9 Really Really Great Slides on the Lineage of the S-Class
In the beginning, there were two brands that built an amazing top tier luxury automobile. They joined together in 1926 as Mercedes-Benz and put out a motorcar known as the S-Class that would push power and innovation throughout the industry.
1. W180 / W128 (1954-1959)
The 220 Mercedes were the first car for the brand that featured a 6-cylinder enclosed in a unitised-body design. The "ponton" body allowed for unheard of creature comforts and room for a road car of its time. The letter "S" was allotted to designate the high-end models for the brand and became a fixture for years to come as a seal of luxury, safety, and innovation.
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2. W111 / W112 Sedans (1959-1972)
Mercedes took a look at the postwar world and decided to design a passenger car that put an emphasis on comfort and safety as the hallmarks of the designation. An industry changing notion was implemented that gave the car front and rear crumple zones in an effort to let unfortunate motorists walk away from accidents. Another first was the introduction of the retractable seatbelt. The car earned the nickname of Heckflosse or fintail for the American car styled fins that bordered the boot.
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3. W108 / W109 (1965-1972)
Automobile designer Paul Bracq put his pen to paper to put together the lines that make up the W108 and W109. These two chassis mark a turning point for Mercedes-Benz, as they were the last hand-built S-Class cars to be offered that were not AMG models. This step into automation helped the company to produce more vehicles in the same amount of time as the former bespoke models would take. These models were the last ones to wear the "stacked" headlamps and large tall grille. For those wondering, the W108 and W109 refer to the suspension system as 108 had air-suspension while 109 had springs.
>>Join the conversation on the 9 great slides on the lineage of the S-Class here in MBWorld.org!
4. W-116 (1972-1980)
The W116 Mercedes came about in a time when Rocket Man by Elton John and School's Out by Alice Cooper was all over the radio. The S-Class W116 was a clear statement to the rest of the world that Mercedes knew luxury and they knew what people wanted even before the people themselves knew. The car was a big luxurious tank that piloted the well-to-do to and fro in a saloon that did 0-62 in 7.4 seconds. This car has the distinction of being the world's very first luxury sedan on the market with an optional diesel engine for the penny pinching wealthy segment.
>>Join the conversation on the 9 great slides on the lineage of the S-Class here in MBWorld.org!
5. W-126 (1979-1991)
Relaunched in 1979 with a body that was penned by Bruno Sacco, the S-Class influenced the entire range of models offered by the brand. The Merc landed right at the top of the decade that was all about greed and was a status symbol for many that they had really made it in the world with the big body Benz. In the beginning of the cycle, the engines were a bit low on power, but these qualms were put to rest in the mid-eighties with an upgrade to all engines.
>>Join the conversation on the 9 great slides on the lineage of the S-Class here in MBWorld.org!
6. W-140 (1991-1998)
Not a beloved model due to the criticisms of being bloated and having an unpleasing exterior, it made up for it with a time withstanding engineering and a sure-fire choice to this day for a vehicle. Jeremy Clarkson famously purchased an S280 back in the eighth season of the Top Gear series. He altered the interior to feature home amenities like a kitchen, arm chair, and a wood burning stove.
>>Join the conversation on the 9 great slides on the lineage of the S-Class here in MBWorld.org!
7. W-220 (1998-2005)
Just thinking of heated front seats that feature air-powered lumbar support and tons of adjustability sends visions of a soothing drive in a stressful world to your mind's eye. The interior is great but in all honesty, could have been better in order to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the competition it faced in the top-tier luxury segment. Creature comforts aside, the engine choices that ran with a smattering of V8 and V12 options were enough to satisfy even the pickiest of drivers. With the 2002 model year, Mercedes-Benz added the world's first preemptive crash system, dubbed Pre-Safe.
>>Join the conversation on the 9 great slides on the lineage of the S-Class here in MBWorld.org!
8. W-221 (2006-2013)
The W221 continues on being the ultimate luxury machine by soaking up road imperfections with the airmatic suspension system. The interior is completely new with upgraded materials, an infrared Night View assist, and the latest early collision detection system. Engines ranged all the way from an inline diesel 4-cylinder all the way to a 6-liter V12. Several police departments in wealthier locations around the world use the S600 as a patrol vehicle such as the Mexican Federal Police.
>>Join the conversation on the 9 great slides on the lineage of the S-Class here in MBWorld.org!
9. W-222 (2014-Present)
Continuing on with the evolution of sleek exteriors with a sculpted look of the strong converging flanks. The interior features an instrument cluster is on two widescreen LCD panels, a heads-up display, and a touchpad for gesture commands. Powered by an even more powerful twin-turbo V8 in the base vehicle and by a twin-turbo V12 in the S600 variant there is now a hybrid S400 model with a 20 kW motor for reduced emissions.
>>Join the conversation on the 9 great slides on the lineage of the S-Class here in MBWorld.org!
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