Mercedes-Benz builds new armoured Pullman State Limousine

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Mercedes-Benz builds new armoured Pullman State Limousine

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February 27, 2007 Mercedes-Benz is developing a new, armoured luxury limousine designed to carry business tycoons, government ministers, monarchs and heads of state. The new Mercedes-Benz S 600 Guard Pullman Limousine will be based on the extended wheelbase S 600 to provide a level of roominess worthy of its high-ranking occupants. Originally, the term “Pullman” derived from the luxuriously appointed rail cars produced by the American Pullman Palace Car Company before it was borrowed to describe Mercedes-Benz cars with an extra-long wheelbase and an extremely large passenger compartment in the rear. The first Mercedes-Benz to be factory-fitted with armoured protection was the 1928 W 08/460 Nurburg model which was modified to create the first Popemobile for Pope Pius XI in 1930. Similarly, heads of state such as Emperor Wilhelm II and Emperor Hirohito became customers during the thirties with the creation of the 770K, beginning a long lineage of Pullmans which were used to safely transport heads of State. Power is provided by a 5513cc twelve-cylinder biturbo engine with an output of 380kW/517 hp and an impressive peak torque of 830 Nm. The first editions of the new Mercedes-Benz State Limousine are due to be delivered in late 2008 with a full range of options including a fully equipped mobile office, all the communications and entertainment equipment required plus secure, comfortable, individually-styled surroundings for discreet meetings.

Both the chassis and the body are new developments, since simply adding on an extension would not have ensured the required overall stability, given the extra-long wheelbase. These new developments also provide the solid design basis for the installation of the heavy special-protection components. In addition, the new State Limousine features a rear entrance with increased headroom. Behind the partition, there is space for four passengers in the rear compartment with luxurious face-to-face seats in the time-honoured Pullman tradition.

The Mercedes-Benz S 600 Guard Pullman also offers its discerning passengers the highest possible degree of protection against terrorist attacks. The Highest Protection specified for this car is equivalent to resistance level B6/B7, as tested and certified by state-approved organisations. Plus it meets further requirements that are not even stipulated by any standard, as tested by public and independent organisations. Its armour resists military-standard small-arms projectiles and provides protection against fragments from hand grenades and other explosive devices. Additional safety features include run-flat tyres, a self-sealing fuel tank and a fire-extinguishing system.

In order to achieve the highest possible degree of protection, specialists with many years of experience in security technology equip the Pullman Limousine in Sindelfingen, working on the principle of integrated special protection. In effect this means that, rather than retrofitting the protective elements in the doors, rear wall, side panels, roof lining and firewall, etc. of an already finished vehicle, they fully integrate them into the bodyshell. Hence the body structure is further reinforced. The resulting vehicles offer hallmark Mercedes-Benz build quality combined with comprehensive Highest Protection, including in those areas where retrofits would be all but impossible. The basis for this is long-standing, continuous and close cooperation with nationally and internationally recognised security authorities. Over a period of decades, this collaboration has ensured that the production and development expertise of the Mercedes specialists has continued to grow. Their vast experience in the fields of protection technology and ballistics enables them to react to changing requirements in the most effective way possible.

Thanks to seamless integration of the special-protection features, the paint quality and corrosion protection match the high standards of conventional Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. Furthermore, the Pullman Limousines can be serviced at any Mercedes-Benz service outlet world-wide – a key aspect of the comprehensive, uncomplicated high-level service concept.

It goes without saying that every new Mercedes-Benz S 600 Guard Pullman will display its own unique brand of styling thanks to an extensive range of appointments options including a choice of paint finishes, leathers and woods. Even the most unusual of customer requests can be met.

The Popemobile

The Mercedes-Benz gifted to Pope Pius XI in 1930 was the beginning of close relations between the Vatican and the Stuttgart-based motor manufacturer. In the decades that followed, Mercedes-Benz regularly presented the Vatican with automobiles which had been extensively converted for the pope. During the last 25 years, television and newspaper photos made the popemobiles based on Mercedes-Benz offroaders from the G-Class and M-Class particularly well known. Especially the travels of Pope John Paul II made the offroaders, finished in the papal colors mother-of-pearl and gold and fitted with the characteristic glass cupola, famous throughout the world. However, the landaulets and limousines based on the S-Class equally form part of the pope’s public appearances.

The Mercedes-Benz Nürburg and the current papal car, an M-Class with special bodywork, are the cornerstones of the brand history of automobiles from Stuttgart specially manufactured for the Holy Father. The first modern model after World War II was a Mercedes-Benz 300 d – the “Adenauer-Mercedes” – handed over to Pope John XXIII by rep-resentatives from Untertürkheim in 1960, 30 years after Pope Pius XI’s trial run in the Nürburg. The Mercedes-Benz 300 d had been converted into a landaulet with extended wheelbase – with a soft-top above the rear compartment and a hard-top above the front seats.

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