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Hessian Heavyweights: 1992-98 Mercedes-Benz S-class
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Hey big spender!
Not to get all Joey Goebbels on you, but when it comes to precision in automotive engineering, the Germans are widely acknowledged to be the masters. Nowhere is this trend more evident than in the rarified air of full-size luxury cars, where the inhabitants of das Vaterland have, time and time again, managed to distill the essence of bank vaults and motor yachts into neat and tidy four-wheeled packages. Of course, with the economy in the latrine, the only people who can afford such stately conveyances are the very same people who the same people who put the economy in the latrine…right? Not if you’re willing to kick it old(er) school. That’s right, kids, this week we’ll be learning about three classy krautwagons that, at least as far as initial purchase costs are concerned, are perfectly priced for us peons, starting with the W140-series Mercedes-Benz S-class.
When Toyota launched the Lexus LS400 to rave reviews in 1989, Daimler-Benz management realized it needed to fire back with both barrels, and the aging W126 S-class just wouldn’t cut it. Thus, Chief Engineer Wolfgang Peter and his team set about developing the most Bismarck-ish Benz since the stupendous 600. As company advertisements used to proudly proclaim, the new S would be “Built to a standard, not a price.” Turns out the price of meeting that standard was a purported one-billion U.S. dollars, while the retail prices rose by 25% over comparable W126 models. But look at what you got for the money: dual-glaze windows, power-assisted door and trunklid closing, power windows that would stop if they encountered an obstruction (like, say, the neck of Fifi, your beloved Pomeranian), and even little metal posts that deployed from the trailing edges of the rear quarter panels (which were later replaced by a sonar-based proximity warning system) to help you know where the back of the car was when reversing . An air suspension system was planned, but development difficulties lead the company to push that back to the introduction of the W140’s successor, the W220. As far as engine choices are concerned, the W140 was offered in this country with a 3.2L DOHC inline-six, a pair of DOHC V8s (4.2L and 5.0L), a 6.0L DOHC V12, and a 3.5L SOHC inline-six turbodiesel; power figures ranged from 148hp for the diesel to 408hp for the ’92 V12. Transmissions were a 4-speed automatic on earlier cars, while 1996-and-later cars were fitted with a 5-speed automatic. Interiors were, naturally, drenched with wood, leather and all of the other fine materials you’d expect to find inside a car that cost near-as-makes-no-difference 100-grand when new, and it was all wrapped up in three exteriors – sedan, long-wheelbase sedan (which added 3.9 inches between the B- and C-pillars), and the hardtop coupe (which technically wore the C140 designation) – that sadly, rather than continuing the precedent of svelte-ruggedness set by the W126s, wound up resembling a W124 that had been fed a steady diet of double cheseburgers and deep-fried Twinkies. Even Bruno Sacco, the immensely-gifted head of Mercedes-Benz styling at the time, later lamented the Hundertvierzig was “four inches too tall.” When all was said and done, whether it was the inroads made by Lexus, the higher prices, or something else altogether, the W140 failed to continue the sales momentum established by the W126. Wolfgang Peter was given his pinkslip, and the powers that be decreed that the company’s longstanding tradition of cost-be-damned gonzo over-engineering was over. Unfortunately, that decision wound up causing its own set of problems, but that’s a story for another day…
Nice, clean cars with average mileage (over 100,000) start at around $5k, while obsessively-maintained, low-mileage later examples have been known to flirt with $20k. Be forewarned that parts and service are hideously expensive, and since there are so many ancillary gizmos and systems that can potentially wear out, be sure to have a sizable operating budget set aside, even if you find a car with an encyclopedic service history. Early cars are known to have persnickety engine wiring harnesses, and if you’re considering a diesel, it’s a good idea to get one that has been fitted with a factory replacement engine, as the engines that were originally fitted have a reputation for connecting rod failure. But on the whole, if you can afford one of these beasts, you won’t be disappointed, as you’ll be driving what is essentially the Duesenberg Model J or Bugatti Royale of our time.
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