What is a luxury car? Many manufacturers claim to produce the utmost in premium and luxurious vehicles, but how do we actually define one? Is it the performance? Or the comfort it provides maybe? Or even the quality of the materials? In my eyes, the definition of a luxury car is the Mercedes W100 600 Grosser — a vehicle so advanced that it performs even better than more modern alternatives, despite coming out of the factory more than 50 years ago.

Introduced at the 1963 International Frankfurt Motor Show, the Grosser was an immediate hit with celebrities such as Elvis Presley and John Lenon, but also controversial dictators like Nicolae Ceauşescu and Saddam Hussein. It was also a showcase of what’s possible when a carmaker is ready to spend considerable amounts of money to make a vehicle as impressive as can be. And, make no mistake, the W100 600 Grosser is a technological tour-de-force, even by today’s standards.

It was also huge; Grosser in German means big, and the sedan more than fitted that name, measuring 245.7-inch (6,240 mm) long, 76.8-inch (1,950 mm) wide, and 59.4-inch (1,510 mm) high. For reference, that’s 30” longer than the H1 Hummer or the latest Mercedes Maybach S-Class!

Nonetheless, the W100 600 Grosser was also a very complex car with systems you just won’t find in any other vehicle, making it quite hard to maintain.  But let’s get into more detail and see what made Mercedes’ best luxury car that special!

When Money Was No Object

Interestingly, despite being such a rare car, the Grosser received quite a few variants. For instance, the manufacturer released a short-wheelbase model designed to be owner-driven (although not exactly short at 218.1 inches long) and a long-wheelbase model, of which only 428 units were made, split further into four-door and six-door models. Still, the rarest Grosser of them all was the Landaulet half convertible — only 59 of them were ever sold.

And the most impressive thing is that Mercedes-Benz engineered every Grosser variant separately, and each was handmade. The German brand didn’t even try to cut corners on the development and production — the only thing it cared about was making the best sedan in the world. Yup, that also includes Rolls-Royces from that era!

Of course, to claim that title, the W100 600 Grosser needed an engine that would fit the bill. Consequently, Merc opted for an advanced 6.3-liter V8 that was used even in some of its modern cars, adding quite a few improvements in the process.

Worth mentioning, each engine was also made by hand as Mercedes stood by its “One Man, One Engine” mantra. The task was quite lengthy and expensive, but in the end, you got a powerhouse made by a single human being.

Furthermore, the engine features ‘mechanical’ fuel injectors instead of the usual carburetors of the era, providing more power and much better fuel efficiency. Still, the most important part about the 600 Grosser is that the head engineers decided on a very complex hydraulic assistance system, responsible for powering all interior features and even the suspension.

Let’s have a closer look at the arrangement!

Hydraulics > Electronics

The Grosser’s hydraulic system worked at 3,200 psi and powered every feature in total silence. For instance, opening the windows on the luxury sedan is super quick and completely silent, unlike modern electric windows, which tend to be pretty noisy in most vehicles.

There was a “small” problem, though. Indeed, the hydraulics were so powerful that the windows could have easily chopped a passenger’s hand — safety was clearly not a concern in the ’60s! Apart from the windows, the hydraulics also powered the sunroof, seats, and the automatic doors and boot lid.

But why hasn’t Mercedes used electric motors for each of those features? Back in those days, electrical systems weren’t as compact and lightweight as they are today. As Werner Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz in the 1980s, said:

“The problem was space and weight because, amongst other things, we would have needed a second battery. The advantage of the high-pressure hydraulics system that had been developed was that precisely because of its high pressures, it was able to get by with small elements. The hydraulics system was simply smaller, quieter, and lighter than electrical systems that existed in those days.”

The hydraulic system consisted of ten single-action cylinders, twelve double-action hydraulic cylinders, six self-resetting single-action units, thirty hydraulic switches, a pump, a reservoir, and an accumulator, all tied together with 1/8-inch lines.

The most significant advantage of this system was that it was reliable and could be used even when the engine was switched off, without having to worry about draining the battery. For example, under the hood of the Grosser sit a hydraulic pump powered by the V8 engine when it’s running. Still, a tiny actuator filled with hydraulic fluid and nitrogen stores enough pressure to open or close the windows up to ten times, even after turning off the engine.

Super-Comfortable Ride and Luxurious Interior

The Mercedes W100 600 Grosser was made with three primary things in mind — to offer maximum comfort to its passengers, lead the industry in terms of safety, and offer decent enough performances for high-speed driving to run away from the press, paparazzis, and even contract killers if needed.

The 600’s supercharged V8 linked to a four-speed automatic gearbox produced 250 hp, which may not seem like much by today’s standard but it was pretty good for the time. Still, despite weighing around 3 tons, the Grosser was able to maintain triple-digit speeds without a problem and cross the 60 mph mark in less than 10 seconds — not bad for such a huge vehicle.

The suspension system was equally advanced, featuring special airbags working together with the hydraulics to provide unprecedented levels of comfort. The exclusive suspension was also self-leveling and kept the luxurious sedan level in corners. As a result, the ride was super-smooth, and the 600 Grosser stayed agile in the corners, despite its rather large size.

According to car collector Jay Leno, who’s lucky enough to own one, the 600 Grosser is the most comfortable and best-handling luxury vehicle ever made, and we have no reason not to trust him!

Furthermore, the Grosser was fitted with multi-zone climate control, power-operated windows, seats, locks, and even a standard power-operated sunroof. But of course, all of these things were offered as standard features since the hydraulic system was already in place, so why not use it? Such a mindset is in direct contrast with today’s luxury cars, where the list of add-ons and optional accessories is frequently much longer than what’s offered as standard equipment.

There were still a few options, though. For instance, Mercedes offered an optional built-in phone, a minibar, refrigerated storage compartments, and a dedicated place to store your pipe — keep in mind that smoking was quite mainstream in the ’60s.

In addition, every single trim inside this mammoth was handmade entirely of high-quality wood and leather, with no plastic used whatsoever.

Ultra-Expensive and Complicated to Maintain

As you’d expect from any ultra-luxury car with a tailor-made hydraulic system, maintenance-related costs were already astronomical at the time, and now more than ever. Since the Grosser wasn’t mass-produced, spare parts alone can cost as much as a new vehicle. For example, a replacement power window switch for the 600 Grosser can now fetch up to $11,000!

Not to forget the hassles you’d have to go through to find actual replacement parts if you owned the car today. And even if you were lucky enough to find what you are looking for, the next challenge would be to find a technician who knows the ins and outs of a Grosser (I’m not even sure if there was ever a Mercedes repair manual published for the Grosser but I’d sure like to have a look at it). The hydraulic system must maintain a pressure of 3200 psi, enough to pierce through flesh and bones, so whoever is working on this Merc needs to know what he’s doing.

Last Words

Mercedes has quite a few luxury cars in its portfolio today, but none comes close to the uniqueness of the 600 Grosser. Even the newest S-Class uses the same electrical and safety systems as other luxury cars, like the BMW 7 Series and Audi A8, since every German manufacturer sources them from Bosch. So, whatever technology Bosch pushes into the mainstream will be made available to all — even Rolls-Royce uses most of those same systems!

Meanwhile, the Grosser was equipped with tailor-made technology that wasn’t made available in any other car, regardless of the era. Besides, every system was engineered and manufactured to perfection and operated like clockwork.

It’s no wonder that the 600 Grosser made its owners feel special. A direct testament to this claim is the fact that history’s most dreaded dictators, famous statesmen, and mafia bosses owned one, including Nicolae Ceauşescu, Enver Hoxha, Idi Amin Dada, Leonid Brezhnev, Saddam Hussein, Papa Doc Duvalier, Chairman Mao, Marshal Josip Broz Tito, Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Ferdinand Marcos.

The fact that those infamous names all roamed around in the 600 Grosser is proof enough that it gave them the ‘high’ they were looking for. No luxury car in history would ever be able to beat that record!

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz W100 600 Grosser