Mercedes-Benz W07 “Grand Mercedes’ Type 770 Pullman , 1930 – 1938

The “Grand Mercedes” Type 770 (W 07)

Following the Nürburg 460 model of 1928, Mercedes-Benz went on to develop special-protection variants of its successors in the luxury prestige segment.

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The next vehicle which Mercedes-Benz offered in a version with factory-integrated armour was the Type 770 “Grand Mercedes” which was launched in 1930. It was launched as a competitor to the Maybach “Zeppelin”

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The first series of the “Grand Mercedes 770” was produced from 1930 till 1938 and had the internal code W07. This is the Pullman version of the type 770. The main objective of this model was to be a market challenge for Maybach Zeppelin, the novelty of the same year. The price for this luxury car reached 41 thousand Reichsmarks.

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Notable characteristics of this model included rigid front and rear axles, which were attached to a ladder frame consisting of U-section‑profiles by means of semi-elliptical springs.

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Powering the luxurious car was an inline 8 cylinder engine with volume of 7655 cc. The engine gave out 150 hp (110kW) at 2800 rev / min without supercharging. Supercharged power rose to 200 hp (150kW), which accelerates the car to 160 km / h. Transmission consisted of four stages, and the fourth was accelerating. Suspension on semi-elliptic leaf springs provided a smooth and comfortable driving even at high speeds.

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Between March 1932 and January 1935, the Japanese imperial court took delivery of at least six “Grand Mercedes” models in Pullman limousine guise. Japanese Emperor Hirohito personally selected an armored “Grand Mercedes” as a vehicle befitting his status – this limousine, which was delivered in 1935, can be seen in the Mercedes-Benz Museum collection in Untertürkheim since 1971. Many politicians and heads of state followed the Emperor’s example and placed their trust in Mercedes-Benz special-protection vehicles.

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The Grosser-Pullman was a beautiful exaggeration of comfort and luxury with a minutely hand-made and finished body and ample interior that provided seating for up to six.

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While its looks were very similar to that of its stablemates, the Pullman had longer coachwork. The rear seating compartment was huge at the time with a choice of either one or two seat rows.

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The middle seat-row could be configured as to face the rear one, feature which allowed for face-to-face discussions and plenty of other entertaining activities during long trips.

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The front end sported a finely crafted large grille flanked by two circular headlights linked through a transverse bar.

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The 770 was designed primarily for high-ranking officials, including the owners of the car were: Japanese Emperor Hirohito, Pope Pius XI, reich prezident Paul von Hindenburg, 1931 Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goering, Wilhelm II in exile.

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During the release of the first series (W07) from 1930 to 1938, Mercedes-Benz produced 119 cars and only 42 of them accounted as Pullman-Limousines. Japanese Emperor Hirohito bought the 117 th Mercedes-Benz W07.

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The Mercedes-Benz ‘Grand Mercedes’, 770 model (W 07), was the most luxurious car in the range of models being built in Stuttgart at that time. This top-class vehicle was available with or without a compressor, although only a few customers opted for the tamer version without a compressor.

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Mercedes-Benz 770 ‘Super Mercedes’, W 07, had a lot of new technology such as:

  • First Mercedes-Benz series production car with an 8-cylinder supercharged engine
  • Dual ignition system with two spark plugs per cylinder (high-voltage magneto ignition and battery ignition)