For the ultimate Jekyll and Hyde experience, why not take a spin in the classic Mercedes 600? Adored by superstars and beloved by dictators, Sarum Hydraulics explores the Cold War Monster that was as brilliant as it was ostentatious.

People who consider themselves slightly vintage ought to remember the Mercedes 600, the super-sophisticated supercar that dominated the uber-luxury car scene for years and still commands hearts and minds of Mercedes fanatics today. Forget Maybach! Mercedes were there in 1963.

The 600, which came in various forms, had an exclusive and colourful fan base. From the massive saloon favoured by hippy and psychedelic member of the Fab Four John Lennon, to the long wheel base Pullman version favoured by despots and world leaders alike, whether you were Elvis Presley, Robert Mugabe, or the Pope himself, the clientele list demanding the 600 was as Jekyll and Hyde as the car they sought.

Carrying a hefty price tag ensuring that only those in positions of supreme power and privilege could afford it, the car also weighed in at a hefty 2600 kg. To cope with the vehicles sheer poundage, Mercedes developed a whopping 6.3 litre V8 engine to drive it along, an engine so powerful that is still considered a masterpiece today.

With the Teutonic thoroughness that they are known and loved for, Mercedes opted to use a 150 bar, engine-driven hydraulic system to operate the windows, recline the seats, adjust the ventilation, shut the boot lid and even close the doors. One simply can’t have the chauffeur overhear all that revolutionary plotting and dodgy deals, but luckily, Mercedes thought of that too – the 600 even featured a privacy screen for the passenger compartment, operated by – you guessed it – the hydraulic system.

Given that the 600 was brought into production some 40 years before the days of super-miniature cylinders and tiny solenoid valves which are now common place on modern sun roofs, the hydraulic system in this glorious vehicle are nothing short of sophisticated engineering witchcraft. The hydraulic control valves are either direct lever or button operated, and piped up to be as close to the passenger as possible. Today, engineers would likely select electrical switches, probably locating them near the door arm rest, which in turn would control the solenoid valves on a remote hydraulic power pack in the boot. Power Packer make a great range of all these miniature hydraulic components found in almost every range of cars from manufacturers the world over.  The MB 600 window control valve sounds a particular challenge, with a double acting cylinder for each window and the need for full flow rate to lower the window as quickly as possible but also variable flow to raise the window too. If you push the button softly, the window will creep up. Press fully and it will positively whizz up. Life was certainly different pre Health and Safety days.

How times change. By the 1980’s when push buttons became the automobile mainstream, electric motors and actuators quickly became the optimum solution.

Nowadays, the question, as ever, is where does one stop? Electric windows are demonstrably rather tame, featuring just one motor in each. The driving mirrors on most cars will have at least two motors for the two planes of adjustment, plus another one if the mirror is parked back or up when parked. An electric seat adjuster can be more excessive still, with some half a dozen motors regularly being used. Customers, suppliers and our 23 year old marketing coordinator are incredulous that Sarum Hydraulics owns a vehicle with hand wind up windows! A rare beast indeed, and one that might well soon go extinct.

One thing that won’t be going extinct any time soon though is the Mercedes 600. Still available beautifully restored to recapture a lost era, and retailing for around £60,000 on a good day, Mercedes sophisticated hydraulic system is as serious today as it was when it first arrived onto the scene, thanks to the sheer inventiveness and no-nonsense design of the Daimler Benz when they developed these amazing cars in the 1960s and 70s.

Sarum Hydraulics loves designing miniature manual hydraulics for actuating brakes, levers or even vehicle seats. To have a look at what we do, or to give us a spin in your Mercedes 600, why not visit us at www.sarum-hydraulics.co.uk