George Harrison’s Mercedes-Benz 600 is up for auction

A Mercedes 600 once owned by George Harrison will go under the hammer this week in a UK auction.

Harrison bought the flagship car from Mercedes GB in 1967, during the height of the Beatles’s popularity. Numerous photos show the guitarist in and around the 600 in the subsequent years.

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One of just 2190 made, the 600 was used as a demonstrator vehicle before Harrison’s ownership. It’s powered by a 6.2-litre M100 V8 which uses mechanical fuel injection, paired to a four-speed auto.

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Luxury features on the W100-generation Mercedes include self-levelling air suspension, and a hydraulic system which allows the power windows, sunroof, seats and automatic doors to operate silently.

It’s currently owned by London-based businessman Sukhpal Singh Alhuwalia, who is selling off his car collection in preparation for a move to India.

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According to auctioneers Collecting Cars, the 600 was overhauled earlier this year by a West Sussex-based Mercedes expert. This included a GB£13,000 (AU$24,311) rebuild of the hydraulics, plus fresh gaskets, bolts and tyres. While the paintwork and chrome are believed to have been refinished sometime in the car's history, the leather and woodgrain-packed interior is apparently untouched. There are 99,822 miles (160,647km) recorded on the odometer.

Forty hours currently remain on the auction. Nine bidders have so far raised the price to GB£80,000 (AU$149,593), though it’s likely to jump sharply over the next two days. In comparison, the cheapest Mercedes-Benz 600 currently listed on sale in Australia is priced at $209,950 - without any Fab Four connection.

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The Lamborghini 400 GT 2+2 once owned by Paul McCartney

Other notable Beatles cars include Paul McCartney’s early Lamborghinis, John Lennon’s white Rolls-Royce Phantom V, and even an oddball Facel Vega coupe bought by Ringo Starr.

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A fresh-faced Harrison with his DB5

When it came to cars, however, Harrison was undeniably the most fanatical of the group. He drove a Jaguar E-type in 1964, believed to be a 21st birthday gift from manager Brian Epstein. He followed up in 1965 with the purchase of a white Aston-Martin DB5. That car fetched GB£350,000 (AU$654,608) at auction in 2011.

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The Lennon-Harrison limo on the ironic Abbey Road

Aside from the aforementioned 600, Harrison maintained a love affair with several other high-end Mercedes cars. In fact, he owned another 600 in the form of a stretch-limo Pullman version, bought from John Lennon in 1971. That car eventually went to The Supremes in 1976 for a US tour.

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Harrison owned this 500SEL for the longest of all his cars

He bought a new 500SEL sedan in 1984, kitting it out with a range of AMG accessories. He owned the car until 2000, just a year before his death aged 58.

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Other highlights include a Porsche 928S and two 911 Turbos, plus a McLaren F1 supercar still owned by the Harrison estate - despite the repeated efforts of close friend Eric Clapton to buy it in the 1990s.