Plate II · W109 · Saloon

1972Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3

A wolf in cathedral robes.

Beneath the formal lines of a state limousine, Mercedes hid the largest engine it had ever fitted to a passenger car — a 6.3 litre V8 lifted from the 600 Grosser. It could outrun nearly every supercar of its day while transporting a head of state in upholstered silence. Just over six thousand were ever built. The 300 SEL 6.3 is, to collectors, the original gentleman’s express, and a permanent fixture at Pebble Beach.