Thursday 18th June 2015

Mercedes 600 Pullman Grosser: Spotted

If there's any better way to arrive at a board meeting then we've not found it yet

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Though everyone tries to avoid them, it's inevitable that we sometimes resort to car stereotypes. We all have in mind what a Prius owner is like, how someone who drives a Lamborghini will behave and whether we would want so spend time with an M3 man.

Your eyes don't deceive - it's gigantic!

Whatever, if there's one that's sustained longer than most it's that bad, bad people drive Mercedes 600 Grossers. Look at the list of owners: Saddam Hussein, Nicolae Ceausescu, Idi Amin, Kim Jong-Il, Enver Hoxha, Mao, Jeremy Clarkson. Oh sure, respectable individuals such as Jamiroquai, Jay Leno and George Harrison are also on the list but the evil of the others is just more memorable. Put it this way: how quickly would you move out of the way if one arrived behind you?

This 600 Grosser also has a notorious name on its papers, that of Emperor Bokassa. He was dictator of the Central African Republic and, amongst other things, spent the entire GDP of the nation on his coronation. Then there was the cannibalism trial, the imprisonment over child murder, the embezzled money... You can read more details of Bokassa here but suffice to say he is not the most savoury character.

But a great taste in cars at least. How does having a murderous dictator as a former owner influence the decision here? One for the forum discussion surely... The car at least is superb, preserved impeccably by the warm, dry African climate and specced nigh-on perfectly in black (what else?) with tan leather.

Welcome aboard sir...

The ad describes the Grosser as "complicated, artful and glorious", which it's hard to disagree with. Look at that interior! Beautifully presented and exquisite leather, yards of the finest wood and then gleaming, lustrous paint outside. 'Magnificent' is probably an overused term in describing cars but it seems entirely apposite here.

Now of course running a 40-year-old, £300,000 luxury saloon will never be a cheap endeavour but there's a special caveat with a Grosser in its hydraulics. Everything from the sunroof to the seats to the damping is hydraulic. It does away with noisy electric motors to ensure complete silence and tranquility in the car's operation. Apparently it is very reliable provided it's serviced properly. No, really. See here.

Is there anything to compare a Grosser with? Bentleys and Rolls-Royces of the 70s can't really compete with this level of opulence and it could be easily argued that a modern alternative is nowhere near as cool. And the ownership history? Er, perhaps suggest some papers are missing...

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MERCEDES-BENZ 600 PULLMAN GROSSER
Engine: 6,329cc, V8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 250@4,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 370@2,800rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1976
Recorded mileage: 26,000
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £295,000

See original ad here.

[Sources: CarandDriver, Wikipedia, M-100]

 

[KTF]

More details on the inner workings of the thing here: http://blog.caranddriver.com/grosser-gravy-10-thin...

Edited by KTF on Thursday 18th June 15:24

[Dinoboy]

Always loved these but I'd have a SWB.

[RoverP6B]

Utterly magnificent, but even Clarkson found it eye-wateringly expensive to run. His - like the one I'd have in my notional dream Leno-sized garage - had thankfully never been owned by such a despot.

[Leithen]

As a father of three children under the age of 5, it's undoubtedly the perfect family car.

Kids in the back with grandparent/nanny/Au Pair. Mum and Dad in the front with dividing screen up and music at the right level to drown out any residual noise from the rear compartment....

Ahhh, one can dream....

[Strawman]

Dinoboy said:

Always loved these but I'd have a SWB.

Agreed, easier to park and go around corners. The one in Trading Places for example

[Dinoboy]

Strawman said:

Dinoboy said:

Always loved these but I'd have a SWB.

Agreed, easier to park and go around corners. The one in Trading Places for example

Or a sport coupe even easier to park.

[SFO]

fabulous.

looks new

[suffolk009]

Strawman said:

Dinoboy said:

Always loved these but I'd have a SWB.

Agreed, easier to park and go around corners. The one in Trading Places for example

I think the assumption is that one employs a discreet chap to do the driving.

I like the SWB cars - I think Bo Derek used one as a wedding car in 10. IIRC.

I was actually looking at these (with my imaginary EuroMills win) last week. I chose the bright blue one for sale elsewhere. Although I have no idea what the difference is between a Grosser and a "Pullman". Either would be perfect for those shopping trips in Mayfair. http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C626020

ETA: pic.

Edited by suffolk009 on Thursday 18th June 16:54

Edited by suffolk009 on Thursday 18th June 16:57

[Chris Stott]

The coupe is mega cool... though it would have to be the full LWB despot version for me.

[m444ttb]

Chris Stott said:

The coupe is mega cool... though it would have to be the full LWB despot version for me.

And driven by a real life version of Parker from Thunderbirds!

[iacabu]

Dinoboy said:

Now that I like!

[Strawman]

For sunny days there is also the Landaulet version

[Chris Stott]

Strawman said:

For sunny days there is also the Landaulet version

Wibble!

[Richard A]

Strawman said:

For sunny days there is also the Landaulet version

I'm intrigued by the Tatra 603 style air inlet above the rear wheel arch.

I prefer W100 to Grosser... which sounds a bit gross and seems to be quite a recent innovation when referring to these beauties.

[Axionknight]

Dinoboy said:

Or a sport coupe even easier to park.

That is cool as fk.

[Dinoboy]

Strawman said:

For sunny days there is also the Landaulet version

And for ones final journey.

[Strawman]

Richard A said:

I'm intrigued by the Tatra 603 style air inlet above the rear wheel arch.

Good spot, I don't know what it is for, airflow for the rear compartment air conditioning condenser?

[rtz62]

Ok, I'll be the first nay-sayer.
I nice example of a Grosser I grant you.
However.
The most expensive one for sale in the good old US of A, is $300k.
Yep, that £189k of Her Majesty's currency.
Ok, add shipping etc, but that's still a helluva saving.
May I suggest that despite its claims to have had a previous owner only marginally more (or less??) notorious than Clarkson, it is typical of the overheated UK market that people are asking ludicrous prices, and sadly for some, the odd person feels they 'must' pay it.
I predict tears at bedtime when the market bubble bursts.......
Or should I have entered this in the alternative column "tell me I'm wrong".....?

[Strawman]

It's a fair point but more generally aimed at the premium classic car market than this particular model. There was a thread somewhere on this vast site more than a year ago arguing that the CC market was bubble prime to pop, I argued it wouldn't any time soon and time has showed I was correct, so far. Peering into the future I am less sure about a market correction but doubt these will plummet in value given how few were ever built. If I had the money would I buy one that was previously owned by such a disgusting person? No.

[Dapster]

Strawman said:

For sunny days there is also the Landaulet version

If you fancy a winter project then you'll need deep pockets. How much do you think this went for?




http://www.rmauctions.com/pa14/paris/lots/1971-mer...

You'll probably need the same again to get it into concours condition given that you'll be shelling out £12,000 per hydraulic window switch.




If you prefer something that you can slip into straight away and get on with subjugating the peasants, then have a look at this. "POA" sounds a bit ominous though....




http://www.brabus.com/cars4sale/car_600Pullman.htm...