Photographed at Portuguese President Cars Exhibit at Belem, Lisbon, Portugal
in Wikipedia
The Mercedes-Benz 770, also known as the Großer Mercedes (large Mercedes) was a luxury automobile built by Mercedes-Benz from 1930 to 1943. It is probably best known from archival footage of high-ranking Nazi officials before and during World War II, including Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göring.
1932 Mercedes-Benz 770 (Model W07) "Grosser" cabriolet used by Wilhelm II in exile. The red 770 behind it is from the fleet of Emperor Hirohito of Japan.
The 770 was introduced with the internal code W07 in 1930. [1] These cars were mainly used by governments as state vehicles[2].
The W07 version of the 770 was powered by an inline eight cylinder engine of 7,655 cc (467.1 cu in) capacity with overhead valves and aluminium pistons.[1][2][3] This engine produced 150 brake horsepower (110 kW) at 2800 rpm without supercharging.[1][3] An optional Roots type supercharger, which was engaged at full throttle, would raise the output to 200 brake horsepower (150 kW) at 2800 rpm, which could propel the car to 160 km/h (100 mph).[1][2] The transmission had four forward ratios, of which third was direct and fourth was an overdrive.[3]
The W07 had a contemporary boxed chassis suspended by semi-elliptic leaf springs onto beam axles front and rear.[2] Dimensions would vary with coachwork, but the chassis had a wheelbase of 3,750 mm (147.6 in) and a front track equal to the rear track of 1,500 mm (59.1 in).[1]
117 W07-series cars were built.[2]
[edit]Series II - W150 (1938-1943)
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Mercedes-Benz 770 (W150) saloon car
The 770 was substantially revised in 1938, resulting in the new internal designation of W150.[4] The all-new chassis was made with oval section tubes and was suspended from coil springs all around, with independent suspension at front and a de Dion axle at the rear.[2]
The engine had the same basic architecture as that of the W07, but it had been tuned to produce 155 brake horsepower (116 kW) at 3000 rpm without supercharging and 230 brake horsepower (170 kW) at 3200 rpm with.[4] The transmission now had five forward ratios with a direct fourth gear and an overdrive fifth.[2][4]
In 1938 the Mercedes 770 is thought to have been the most expensive German passenger car offered for sale up to that time, though it appeared on no price list: the price was published merely as "auf Anfrage" ([available] by request)[5].
88 W150-series cars were built before chassis production ended in 1943. The last cars were actually bodied and delivered in March 1944.[2][4]
[edit]Surviving 770Ks
The 770K originally owned by Marshal of Finland Gustav Mannerheim was sold to an American collector after World War II. It was featured in the motion picture The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel as Hitler's parade car.[6]
In 1973, Mannerheim's 770K, erroneously alleged to have been the parade limousine of Adolf Hitler, was sold at auction for $153,000, the most money ever paid for a car at auction at that time.[7] This broke the previous record price for an antique car, which was $90,000 for Greta Garbo's Duesenberg in the fall of 1972. Mannerheim's car passed that amount within its first minute on the auction block. It was sold to Earl Clark, a businessman from Lancaster, Pa, who wanted the car for a park called Dutch Wonderland. Another 770 sold at the same auction, sold for $93,000. Billy C. Tanner, an Alabama developer and George Wallace's 1964 campaign manager, bought it, but he could not secure financing to complete the transaction. Consequently, he sold his option to Don Tidwell, a mobile-home manufacturer.[citation needed]
As of November 2009, one of Hitler's 770Ks has allegedly been purchased for several million Euros by an unnamed Russian Billionaire. [8]
MERCEDES-BENZ - 770 GRÖSSER – W-07
1938
Considered the most perfect and well the world, exposed in the Museum of Caramulo.
Do tipo W-07, o maior e mais caro Mercedes, foram produzidas, de 1930 a 1938, 117 unidades,
em Untertürkheim, com várias carroçarias, das quais 42 blindadas, na forma limousine-pullmann.
O Imperador do Japão, Hiroito, adquiriu três e para o Estado Português vieram dois em 1938.
No Domingo, 4 de Julho de 1937, na Av. Barbosa do Bocage, em Lisboa, a porta da moradia de Josué Trocado, onde habitualmente o Prof. Oliveira Salazar ia à missa, teve lugar um atentado bombista reivindicado pelo Partido Comunista.
Os Serviços de Segurança do Estado decidem então encomendar dois veículos blindados
Mercedes-Benz (27 de Outubro de 1937) através do agente da marca, em Lisboa, Sociedade
Comercial Mattos Tavares, Lda. Pelos arquivos da fábrica verifica-se que a construção dos chassis datam de 18 de Janeiro de 1938 e das carrosseries Pullmansteel de 9 de Marco. Os dois carros foram expedidos para Lisboa em 12 de Abril.
Ambos foram matriculados em Junho de 1938 em nome da Polícia de Vigilância e Defesa do
Estado - R. Antonio Maria Cardoso, Lisboa - e são postos a disposição dos Presidentes da
República e do Conselho, General Oscar Carmona (AL-10-71 - chassis 182 067) e Prof. Oliveira
Salazar (DA-10-72 - chassis 182 066).
Salazar, que não fora consultado sobre a aquisição destes automóveis, logo manifestou o seu
descontentamento, traduzido pela não utilização do Mercedes que lhe fora atribuído. O Buick, que
já tinha aquando do atentado de 1937, continuou a ser o seu carro único e preferido.
O Mercedes foi utilizado apenas uma vez, por ocasião da visita oficial do Generalíssimo Franco, em 1949. Normalmente era aproveitado pelo motorista Raul para transportar as visitas ao Palacete de S. Bento. Dai só acusar 6000km quando dezassete anos depois e mandado vender, em hasta pública, pela direcção-geral da Fazenda. Arrematado por 6 contos pelo sucateiro Alfredo Nunes - Rua do Alvito, 109, Lisboa que o regista, em 9 de Fevereiro de 1955 em seu nome, é pouco tempo depois vendido aos Bombeiros Voluntários do Beato e Olivais com o fim de ser aproveitado para uma ambulância. Porque o custo de transformação se revelou elevado decidem vendê-lo, em 16 de Junho de 1956, a João de Lacerda para figurar no Museu do Caramulo.
Actualmente (2008) acusa apenas no conta-quilómetros, 12 949, por ter circulado desde 1956 com alguma frequência para conservação da mecânica. Nunca houve necessidade de o restaurar por estar, desde a pintura aos cromados e estofos, impecável. Até os pneus são de origem, sendo mantidos a 40 libras de pressão, não acusando “gretas” nos flancos, talvez por terem sido
fabricados com borracha sintética “tipo Buna”.
É, pois, considerado o mais perfeito e bem conservado Grosser Mercedes, do Mundo.
Especificações:
150 HP; 8 cil. (95x135); 7655 cc; 3 veloc. + overdrive; chassis 182 066; peso 3960 kg.; veloc. 150km/h.
