[2] Together with the Peugeot 401, the 601 was the first car to be built (by coachbuilder Carrosserie Pourtout) as a coupé-convertible, with a retractable hardtop, that could be moved and stowed under a reverse-hinged rear luggage lid.

[2] There were three standard bodies offered for the "Normale" wheelbase cars: there was a four-door "Berline" (sedan/saloon) priced in Spring 1934 at 28,500 francs, a "Coach dėcapotable" with two doors, four seats and a cabriolet roof, priced at 34,000 francs of which only a handful were sold, and a two-seater "Roadster" which became a frequent prize winner at "concours d'ėlėgance" enthusiasts' meetings.

[2] The least costly, listed at 31,000 francs, was a six-light "limousine familiale" with four doors and a deep bench seat combined with large amounts of rear legroom.

The Mercedes featured a hinged steel roof that automatically folded into the boot/trunk at the press of a button, which was briefly claimed as a world first, until Peugeot pointed out that the 401 and 601 Eclipse had used the same arrangement (though the one-piece hardtop required a longer luggage end to be stowed in) sixty years earlier.

The 601 received a minor facelift for the 1935 model year, announced during the summer of 1934, only months after the car's launch: the most visible change was a lowering of the headlights.