The final cornerstone in the Mercedes-Benz passenger car range’s post-merger overhaul was a 4.6-liter eight-cylinder vehicle known as the Nürburg 460. Developed under Ferdinand Porsche, its nomenclature didn’t signify sportiness but rather its endurance testing on the Nürburgring, where it covered 20,000 kilometers in just 13 days.
Debuted at the Paris Motor Show in October 1928, the Nürburg 460 succeeded the six-cylinder supercharged 15/70/100 hp, in production since four years prior and continuing until February 1929. This model marked the first time the world’s oldest automobile manufacturer produced a series automobile with an eight-cylinder engine, earning it the nickname “Nürburg 8” in some publications. Early catalog covers featured a gold-embossed 8 inside a lozenge shape.
Despite its historical significance, the Nürburg 460 had limited popularity and was replaced the following year by a more contemporary low-chassis design by Hans Nibel. Beyond standard saloon and cabriolet options, the lineup included limousines and Pullman limousines, offering expanded seating choices. Notably, the inaugural “Popemobile” was a 460 presented to Pius XI, featuring a central rear-compartment throne and a customized interior acclaimed by His Holiness as “a masterpiece of modern engineering.”
Photo Source: RM Sotheby’s
