It started way back with the 1928 Nürburg 460 model, when Daimler-Benz became the first company to begin factory-fitting saloons with special protective features to shield the occupants from gunshots and explosives. Mercedes-Benz also developed specially protected variants of subsequent luxury-class and prestige vehicles such as the “Grand Mercedes” 770 and the 500 model. Emperor Hirohito of Japan personally selected an armoured “Grand Mercedes” as his official car.
Today the vehicle, delivered in 1935, can be seen in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Untertürkheim. From 1965 onwards Mercedes-Benz offered numerous models with special protection. In addition to the legendary Mercedes-Benz 600 Saloon and Pullman Saloon models, in the 1970s and 1980s the range included the 280 SEL 3.5 and V8 S-Class models, the 350 SE/SEL and 450 SE/SEL as well as the 380 SE/SEL to 560 SEL. Since 1979 Mercedes-Benz has also been building G-Class models with protective systems.
The special-protection version of the Mercedes-Maybach is the first vehicle to be certified with the highest ballistic protection level VR10 for civilian vehicles. These guidelines specify that the bodywork and windows must be able to withstand hardened steel core bullets fired from an assault rifle. When it comes to blast protection in accordance with Directive ERV 2010, too, the Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard leads the luxury class. With the new record the Mercedes-Maybach emphasises its exclusive position as a Mercedes-Benz flagship in terms of occupant protection, too. The price of the Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard is €470,000 plus VAT.
Heads of state and business leaders en route have never been as comfortable and simultaneously as well protected as they are in the new Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard. The armoured version of the Mercedes flagship delivers the highest levels of ballistic and blast protection available for non-military vehicles, at the same time offering unsurpassed standards of spaciousness, ride comfort and luxury on-board features. The rear seats have been repositioned further back, adding to the sense of privacy.
The new Mercedes-Maybach S 600 Guard has been officially certified by the Ballistics Authority in Ulm; for the first time it meets the requirements for VR10 protection rating according to Directive BRV 2009 Version 2 (Bullet Resistant Vehicles). These guidelines specify that the bodywork and windows must be able to withstand hardened steel core bullets fired from an assault rifle. The vehicle also has an ERV 2010 rating (Explosive Resistant Vehicles). The test criteria used to determine this rating are not in the public domain. After inspection by Germany’s Federal Office of Criminal Investigation, the vehicle was approved without any constraints.
Photos © 2016 Daimler AG
