CarBrandLogos archive · Mercedes-Benz · 1930

Mercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz 770

The Grosser: 7.7 litres, armour plate, and a customer list history has not forgiven.

Photo: Herranderssvensson · CC BY-SA 3.0

The story

A defining chapter in Mercedes-Benz history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Mercedes-Benz 770, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

The 770 was the largest and most expensive Mercedes-Benz of the interwar years, built from 1930 as the successor to the 630 and known as the Grosser. Its 7.7-litre straight-eight, supercharged in most specifications, was designed for effortless progress in a car that could weigh well over three tonnes with a formal body.

1932 Mercedes-Benz 770 Cabriolet F · nemor2 · CC BY 2.0

Design and engineering

The first series, the W07, used a rigid front axle and leaf springs throughout. The 1938 W150 that replaced it was far more advanced, with a tubular oval-section frame, coil springs and independent front suspension, and a revised engine — a serious piece of engineering wrapped in a body that had barely changed in appearance.

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz 770 · Morio · CC BY-SA 3.0

Mercedes W150-770K 1938 LFront SATM 05June2013

In production

Bodies were built at Sindelfingen as Pullman limousines, open touring cars and cabriolets, most of them commissioned for heads of state. Emperor Hirohito took delivery of several, and Kaiser Wilhelm II owned one in exile. The cars are inseparable, however, from the Nazi leadership, which used armoured open 770s as parade vehicles, and surviving examples carry that association permanently; when they appear at auction it is usually accompanied by argument.

Mercedes W150-770K 1938 LFront SATM 05June2013 · Valder137 · CC BY 2.0

Legacy

Only 205 were built across both series before production stopped in 1944. The W186 of 1951 took the role in a much reduced form; the true successor was the 600 of 1963.

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Produced

1930–1944

Units built

205

Engine

7,665&nbsp

Body

4-door, 6-seat Pullman

Technical specification

The Mercedes-Benz 770, in detail.

Production: 1930–1944 ; 205 produced
Class: Ultra-luxury car Limousine
Body style: 4-door, 6-seat Pullman (limousine); Touring car (6 seats); Cabriolet
Layout: FR layout
Engine: 7,665 cc M07 Straight-eight engine; I8 (1930–1938); 7,665 cc M150 I8 (1938–1944)
Assembly: Germany: Untertürkheim
Manufacturer: Mercedes-Benz