Mercedes-Benz S-Class through the ages

Mercedes-Benz claims its S-Class heritage stretches all the way back to 1903, but we’re not buying that.

We’d argue cars like the wonderful Mercedes Simplex 60hp, and the subsequent behemoths that followed, might have been the height of luxury but were more chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce rivals than a proper S-Class prequel.

To be an ancestor of the S-Class, which incidentally stands for Sonderklasse (German for ‘special class’), the limousine in question has to be a great innovator, style icon and, basically, the best car in the world when it was launched.

No pressure then, which brings us to the legendary 1954 W180 ‘Ponton’ that without doubt set the S-Class template.

111,021 sold

In the flesh, it’s hard to believe less than three years separate the W180 from the earlier W220.

While its predecessor looks like a relic to the past, its replacement, the Ponton, looks like it was born decades later – from its smooth skin to its modernist interior, it looked like the future. Because it was.

Instead of the previous model’s traditional ladder-frame chassis, the W180 adopted a state-of-the-art monocoque or ‘Ponton’, in German.

And it didn’t stop there.

Working under the mantra of ‘go away and make the best car possible’, Mercedes engineers gave it independent rear suspension that was directly inspired by the W196 F1 car Fangio and Moss drove at the weekend.

Beneath the bonnet, a smooth-spinning 2.2-litre inline six-cylinder might have only produced 63kW but it allowed the streamlined sedan to cruise near its 150km/h top speed all day on the country’s limitless autobahns.

Then there was the cabin, which was beautifully designed and constructed.

Even today, some 66 years after it first went on sale, it feels a special place to spend time behind the wheel – which was the point all along.

344,417 sold

With the Ponton judged a sales success, just two years later it was superseded by what most regard as the glorious ‘Fintail’.

Laughably, its designers claimed those fins were to help owners judge the rear of the car for easier parking.

In reality, the man who penned the most beautiful S-Class was infatuated by the American dream and it’s no coincidence the Mercedes appeared in the same year the wing-tastic Cadillac Eldorado and the Chevy Impala went on sale.

Instead of picking up where the Ponton left off, engineers started from scratch.

Huge errors had been made with the W180 and the Fintail was an opportunity to correct them. The first mistake was safety-obsessed Benz had made its first monocoque car as strong as possible.

It was only after real-world crash tests they realised the errors of their ways.

Automotive battering rams are a disaster for safety, hence Mercedes’ decision to engineer the W111 with a strong passenger safety cell but with a deformable front and rear crash structure bolted on to absorb the energy of a crash before reaching the occupants.

This was pioneering at the time, and much copied after.

The safety innovation continued with powerful front disc brakes, while inside the cabin a padded steering wheel and soft coverings across the dashboard were developed in an attempt to help soften the blow of an unbelted occupant ploughing headfirst into the walnut-trimmed surfaces.

The next unfortunate mistake of the Ponton was that trick rear suspension. Racecar suspension might sound cool, but the Ponton’s swing axles could be dangerous. Like an early Beetle they were also prone to ‘jacking’ or ‘wheel tuck’ that not only induced savage oversteer but provoked rollovers.

Engineers persevered with the same set-up but tamed its unruly handling antics. Later on in life, air suspension was also introduced for a comfier ride on the W111, which was also available as a glamorous two-door coupe and convertible.

Under the bonnet, the W111 was fitted with inline six-cylinder engines, some of which came with the new-fangled fuel injection in place of carbs that saw power climb to a still-modest 88kW.

383,341 sold

It’s understandable after the drop-dead gorgeous Fintail you could be a bit underwhelmed by the ’65 W108.

The fins are gone, rounded off, but its smoother, sleeker, less fussy styling remains appealing.

Those rear wings, by the way, were actually found to be hazardous as the W111’s excellent brakes meant more than one dozy motorcyclist ended up speared by their sharp edges.

Confusingly, the W108 marked the first time an ‘S’ appeared on its rump – but that had nothing to do with its model designation.

Instead, it meant it was running on carbs. An ‘SE’, meanwhile, meant it had fuel injection.

Engineers ramped up the luxury and innovation with the W108 and W109, with the introduction of burled-walnut dash, automatic transmissions, power windows and even air-conditioning and self-levelling air suspension.

But stealing the headlines was Benz engineers addressing calls from markets like the US to give its flagship sedan more power.

The solution was simple. In 1966, Mercedes simply dropped the huge 6.3-litre V8 that usually powered the car-maker’s 600 limousine into the W109 chassis.

The result was one of the world’s first super-sedans and one that remains quick even by today’s standards.

Churning out a healthy 184kW of power and 500Nm of torque, the four-speed auto 300SEL 6.3 could wheelspin its way to 100km/h in just 6.3 seconds and top out at 220km/h.

For the rich, it instantly became the next best thing to a private jet, becoming popular with F1 drivers who would set unofficial personal best times for the commute between European race circuits.

473,000 sold

The first car to proudly carry the S-Class nameplate was nothing short of a landmark vehicle, not just for Mercedes but the entire automotive world.

The culmination of company safety research that dated back to the 1950s, the S-Class’ headline changes were full independent suspension and disc brakes all round as standard.

But those items just scratched the surface because the technological innovation introduced on the W116 was jaw-dropping.

For example, it was the first car to feature both padded door trims for side impact and a cushioned and padded steering wheel that feature a centre depression to locate a driver’s head during an impact.

Sculptured headrests, meanwhile, were designed to reduce injuries related to whiplash.

Later on, the S-Class would introduce the world to the driver’s front airbag, while life-saving ABS brakes became an option.

Even pedestrians got a look in – both rounded door mirrors and front fenders were claimed to reduce injuries in the result of a collision and, if the worst happened, the W116 had a handy first-aid kit on board to help.

Other new tech included efficient dual asymmetric wipers and a clever rain management system that channelled water into gutters, helping clear the screen.

There was also headlamp washers and nifty rear ridged tail-lights that used air to sweep them clean at high speed.

Cruise control, meanwhile, was a godsend on long-distance drives and Mercedes even offered an efficient turbo-diesel for the first time that could top 165km/h and average 10.6L/100km.

Since the 300 SEL 6.3 had been such a success, Mercedes followed it up with the 450 SEL that came equipped with an even mightier 6.9-litre V8 and state-of-the-art hydro-pneumatic self-levelling suspension.

Producing an supercar-humbling 210kW and 550Nm, the bigger, heavier sedan couldn’t quite deliver the acceleration of its predecessor (0-100km/h in 7.4sec) but could top out at 225km/h – a speed drivers regularly surpassed with 240-plus runs record by journalists of the day.

Fulfilling its design brief of being the best car Mercedes could make, it’s no surprise the inaugural S-Class won European Car of the Year outright in 1974.

818,036 sold

Even Mercedes-Benz must have known following up the W116 was going to be tough, but the innovation continued with the W126.

From its low-drag body to the all-aluminium V8, the second-gen S-Class was created to offer a better ride and improved handling, with a sharp focus on fuel efficiency.

This led to plenty of time in the wind tunnel and the adoption of exotic materials and alloys to cut the kilos, and the result was a car that used 10 per cent less fuel.

Cutting-edge safety was again a priority, with the W126 the first car to use seatbelt pretensioners. ABS brakes were standard on the flagship 500 SEL and were optional for the rest of the range in ’86 when all models received ABS as standard.

Like before, a driver’s airbag was an option and would soon be offered with a further passenger airbag.

Helping improve traction in slippery conditions, Mercedes engineers developed a traction control system to reduce wheelspin.

New innovation included the introduction of a climate-control system that used interior temperature sensors to adjust heat or cool airflow.

Other new tech involved introducing memory seats – a Benz invention – plus an electrically adjustable steering wheel.

Helping improve the drive, the S-Class four-speed auto came equipped with a topographical sensor that detected when it was climbing hills, pre-empting a downshift.

Down hills it held gears to avoid the need for frequent braking, and there was even an early hill-hold feature and a ‘winter’ setting that locked out first gear to improve traction in ice or snow.

The previous model’s hydro-pneumatic suspension was also refined – albeit, to disastrous effect.

The new system, dubbed HPF II, was available on the 380 SEL and the 500 SEL and automatically lowered the ride by 24mm at speeds over 120km/h for better aero and stability, and raised the suspension by 35mm over rough roads.

However, it frequently failed, forcing owners to swap back to conventional springs and dampers.

That glitch aside, the big Benz ruled is class and, despite remaining on sale for more than 11 years, was a phenomenal success that has never been repeated.

432,732 sold

You’d think engineers readying the W140 might been more than a little complacent after the runaway sales success of the W126, but in reality nothing could be further from the truth.

They were terrified.

The Lexus LS 400 had already launched and stunned them with its design, efficiency, build quality and the shocking smoothness of its whisper-quiet powertrain.

The writing was on the wall and the feeling was the days of the S-Class ruling its class were numbered.

The W140 was the reaction.

Some might suggest ‘overreaction’ because the amount of engineering, innovation and pioneering technology squeezed into the slab-sided tank of a sedan remains astonishing.

Double glazing, soft-close boot and doors, electric-window jam protection, rear parking markers, electric-fold mirrors and climate control that heated or cooled the cabin after the engine was off were just the beginning.

During its lifecycle, engineers added to that list side airbags, Xenon headlamps, parking sensors, an early form of voice activation and even a primitive form of satellite navigation.

The biggest game-changing piece of technology was the introduction of brake assist and ESP that arrived all the way back in 1993.

No car before then and perhaps since was so ambitious in its single aim of incorporating future tech into present day vehicles.

More advances included the launch of the legendary M120 6.0-litre V12 that initially produced 290kW but went on to power the Pagani Zonda hypercar.

Perhaps most impressive is the fact that despite its uninspiring looks, the S-Class felt like it had been hewn from a single piece of granite. Nothing felt better for quality and, with development claimed to have started on the W140 back in 1981, the third-generation S-Class is said to have been the very last Mercedes limo to have been engineered without budget limitations.

And it showed.

484,697 sold

An accountant once told me that the time it took for Mercedes to hand-identify and correct quality issues with a single W140 S-Class, Lexus had built and shipped an LS 400.

Like the Honda NSX impact on Ferrari, the Japanese had dealt a devastating blow to how the S-Class would be developed from here on in and the W220 that arrived in 1999 was the evidence.

Despite being smaller and less physically imposing compared to the tank-like proportions of the W140, the fourth S-Class offered more space.

Where in the past the S-Class debuted Benz’s future design direction, for the first time the S-Class followed the pioneering A-Class from the year before.

Journalists lamented its lack of solidity and pointed to a drop in perceived quality.

These claims appeared backed up by the W220 suffering numerous teething issues concerning its advanced new technology.

But despite these issues, the most maligned member of the S-Class stayed true to its pioneering roots.

The flagship Benz introduced the car-maker’s new Airmatic suspension, ventilated seats, keyless entry and ignition and radar-assisted cruise control.

Full-length curtain airbags were also part of an unbeatable safety package that included LED brakes which illuminated faster than traditional bulbs.

The Pre-safe system also arrived, preparing the car for an accident by adjusting the seats in an optimal position for impact while closing the sunroof and windows.

Finally, Mercedes used the W220 to introduce its COMAND infotainment system that was hugely influential for other car-makers.

Available with a smooth efficient diesel, a V6, V8 and even a 450kW V12 twin-turbo, the W220 leapt to the top of the class for driving dynamics and even spun off two AMG models.

The reward was superior sales compared to the model it replaced, but Benz’s impeccable reputation for unbeatable quality had taken a sizeable dent in the process.

516,000 sold

Addressing concerns that the W220 S-Class was too easily mistaken for the significantly cheaper C-Class, the W221 was larger all-round and offered distinct, more imposing styling.

Inside, the W220’s cheap plastics (and often poor finishing) were banished for wood, leather and brushed aluminium or chrome.

Like the W126 was to the W116, the 2005 S-Class evolved existing technology and refined it beyond belief over the previous generation.

Not that there wasn’t any innovation with the W221.

In came novel new infrared night vision that could stop hidden dangers on a country road after sundown.

373,637 sold

Semi-autonomous cruise control, plug-in hybrid powertrain and active air suspension that used cameras to scan the road ahead for the most comfortable ride…

It’s a testament to the W222 S-Class that, aside from its dated infotainment, it’s as competitive today as it was when it launched seven years ago.

But is that enough for the big Mercedes limo to be considered the best S-Class of all time?

Not from where we’re sitting.

The astonishing overegged W140 runs it close but it’s the W116 of the early 1970s that was the S-Class that help reshape the luxury car landscape.

It’s appropriate that the first car to actually carry the S-Class nameplate remains so special almost half a century later.