Anyone who thinks they are driving the most exclusive of all Mercedes S-Classes in a Maybach is floating on rose-colored clouds and is mistaken. For over six decades, the automotive benchmark—with or without the star—has been the Pullman version. In the current W223 series, the automotive climax is simply unavailable. This is reason enough to take a reflective glance back in the gently curved side mirror.
When one hears the name “Pullman,” luxurious train carriages come to mind, complete with sleeping compartments, plush curtains, cozy pillows, and perhaps a Mercedes 600 from the W100 series. That often black luxury model was much more than a particularly noble limousine in the top league. In the late 1950s, Mercedes sought a state limousine for maximum representation alongside the standard S-Class, which at that time didn’t even carry that designation. After three special builds of the Type 300 in 1960, the 600 was officially introduced three years later, starting production in 1964, and by early 1965, two armoured luxury versions had entered the fleet of the federal government. From 1965 until the early 1990s, the Federal Republic of Germany offered its state guests only the best of the best—the legendary Mercedes 600 Pullman from the W100 series. “For a long time, the 600 was considered the best car in the world,” reflected Peter Schellhammer years ago, who was responsible for the 600 at Mercedes for decades. “A total of 2,677 models of the 600 were produced. Of those, 428 were delivered as Pullmans and 59 as Landaulets.” The development of the 600, led by Dr. Ing. Fritz Nallinger, lasted from 1956 to 1963, with the goal of building a “large travel and representation vehicle” that would simply become the best car of all time.
Unique among them were the two state limousines of the German federal government. Black and heavily armoured, they still stand as a testament to an emerging and far from ostentatious Federal Republic. The 600 fit the Federal Republic as perfectly as Villa Hammerschmidt, Bonn as the capital and the four occupying powers. The driver of that time, Wolfgang Wöstendieck, and his Mercedes 600 Pullman with the stylish license plate S – VC 600 were as closely associated with many state guests as Helmut Schmidt, Willy Brandt, or Hans-Dietrich Genscher. For even though political currents over the years exchanged people and officials, Wöstendieck and his black 600 were always ready for safe transport during nearly every visit. Usually, the route was from Cologne-Bonn Airport to Bonn, the villa and consulate district of Bad Godesberg, or to the guesthouse on the Petersberg. Wolfgang Wöstendieck drove these routes countless times during his 116 state visits, knowing Bonn’s neighbourhoods and the winding approach to the Petersberg as well as his own four walls. The journey often moved at a slow pace, as the escort, protocol, and the 4.5 tons of empty weight placed a firm corset on any desire for speed. Special tires and the heavy armour of the two state limousines meant that the already impressive limousine driving performance of the early 1960s became a secondary concern in the armoured version.
For decades, there have been further Pullman versions based on the 100 series, such as the classic W126, the maximum W140, or the more understated successor W220. Each based on the respective Mercedes S-Class in XXL format for maximum luxury and equally grand public presentation of their occupants—often as armored versions. Arriving in a Pullman signifies a desire to showcase that one is removed from the ordinary world—usually not just in terms of automotive luxury. Currently, there is no Pullman version of the latest Mercedes S-Class (W223), making the previous generation W222, specifically the Maybach S 650 Pullman, the last to delight its occupants with maximum luxury, gigantic dimensions, soft Nappa interior, and a gently purring V12 engine. As always with the Pullman, the customer has complete freedom in how their dream car should be presented. Whether the interior is upholstered in Nappa or semi-aniline leather in colours like Amaretto, Porcelain, Silk Beige, Corteccia, or Mahogany is determined in personal discussions at the Center of Excellence in Sindelfingen or directly with the customer, along with the choice of harmonious woods or the colour of the discreet partition window.
Walnut, piano lacquer, open-pore ash, or perhaps high-gloss for the pampered eye? The boundaries of what is possible are fluid and blur somewhere near the technical horizon and away from any price lists. What cannot be sourced from the exclusively designed drawers of Sindelfingen filled with material and colour samples is simply created by hand as a bespoke piece. If a customer brings their own colour samples, wants family crests integrated into leather, lacquer, or wood, or desires a multi-tone finish, their wishes beyond the 500,000-euro mark are gladly accommodated.
There has never been a Pullman off the shelf, and the Mercedes Maybach S 650 Pullman of the W222 generation is no exception. At 6.52 meters long, it offers ample space to make every unusual wish an automotive reality. It is understood that such a luxury model requires several months of planning and handcrafting, consistent with what one expects from similar luxury models from Bentley or Rolls-Royce. The three tons of empty weight of this super S-Class are felt more by the chauffeur walking in the footsteps of Wolfgang Wöstendieck through the substantial wheelbase of 4.42 meters than by the charged V12 turbo with six litres of displacement, 453 kW / 630 hp, and 1,000 Nm of maximum torque, which purrs as quietly as a modern electric model while providing a similar thrust when desired. At the customer’s request, this leviathan can reach speeds of 210 km/h, and even at maximum highway speeds, occupants in this rolling one-room apartment hardly notice anything thanks to a cornucopia of soundproofing material. That the seats can be climate-controlled and adjusted electrically into a lying area is self-evident, as are the rear doors that can be operated at the push of a button, which in everyday life are usually opened by the staff after one has enjoyed a massage and rested one’s head on soft leather cushions. If desired, the Pullman rear can even accommodate four people, as two leather-covered emergency seats slide out in opposite directions at the push of a button—typically used for protocol staff or security personnel.
Anyone looking at the black body of the original 100 series next door with its magnificent chrome elements sees, despite all the aerodynamics, altered proportions, and the unusually light paint of the W222, many similarities. The greatest of these is the elegance, which is emphasised not only by the seemingly endless length. The 600 Pullman of yesteryear was not for everyone—no matter how wealthy they may have been. Particularly popular were those long versions available with four and six doors. Distinguished guests didn’t enjoy the visual protection of tinted windows as they do today; instead, they shielded themselves from prying eyes with gray curtains. Today, those curtains rise and fall at the push of a button in seconds. But back then, the sight protection often remained neatly folded, allowing enjoyment of views from both sides of the glass. To present themselves particularly advantageously to photographers and curious onlookers, not only the two state limousines were equipped with orange lights in the ceiling that emitted a particularly warm glow. Today, this is taken care of—if desired—by ambient lighting or a trusted makeup artist.
At market launch in 1964, entry into the world of the rich and beautiful cost at least 56,000 Deutsche Marks; the long version started at a minimum of 63,500 Marks. Even back then, special requests such as armrests, radios, record players, humidors, or an electric razor in the centre console significantly increased the price, while the cost of an unarmored Maybach S 650 Pullman of the current generation starts at over 700,000 euros, with no ceiling in sight. Back then as now, it’s good that the roof has been raised by a few centimetres.
