Description
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class W140 was launched at the 1994 Geneva Motor Show. It was available with a standard or long-wheelbase. For special orders though, a Pullman version was introduced later.
The S-Class was already an established contender into the premium segment. Generation over a generation it was better and better. The modifications were considered more of a leap than a baby step. The 1994 model was the same. Despite its outside design, it featured advanced technologies, such as the ultrasonic parking sensor. In September 1995, the top model arrived: the S600 Pullman.
It was developed as an official state limousine and it came equipped with special protection technology. The special-production car was 6.2 meters (245.2”) long and it was exactly one meter (39.3”) longer than the long-wheelbase S-Class (the SEL version). Shankar Dayal Sharma was the first Indian president to use the Mercedes Benz S-Class Pullman, which was bullet and grenade proofed. The W140 limousine that was used by Shankar Dayal Sharma was later passed on to his successor, KR Narayanan. Each vehicle was custom ordered and it could have been armored or not.
The interior was custom designed and it could have two or four seats in the back. Between the front and rear compartment, there was a wall with a sliding privacy panel. The Pullman could have been fitted with fax machines, leather seats, and refrigerator. For the Indian president, the manufacturer was forbidden to use cow leather.
Under the hood, the Pullman was offered with a choice of 5.0-liter V8 or 6.0-liter V12 engine. To handle better, the car was fitted with Adaptive Damper Suspension.
