A 1971 Mercedes 600 Pullman Landaulet that formerly belonged to an unnamed African head of state has sold for $726,507 at RM Auctions.
It surpassed its $160,000 estimate by an impressive 354% in Paris on February 5.
 The Mercedes-Benz 600 is regarded as the most luxurious car of its era |
Around 600 of the luxury vehicles were built between 1964 and 1972, of which 26 are the coveted Landaulet models - which feature a retractable roof over the back seats, allowing the passengers to wave to the assembled crowds.
The vast majority were snapped up for the use of royals and state leaders, pop stars and captains of industry. To this day they are regarded as the finest luxury cars of their era.
When new they came fitted with an array of high-tech gadgetry, including surround sound speakers, telephones and TVs - although the example sold is in far from mint condition.
It was discovered in a barn in an undisclosed part of Africa, and the cost of repairs and refurbishment have been predicted to run to as much as $1.3m.
Max Girardo, head of RM Auctions London, commented: "We're pretty confident it's the last Landaulet out there, so for a Mercedes-Benz collector, it's the holy grail. The current owner rescued it, though he didn't want to exactly say where in Africa, just to be cautious."
The February 5 sale saw a large array of classic cars cross the block, including a 1982 Porsche 956 that sold for $2.7m.
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