There was once a very renowned, now deceased Dutch entrepreneur, whose name still no one knows. But we are working on that! That entrepreneur decided he wanted to drive Mercedes-Benz. Before that, he abandoned his preference for Rolls-Royces. He liked the Mercedes, but he thought a 300 SEL 6.3 was a bit boring. And what do you do if the money doesn't really matter? Then just contact Mercedes-Benz to order a special. When Mercedes thought the idea was a bit strange, the mysterious multinational tycoon - and what DOES know is that it was NOT Freddy Heineken - contacted Pininfarina. Some drawings were sent and Pininfarina got the green light. And so the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 Pinifarina was born, which we found at Ibalo in the Hof van Twenthe. The car, the one-of-a-kind, has just arrived and is not even for sale yet.
A salient detail is that the car was previously for sale at a dealer in the Netherlands. We spent - yes - number 6 of 1991 on that Auto Motor Klassiek attention, the car was even allowed on the cover.
A Mercedes-Benz in a suit for four tons
Reportedly, the 1969 Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 Pininfarina on delivery cost about 400.000 hard Dutch guilders. Before that, they first picked up some sheet metal tools from the cupboard in Italy. While the wheelbase, track width, overall length and height of the doors remained unchanged, the windshield and cabin above the waistline became more sloping, the pillars were sharpened and a steel roof was made. Just as unique as the hood, the trunk, the screens, bumpers and the extended doors. The front (which best resembles that of a '65 Ford Galaxie) is also Pininfarina's unique design.
And the round headlights on the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 Pininfarina were delivered with black edges. Something that the next owner has replaced with traditional chrome ones that make the car look less 'Gothic' from his eyes. And so this one-off got the looks of the later Rolls-Royce Camargue, which was also signed by Pininfarina. The Mercedes-Benz was thus a kind of exercise for the later 'Roller'.
He was a bit disappointing
When the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3 Pinifarina returned from Italy, the end result was a bit disappointing for the client. The car was very large 'in the wild' and not nearly as elegant as it had appeared in the drawings. In addition, the purchase caused serious attacks of motion sickness. Probably due to the heavy body in combination with the unadjusted air suspension. Other sources speak of becoming unwell due to exhaust fumes that would have entered the interior. At Pininfarina they apparently had not quite understood the two-way Behr ventilation system. That was reason for our wealthy entrepreneur to drop the Star and just order a fresh Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.
Previous owner
The unique is therefore boldly concealed in the impressive Mercedes-Benz database. The previous owner was a Dutchman with 80+ years on the counter. And such an age is one that you might think about putting away a few cars.
At the moment you read this, the car is not even online yet
The realization that there is something very unique in the hall has yet to descend. The Italo Germaan deserves some detail care. But it is there and is unique. The story reminded us of the Frua BMW André Kout once found in Spain. Although there are made twice as many. The other copy is still missing. So look under that old rug in the shed. That 7'er has also been brought back in top condition. And sold to BMW itself…
This Mercedes-Benz will probably not become a daily driver
A large LPG tank and a sturdy towbar will also be spared. We think the car will end up with an investor. We hope that this unique car will be placed in a museum. When the time comes, when we know which museum it is? Then we report this immediately.
Also interesting to read:
I drove this car again, it wanted to leave its place.
It was indeed in South Limburg at the time with a retired car dealer who had once bought the car. The headlights had been replaced by those of a US-W115. Beautiful Italian interior with ditto leather roof cladding inside. From the outside it is a bit ap[arts, but I prefer a nice regular W109.
Car was once built for Mr Harry Smeets. Director of Roto Smeets concern (printing companies) which I went into bankruptcy in 2019.
No not. It was built for Frits Philips. Possibly the richest Dutchman at the time. Philips only had it for three years. I suspect that Philips also wanted to show the Germans what he could do at any price. You should not forget that the Philips concern was active all over the world but had quite a few German competitors, especially with TVs and radios, with which he made a large fortune at the time. My father once experienced Frits Philips in the late 50s and he was very eccentric. That made a deep impression.
Special Mercedes and nice all those stories, but not much was right. Moreover, it never cost 400.000 guilders but less than 70.000! The family of the original 1st owner does not want to be disclosed.
Nice to see the MB again. I can still remember this car, now already 50 years old.
For years, this car belonged to the now deceased, car dealer Joosten from Maastricht.
I used to go there regularly because he had many separate cars at the time.
Years later, the car was once for sale at Maschino Classics in Landgraaf.
The car was on the front page of AMK No. 6 in 1991.
The front page photo was made in the driveway in front of Joosten's house.
This car was even released by Neoscale as a 1:43 scale model.
Best regards,
Rob Koort (Heerlen)
I attribute this MB earlier to Mr Bakker from flower bulb country.
Always rode RR and deviated from it once ...
I thought that the former owner might have been the recently deceased ex Mercedes dealer John van Dijk. Seems like something to him.
best regards
I think you can move on to the next round. But there is still something with the story that he drove for this and after this only RRs
Car was already around 1985 at a well-known car dealer in Maastricht.
Yes that's right. That was in 1991 when we photographed the car before Auto Motor Klassiek.
Ha! I thought I had a scoop!