Mysterious African 600 Pullman Limo an Abandoned Dictator-mobile?

Found in an undisclosed country’s state motor pool, the 6-door limo is up for auction in Paris.

For the original buyer of this 1971 6-door Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman limousine, money was obviously no issue. That’s because it was probably purchased using the state funds of the African country it was recently found in. Its original passengers enjoyed expanses of legroom with the third row of seats folding to serve as footrests when unused. They also benefited from the Landaulet roof, which slid back to serve as a convertible.

This no-expense-spared special-order Pullman was also fitted with a radiotelephone, a/c and a 9-inch television, all expensive options at the time. Possible a dictator-mobile, the limo was powered by a V8 mated to a four-speed automatic. Having been neglected for decades, the Pullman is now far from ready to participate in an official parade. While it was expected to fetch $100,000-160,000, it recently sold for 530,600 euros at RM Auctions. The buyer will likely have to invest an additional $200K to restore it from its current state. But he will also get to uncover the mystery owner of the car - one of just 26 made to order by Mercedes.

Source: rmauctions.com