Ukraine is one of the biggest connoisseurs of Mercedes-Benz. In the history of this brand and many models, which should be treated with sverhsrochnoy. For example, the 1966 Mercedes-Benz 600 Sedan from Chapron with a fully glass roof.
In principle, all Mercedes-Benz 600 of the mid-20th century are special, but this model is undoubtedly more special than the rest. 2677 among all 600 of this generation was the one under the number 293, whose fate made him a contender for the title of most expensive road car, built in 1966. It was built for the eccentric Armenian oil magnate named Nubar Gulbenkian (son Calouste Calouste Gulbenkian), which originally went directly to Mercedes-Benz with a request to build a 600 with a fully glass roof. When Mercedes-Benz did not approve of his strange request, Nubar instead ordered a standard limousine 600 French dealer under a false name, taking matters into their own hands. After delivery he was sent to the Paris automaker , Henri Chapron for the modifications, including the aforementioned glass roof. Donor cost Subaru 82 000 drams (Armenian currency), but its modification was huge – 100,000 drams, which is equivalent in today’s money would be over a million dollars.
Let a full glass roof can be considered quite luxurious attribute even a luxury sedan, but this would not be enough for the above written title. And you see, such a roof I would like to use that Nubar had planned to do. The main purpose of the roof – beautiful view from the window, so that its owner could look at the stars, the rear seats were made so that they can be folded into a double bed. Facilities at the salon you can also glass in the rear doors, which were made in such a way that they frame you can manage, in order to create a flow of fresh air – in short, a system like the Lada air vents on the front doors. For personal pleasure was equipped with special holders for tobacco pipesand mini-bar between the seats.
At the same time, which is unusual for 600 of those years, no wooden inserts oblitsovyvayutsya interior and luxurious leather, which is literally everywhere. From Frank wonders for this car you can notice the speedometer and a couple of sensors installed in the rear compartment. According to the owner, this is to monitor the driving process. Apparently the auxiliary mirror on the passenger door as well so. As you can see, this man was obsessed with details: from reading lights to the curtains in the whole roof. Outwardly, the car was no different from the usual 600-th of those years, except that the color was very attractive, which was unusual for this model, which is mainly painted in black. Under the hood is also unchanged – it’s almost silent, which develops 300 HP with only 250 wheel, as 50 of them eats the hydraulic suspension system.
Nubar Gulbenkian died in 1972. But it is an amazing event for this 600th did not stop, because Nubar bequeathed the car to my Portuguese gardener, who worked at his home in Cannes. After taking possession of the car, his new owner sent him home to Portugal, and left him in the warehouse where he remained for the next 30 years. Despite the significantly long simple, after the final transition to the next owner of the car allegedly 600 needed only minimal maintenance and cleaning to 100 percent to bring it into working condition. After the third owner, the Spanish scientist josé Mira, the car was purchased in September 2019 in a private collection of a certain Mr. Scaraggi for 342,500 euros, where he is to this day in excellent condition, except that the area of the glass roof in the cracks, alas. Another son of the World Jose Miguel told me that, unfortunately, almost impossible to repair this area without replacing the entire glass panel, but also to find someone who can make this glass is today, the task is even more difficult.
Every Mercedes-Benz 600 is a special car, but this example is undoubtedly more special than most, and deserves serious consideration by fans of Mercedes-Benz.
Photo: Tom Wood (rmsothebys), Robb Pritchard (petrolicious).
