Germany: The Magnificent Dachshund

In postwar Germany, U.S. cars were derisively dubbed Strassen Kreuzer—street cruisers—because of their king size. Last week in Manhattan, Germany’s Daimler-Benz showed off a new auto that is not just cruiser size but more like a battleship. Spanning 20½ ft. from stem to stern, The Grand Mercedes 600 is the world’s longest auto. It is also one of the lowest: less than 5 ft. high, it has the low-slung lines of a dachshund. Boasting all the latest engineering innovations (disk brakes, adjustable pneumatic suspension system, fuel-injection 300-h.p. engine), the 600 seats eight, including two on rear-facing armchairs, and sells in the U.S. at $23,000. For the economy-minded, there is an 18-ft., six-passenger model for $20,000.

The 600 is the proudest thing Daimler-Benz has created since Walter Hitzinger, 55, took over two years ago as chairman of the vastly successful automaker (1962 sales: $900 million). Though the decision to build the 600 had been made earlier, Hitzinger sped it along in the belief that the company should resume its prewar practice of producing an “ultraprestige” auto for nobles and moguls. Production will not begin in earnest until next summer, but Daimler-Benz already has orders for more than 400.