joint swing axle with coil springs.

Below Left: Type 300 S Cabriolet A from the year 1954.

Below Top: Type 300 S Cabriolet A from the year 1951.

Below Bottom: Type 300 D sedan from the year 1960, Official car of Konrad Adenauer.

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Ascendance in the South

The turbulent, complex and exciting era of Rock ‘n’ Roll and Rockabilly gave birth to form-breaking, non-objective art and abstract expressionism and a new era of South African mobility.

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Previous: : The 300SL Roadster was a response to the demand for a particularly fast, comfortable, open sports car. This car offered a wide range of technical achievements for even greater driving safety and motoring comfort as well as a high standard of practical everyday value for touring in real style. Like the Coupe, the Roadster was available with a wide array of options, some of the more desirable include the hardtop, fitted rear luggage and knock-off Rudge wheels.

Right: Mercedes-Benz 180D Ponton (W120) ‘half-cars’ used the body section complete up to the B-pillars and were finished locally as ‘bakkies’ and were sold from 1955. This South African success story so impressed German management, they quickly started production of its own version of the loveable bakkie.

G

rowing export business became a key goal

quota system. Morewear Industries of Germiston

for Daimler-Benz, alongside the rebuilding

fabricated the load box and the first Mercedes 180D

of their factories in the difficult post-war period. In

‘Ponton’ bakkies models went on sale in 1955. Priced

the early 1950s, the firm identified South Africa as a

at R2,244, they were the first ever ‘uniquely South

market with significant potential. It initially appointed

African Mercedes-Benz, notching up a reputed 400

six importers, of which the biggest were Stanley Porter

sales by 1958. This South African success story was

in Cape Town, Haaks Garage in Pretoria and Cargo

the catalyst for the German coachbuilder Binz to create

Motors in Johannesburg.

a German version for Daimler-Benz.

But sales of imported Mercedes-Benz sedans to

To further drive the potential of the South African

South Africa had trickled to just 100 units a year

market, Daimler-Benz commenced local assembly of

thanks to strict import quotas designed to encourage

the four cylinder 180 sedan (W120) in East London

car manufacturers to establish local assembly and

in January 1958. In the first year, 1, 120 units were

production businesses. Daimler-Benz was not yet

assembled, of which 309 were 180D’s. The first six

ready to ship ‘Completely Knocked Down’ (CKD)

units, a mix of 180’s and 190’s were The Mercedes-

models,

assembly

Benz ‘Ponton’ body style was another totally new car,

facilities in South Africa. This led to the import of

which saw production start in 1953 as a replacement

so-called ‘chassis-cabs’ into South Africa. Those

for the Type 170 series. Under contract to Mercedes-

models were finished locally as commercial vehicles

Benz, Car Distributors Assembly Ltd (CDA) of East

or ‘bakkies’, thereby circumventing the difficult import

London assembled 180 sedans.

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as

they

still

lacked

proper

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Right: Sindelfingen, September, 1958. Less than five years after the start of series series production, pictured here, the one hundred thousandth model.

Below Bottom: The W120/121 Pontons of the Mercedes-Benz luxury class were designed to replace the pre-war type 170 models and soon became the brand’s top selling cars. The cars defined the look for the fifties with bulbous fenders integrated into its body design.

Below Top: Mercedes-Benz stylists have maintained a constant balance between innovative ideas and an organic shaping on the basis of the long tradition of this model series.

Below Bottom: The austere but superbly made interior featured a small dashboard and sleek instrument panel. The car’s style was further emphasised by the slim steering wheel, considered by some as a delicate work of art.

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Right: Although some of the surface detail was retained from its 4 door siblings, the modern looking 220S had cleaner flanks and was comparable to the Bentley coupes of the day.

The 1958 220a a n d 2 2 0 S (W 1 8 0 ) w a s a n other mo del to informally receive the ‘Ponton’ nick-name.

Featuring a six cylinder engine and assembled in East London between 1958 and 1962, it is credited with

being

the

first

E-Class,

although

the

firm

never formally named it as such. The Ponton also spawned a somewhat more glamerous sports car, which conveyed the image of a modern automotive brand whose vehicles united a sporty aesthetic with groundbreaking technology. The sedan-based 190 SL Roadster (W121) was initially presented in New York in 1954, alongside the 300SL (W198). The new sports car was an immediate success - a symbol of the sporty motoring ethos of Mercedes-Benz, giving the South African plant a major boost when the 190SL went into production between 1958 and 1962.

Its bigger brother, the Walter Häcker designed 300 SL Gullwing Coupé was the inspiration for the 190 SL’s striking looks and by the end of the 1950s, the 300 SL Gullwing coupé and the 190 SL roadster had 25

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Right: The Gullwing was heavily influenced by Rudi Uhlenhaut, the man who worked tirelessly to build Mercedes-Benz after WWII. Using the refined engine of the 300 saloon (introduced in 1951) it marked the firm’s return to motor sport. The power of the t straight 6-cylinder of 3-litres was tweaked by fuel injection. Known as the ‘gullwing’ model on account of its unusual doors, this car underwent intensive wind-tunnel test to hone its slippery shape.

Below: The combination of the letters SL have became a phenomenon. An abbreviation of ‘super’ and ‘light’, the first model available for purchase arrived in 1954 with 300 SL series-production sports car (W198), seen here nearing final production.

achieved spectacular international sales. Millionaires, actors, artists – it was often celebrities who proudly turned out in their 300 SLs and other MercedesBenz cars, raising the profile of the brand in the public eye. In a period which saw Germany rebuilding after the war, this proved of inestimable value to the company. Since the 300 SL gullwing and the 190 SL made their debuts, the SL series sports cars have consistently

set

standards

in

terms

of

technical

excellence and aesthetics. As a style icon that moves with the times, the sports car can still be seen today at international classic car rallies, in films and in prestigious collections all over the world.

Several 300SL’s made their way to South Africa and are in cherished collections including the Franschhoek Motor Museum. The coupé sported characteristic roofhinged gullwing doors and a lightweight tubular space frame from the 1953 W 194/11 prototype. The earlier Mercedes-Benz 300 SL racing car (W194) appeared to pick up where the pre-war Silver Arrow had left off 27

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Right: Automotive icons don’t come more substantial than the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL roadsters. Arguably the first true SL, the roadster had the same basic frame and drivetrain to the coupe but it projected its own aura of dignity, elegance and power.

and in the 1955 Mille Miglia, the team of John Cooper Fitch and his co-pilot Kurt Gesell drove a production SL to class victory and it won the European touring car championship in 1955 and 1956.

Motor sport was not the exclusive domain for SL’s,

however.

Mercedes-Benz

works

driver

Eugen Böhringer entered his first local and regional competitions in his own Mercedes-Benz 219 ‘Ponton’ (W105) in the mid-1950s, winning the Stuttgart Solitude Rally of 1959 and 1960. The 219 was produced in East London from 1956 to 1959 with a 6-cylinder engine and it contributed to the bulk of the company’s sales until 1962.

In the late fifties, Mercedes-Benz

improved their economy of scale by unifying its luxury and standard range in its cars, characterised by the beautifully styled, fuel injected 220SE Ponton (W128).

1961 was a seminal year for South Africa, the year in which it became a republic, and this coincided with a new generation of Mercedes-Benz 4 door ‘Fintail’ 29

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Right & Below: Development and engineering of the Mercedes-Benz 190SL was curated by the passenger car team, whilst the 300SL was created by the visionary Rudolf Uhlenhaut’s racing team. The four-cylinder engine therefore took the emphasis off of power and on to glamour. Celebrity owners jostled to be seen in the car, among them were Miles Davis, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Gina Lollobrigida, Prince Rainier of Monaco, Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergmann, Yul Brynner and Alfred Hitchcock, The 190SL was created after an intense five-month program, when a 190SL prototype emerged in time to join the new 300SL in New York.

Several modifications were made between the unveiling of the prototype and beginning of production in the spring of 1955. Although the 190SL shared the same wheelbase as the 300SL, it was based on a shortened version of Mercedes-Benz’ new 180 sedan. Its styling theme mirrored the 300SL right down to the eyebrows over the wheel arches. Options included a removable hardtop and a racing kit. The outstanding achievement of the 190SL is without a doubt its quality in design and workmanship. But a close second is the general feeling of solidity, which it immediately conveys.

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Previous: A three year contract with CDA at their plant in East London saw the first six units of the W121 and W120 being despatched on 20 Feb 1958.

Right: The Ponton cabriolet was an elegant way to travel.

(W 110) - also known as ‘Heckflosse’- models replaced the Ponton models. 190, 200 and 230 nomenclatures were assembled locally. A year later, Mercedes-Benz South Africa followed this up with 190, 190D, 220, 220S, 220SE, 300 SE (W111) models which upheld the traditions of the brands’ motor sport efforts, particularly on the rally scene. In 1961, Karl Kling drove a 220 SE ‘Fintail’ to victory in the Algiers – Lagos – Algiers rally, with Rainer Günzler as co-driver.

As confidence in the South African market grew, a new company, United Car and Diesel Distributors (Pty) Ltd (UCDD) was created in January 1962 and at a stroke, became responsible for the importation, assembly and distribution of Mercedes-Benz products.

After some difficulty in getting local suppliers up to the quality standard insisted upon by Daimler-Benz, quality improved to the level where the MercedesBenz 300SE (W112) was the most modern model in the line-up during the early 1960s. First launched as a sedan, Mercedes-Benz presented the 300 SE Coupé and the 300 SE Cabriolet versions at the 32nd Geneva 35

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Right: Importantly, the Fintail was the first car that went through extensive crashtesting. The focus was on giving the vehicle occupants the best possible protection in the event of an accident from the rigid passenger compartment and crumple zones, which was patented by Mercedes-Benz in 1951 and went into series production for the first time in these Fintail models. These South African assembled cars were introduced with a choice of petrol or diesel engines.

Below: The Fintail line-up remained unchanged until 1965 when it re-launched with the introduction of two new engines with capacities of 2.0 L and 2.3 L. Heralding in the hugely successful Fintail dynasty, named after the American style rear, adorned with two small fins placed above the tail lights.

Motor Show. Numerous innovations appeared in this car,

including

four-speed

automatic

transmission,

power steering, pneumatic suspension and a dualcircuit brake system with disc brakes on all wheels.

The two 3-litre models were improved upon throughout the course of their construction period. In the summer of 1965 the W111 and W112 ‘tailfin’ saloons were superseded by model series W108, and only the 230 S model, created by reworking model 220 Sb, continued to be built until 1968.

The

220 SE

had

outstanding

road

manners,

undoubtedly allied to the firm’s long experience in racing. The firm made significant marketing effort to separate the W112 from the W111. They even had separate sales brochures, and were presented in different showrooms. Externally the W112 cars were decorated with almost double the amount of chrome.

Safety features abound including a passenger safety cell with crumple zones, disk brakes, dual-circuit braking system padded steering wheel and safety 37

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Right: The 220SE replacement for the two-door Pontons began in 1957. Early prototypes of the coupe resembled the 230SL Pagoda, but management ultimately chose the Pail Bracq inspired bodywork seen here. Although officially still known as a Fintail, the rear end design had no chrome fin highlights. The introduction of the coupe in 1961 marked 75th anniversary of the opening of the Mercedes-Benz Museum. The almost identical convertible followed a few months later.

Below: At a time typified by Breakfast at Tiffany’s, 101 Dalmations and with Chubby Checker ‘doing the twist’ the W110’s the 190D, 200D 200, 230, etc were style icons of their era.

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Right: The stacked head-lights of the W111 is still one of motoring’s ultimate fashion statements, seen here in the Final Assembly hall at CDA in East London.

door locks to reduce injury in accidents.

The SL is a story with many sequels, and the radical continuation of the development of the SL, 230 SL (W113) caused a sensation in spring 1963, the same year that Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I have a d r e a m ” s p e e c h , a n d n i n e y e a r s a f t e r t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n of the 300 SL and 190 SL sports cars in 1954. A single successor to both these early SL models, the Roadster was characterised by its exceptional comfort, excellent performance, and exemplary handling safety. This was another eye catching model from Stuttgart, designed by Chief Designer Friedrich Geiger’s team produced a vehicle with a distinctly contemporary flair, at a time characterised by bee-hive hair-styles and Beetlemania.

It was the unusual proportions and lines of the car that differentiated the 230 SL from all others. Its dominant design feature was a removable hardtop which was lower in the middle than at the sides, reminiscent of Japanese temple architecture, and became known as 41

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Previous: It’s 1963 and Mary Quant creates the miniskirt- one of the defining fashions of the decade and Sewsunker ‘Papwa’ Sewgolum, an Indian golf caddie, won the Natal Open Golf Championship at the age of 16. The upright ‘fishbowl’ headlights and simple chrome grille, dominated by the large three-pointed star paid homage to the both the legendary 300 SL and the 190 SL that it replaced.

Right: The Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman became one of the most exclusive motor cars in the world. In its day the 600 Pullman cost more than a Rolls-Royce.

the ‘pagoda’. The 230 SL was the first sports car in the

at the 1963 Frankfurt International Motor Show where

world to feature a rigid passenger compartment with

the all-new Mercedes-Benz 600 (W100) was launched.

crumple zones in the front and rear, reflecting the

Representing state-of-the-art automotive engineering

automotive safety genius of Béla Barényi. For the first

in almost every department, it was powered by first

time in an SL, a four-speed automatic transmission

V8 fitted in a Mercedes-Benz passenger car. The

was available as an option.

list of innovations were astonishing; Air suspension

Between the high-performance 300 SL Roadster

with

variable

ride

control,

four-speed

automatic

sports car and its ‘baby brother’, the 190 SL. The result

transmission, all-round disc brakes, power-assisted

was a luxurious, two-seater tourer boasting great

steering, central locking and separate air conditioning

performance and optimum handling safety that also

systems for front and rear compartments.

demonstrated its sporting prowess. In 1963, Eugen

Popes, governments and many celebrities bought

Böhringer and Klaus Kaiser won the punishing Spa-

the

Sofia-Liège rally after a four-day non-stop run. In 1966,

Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Aristotle Onassis.

the 230 SL was succeeded by the 250 SL and in 1968,

Hugh Hefner, Aristotle Onassis and Jack Nicholson.

the 280 SL became the last version of the model series.

Essentially a custom built car, it remained in production

But Mercedes-Benz’s ever-expanding model range

from 1963 to 1981. The car purchased for South

still lacked a super prestige saloon to rival the pre-war

African State president C.R. Swart remains in the

540K Grosser 600 of the past and this was put right

MBSA heritage collection.

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600,

including

Coco

Chanel,

John

Lennon,

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Right: The 1963–1981 Mercedes-Benz 600 was the only cost-no-object production Mercedes ever built and the official press release of the day summed it up: ‘The ‘Super Mercedes’ Model 600 – the exclusive vehicle for grand representation.’ It’s a clear link with the company’s prewar tradition of luxuriously appointed cars, like the 300 ‘Adenauer’. Paul Bracq, the 600’s designer, graduated from the École Boulle, the famous art and design school in Paris and he created an engine-driven hydraulic system to control the windows, the front and rear power seats, the fresh-air ventilation system, door closure, trunk closure, the sunroof, and suspension damping. It was dreamed up as a way to provide the car with absolutely silent accessory operation, and it is, in a word, amazing. Used by South African presidents from 1974 up till F.W. de Klerk retired the car, the 600 short wheel base eventually fell into neglect and has since been restored by the training division of MBSA and is now in the MBSA Heritage centre. Mrs. Bridget Oppenheimer, the wife of Harry Openheimer of the De Beers and AngloAmerican acquired a 600 SWB in June 1971 and it to resides in the MBSA Heritage centre.

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