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| Limousine Digest Online Article |
The King and His Kingdom of Cars
— By Gordon A. Coates
Another day … Another luxury car for King Mswati III of Swaziland, Africa’s last absolute monarch who recently caused a stir by becoming the first African to own the Mercedes
S-Class Pullman. The S-Class Pullman, which is a stretched edition of the Mercedes S-Class, was not delivered by DaimlerChrysler South Africa, leading local newspapers to speculate that the King himself arranged for the car to be imported. Thirty-six year old Mswati, who had previously hit the headlines when he bought ten BMW 5 series, one for each of his wives, is estimated to have paid around 1.8 million Rands (approx. $300,000) for the luxury cars.
Known for his lavish lifestyle, his latest spending spree has come as no surprise to his subjects, but, with an average Swazilander existing on less than $1 a day, Mswati has had to introduce new measures to cut down on the controversy his recent purchases have caused. These acquisitions include a $500,000 plus DaimlerChrysler Maybach 62, one of only three to have been sold in South Africa.
Mswati, who has previously asked Parliament for a $45 million royal jet and $15 million to build each of his wives a palace, has come under scrutiny lately for his lavish spending. Roy Fanourakis, one of the King’s top civil servants told the local press, “The King never at any given time used money from taxpayers to finance the purchase of the cars as reported by the international media.” The King’s spokesman went on to explain that the shortfall was paid for by Mswati himself, whose business interests incorporate cattle, dairy farming, and producing sugar cane.
After the adverse publicity caused by his purchase of the Maybach, the Royal family had made every effort to keep his most recent acquisition a secret for as long as possible. When Mswati arrived at the official opening of the second session of Parliament in his Mercedes-Benz S600 V-12 Pullman, the police and bodyguards ordered photographers to lower their lenses and refrain from taking pictures of the King “when he alighted his car.” Mswati’s spokespeople have been quick to try and head off the bad press by releasing a statement saying the King sold 700 head of cattle, raising 4 million Emalangeni (approx. $680,000), seemingly anxious to make the distinction that the luxury limousines were not purchased with public money.
The Times of Swaziland reported that Mswati is the first person in Africa to own the luxury S-Series Pullman, which is so exclusive that it isn’t on the price list of the South African dealership. This brings us to the big question: What’s so special about the S-Class Pullman that kings are willing to trade their livestock and risk thousands of unflattering articles and negative publicity to call one their own? What exactly do you get for 700 head of cattle in today’s market?
Mercedes-Benz describes the limousine: “An automotive masterpiece that heralds a new dimension in exclusivity, luxury, comfort, and cutting-edge technology.” The official Mercedes press release describes the Pullman as a “Luxury limousine offering a velvet-smooth ride combined with state-of-the-art technology” and cites the company’s 70 years of producing “prestigious limousines” by way of introduction to what a potential purchaser can expect. Named after the mid-19th century American industrialist George Mortimer Pullman who pioneered the luxury railway carriages, the Pullman is a higher spec version of the S600 with an increased wheelbase and higher roof.
With a state-of-the-art communications system on board, Mswati will enjoy the same level of connectability you could expect in a well-equipped office with HSCSD (High Speed Circuit Switched Data) or GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) modem, meaning the King will be able to surf the Internet and send e-mails at speeds comparable with most land line connections while journeying between his 10 wives and 2 fiancées.
The Pullman’s interior is more reminiscent of the first-class section of an airliner than a passenger vehicle and in addition to unparalleled comfort, the 6-door limousine also provides high-end safety features with six standard side bags and reinforced body shell.
Along with the increased price tag, the new model also offers increased legroom between the two rear seat units and now measures a generous 70 centimeters in length — about 20 centimeters more than in the Pullman model based on the preceding S-Class (model series W 140) and can seat six or seven passengers depending on the choice of rear seats. The Stuttgart-based factory can customize the Pullman with a variety of options, which include DVD, TV, electric curtains, bar (complete with icebox), intercom, games console, and separate air conditioning for the back.
While Mswati may be the first African to splash out on the Über luxurious S-class Pullman, it doesn’t look like to many of his fellow countrymen will follow in his footsteps. Deon Ebersohn, Communications Manager for Mercedes Car Group explained: “The recent sale of a Mercedes-Benz Pullman and a Maybach 62 were the first limousine sales in this region in more than two years. Our market generally prefers smaller, more discreet cars, although quality and prestige does play a role. As a result sales of entry-level, small luxury cars such as Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW 3-Series, Audi A4, etc., are well above international trends, with these models demanding some 15 percent of our total market of 250 000 new passenger cars per annum.”
Continued Ebersohn: “Bigger luxury vehicles do not fare as well: Sales of E-Class, 5-Series and A6 account for about 1.2 percent of the market, while the demand for large luxury cars (S-Class, 7-Series, and A8) have declined steadily to about 0.3 percent of the total market.” LD
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