The Mercedes-Benz S-Class and the preceding model series have always stood for innovative automobile engineering. Again and again, they bring new features into the market which subsequently become widespread. Here is a brief overview of the special features in the individual model series.

Mercedes-Simplex 60 HP (1903 to 1905)

• Modern high-performance engine: large-capacity four-cylinder with overhead intake valves
• Highly efficient honeycomb radiator
• Long wheelbase and low centre of gravity

Mercedes-Benz Nürburg (W 08, 1928 to 1933)

• First series production Mercedes-Benz car with an eight-cylinder engine
• Luxurious and spacious Pullman body
• Overdrive transmission as an optional extra (from 1931, in conjunction with larger displacement)

Mercedes-Benz 770 “Grand Mercedes” (W 07 and W 150, 1930 to 1943)

• First series production car with a supercharged eight-cylinder engine
• Twin-spark ignition with two spark plugs per cylinder (high-voltage solenoid ignition and battery ignition)
• Overdrive transmission (five-speed manual transmission from 1938)
• Oval tubular box section frame (from 1938)
• De-Dion rear axle (from 1938)

Mercedes-Benz 320 (W 142, 1937 to 1942)

• Smooth-running six-cylinder engine
• Fully-synchronised four-speed manual transmission, from 1939 with overdrive
• Very wide choice of bodies: saloon, Pullman saloon (from 1939 with external luggage boot), Streamline saloon, several convertibles

Mercedes-Benz 300 (W 186 and W 189, 1951 to 1962)

• Modern six-cylinder engine with overhead camshaft
• Fastest serial car of German production
• Mechanically controlled manifold petrol injection (from 1957)
• Conical-pin safety door lock to prevent doors from bursting open
• Electrically selectable torsion bar suspension for level control with heavy loads
• Heating with fan as standard
• Air conditioning system as special equipment (from 1958)
• Power steering as special equipment (from 1958)
• Production numbers (saloon): 10,705

Mercedes-Benz 220 (W 187, 1951 to 1954)

• Very modern six-cylinder engine with overhead camshaft
• Conical-pin safety door lock to prevent doors from bursting open
• Heater with fan as special equipment
• Production numbers (saloon): 16,066

Mercedes-Benz 219/220/220 S/220 SE (W 105/W 180/W 128, 1954 to 1959)

• Self-supporting bodyshell
• Improved spaciousness and comfort with modern “Ponton” form
• Front suspension subframe
• Single-link swing axle with low pivot point
• Brake drums with “turbocooling”
• Heater and fan as standard, separately controlled for driver and front passenger
• “Hydrak” hydraulically automated clutch as special equipment (from 1957)
• Mechanically controlled manifold petrol injection (220 SE, from 1958)
• Production numbers (saloon): 111,021
• Mostly built model: 220 S (55,268)

Mercedes-Benz 220 to 300 SE/300 SE long (W 111/W 112, 1959 to 1965)

• Passenger safety cell with crumple zones (front and rear)
• Padded steering wheel and “injury-reducing interior”
• Conical-pin door locks with two safety detents
• Disc brakes (300 SE, from 1961)
• Dual-circuit braking system (from 1963)
• Four-speed automatic transmission as standard (300 SE) or option (from 1961)
• Air suspension (300 SE, from 1961)
• Long version available (300 SE, from 1963)
• Central locking as optional equipment (300 SE long)
• Production numbers (saloon): 344,417
• Mostly built model: 220 S (161,119)

Mercedes-Benz 600 (W 100, 1963 to 1981)

• Powerful, large-capacity V8 engine
• Four-speed automatic transmission
• Dual-circuit braking system with disc brakes
• Air suspension
• Power steering
• Comfort hydraulics for seat adjustment, opening and closing of doors, windows and boot
• Electronically controlled heating/ventilation system
• Production numbers (saloon): 2618

Mercedes-Benz 250 S to 300 SEL 6.3 (W 108/W 109, 1965 to 1972)

• Safety steering system (from 1967)
• Hydropneumatic compensating spring at the rear axle
• Air suspension (300 SEL, 300 SEL 6.3, 300 SEL 3.5)
• Top model 300 SEL 6.3 with 184 kW (250 hp) V8 engine and performance at sports car level (from 1968)
• Production numbers: 383,341
• Mostly built model: 280 S (93,666)

Mercedes-Benz S-Class series 116 (1972 to 1980)

• Officially designated the “S-Class” for the first time
• Integral safety concept
• four-spoke safety steering wheel
• collision-protected fuel tank over the rear axle
• safety door handles
• large headlamps and direction indicators
• dirt-resistant rear lights
• dirt-resistant side windows
• Anti-lock braking system ABS as optional equipment (from 1978)
• Cruise control as optional equipment (from 1975)
• Double wishbone front axle
• Coupled-link axle with anti-squat control (450 SE, 450 SEL, 450 SEL 6.9)
• Automatic transmission with torque converter as optional equipment (standard for 450 SE, 450 SEL, 450 SEL 6.9)
• Hydropneumatic suspension with level control (450 SEL 6.9, from 1975)
• First luxury class saloon with a diesel engine, first production car with a turbodiesel engine (300 SD, from 1978)
• Production numbers: 473,035
• Mostly built model: 280 SE (150,593)

Mercedes-Benz S-Class series 126 (1979 to 1991)

• Bodyshell structure with forked member, the first series production vehicle worldwide to meet the frontal offset crash criteria
• Low drag coefficient of C_d= 0.36
• New V8 engines with light-alloy block
• Closed-loop catalytic converter as as optional equipment (from 1985), then standard equipment (from 1986)
• Electrically adjustable steering column as optional equipment (from 1985)
• Driver airbag and belt tensioner for front passenger as optional equipment (from 1981)
• Front passenger airbag as an option (from 1988)
• Automatic locking differential as optional equipment for the six-cylinder models (from 1985)
• Acceleration skid control ASR as optional equipment for the V8 models (from 1985)
• To this day, the most successful Mercedes-Benz saloon in the executive and luxury class
• Production numbers (saloon): 818,036
• Mostly built model: 280 SE (133,955)

Mercedes-Benz S-Class series 140 (1991 to 1998)

• Low drag coefficient of C_d= 0.31
• Systematically designed for recyclability
• Complete absence of chlorinated fluorohydrocarbons (CFCs)
• Petrol engines with four-valve technology and adjustable intake camshafts
• First Mercedes-Benz production car with a twelve-cylinder engine, and the brand’s most powerful car engine to date (600 SE, 600 SEL)
• Luxury class diesel 300 SD available to world markets for the first time
• Five-speed automatic transmission with electronic control (standard for V8 and V12 models, from 1995)
• Speed-sensitive power steering with speed-dependent steering torque
• Double-glazed side windows for maximum noise comfort
• Automatic air conditioning with activated charcoal filter and CO/NOx-sensitive sensors as standard equipment (S 600) or optional
• Electrically folding exterior mirrors
• Power closing for doors and boot lid as optional equipment
• Headlamps with variable-focus reflectors
• Electronics networked by CAN bus
• Belt system with automatic height adjustment
• Sidebags for driver and front passenger (from 1996)
• Adaptive Damping System ADS as optional equipment
• Electronic Stability Program ESP^® as standard equipment (S 600, from 1995) or optional equipment (S 420, S 500, from 1995)
• Brake Assist BAS (from 1996)
• Electronic parking aid PARKTRONIC as standard equipment (S 600, from 1995) or optional equipment (from 1995)
• Auto Pilot System APS navigation system as optional equipment (from 1995)
• Voice control system LINGUATRONIC as optional equipment (from 1996)
• Emergency call system TELE-AID as optional equipment (from 1997)• Xenon headlamps with dynamic range control as optional equipment (from 1996)
• Production numbers (saloon): 406,717
• Mostly built model: 300 SE / S 320 (98,095)

Mercedes-Benz S-Class series 220 (1998 to 2005)

• Lightweight body with weight-reducing material mix (high-strength steel, light alloys, plastics)
• Aluminium crash boxes in the front and rear end structures
• Drag coefficient C_d= 0.27
• Automatic cylinder shutoff as standard equipment (S 600) or optional equipment (S 500)
• 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission with electronic control (S 430, S 500, from 2004)
• AIRMATIC air suspension with electronically controlled Adaptive Damping System ADS
• Active Body Control ABC as optional equipment (standard equipment in the S 600)
• Indicator repeaters integrated into the exterior mirrors
• Auto on/off headlamps
• Control and display COMAND with dynamic navigation system as optional equipment
• Windowbags
• Sidebags in the rear
• Front passenger airbag with two-stage gas generator
• Seat belt tensioners and belt force limiters in the rear
• Laminated glass side windows
• Multi-zone automatic air conditioning with individual control for each seat depending on the angle of the sun
• Comfort seats with ventilation and dynamic multicontour backrest as optional equipment
• Autonomous intelligent cruise control DISTRONIC as optional equipment
• Keyless access and drive authorisation system KEYLESS GO as optional equipment
• Bi-xenon headlamps with dynamic range control as optional equipment (from 2002, standard equipment for S 600)
• Preventive occupant protection system PRE-SAFE^® (from 2002)
• First AMG model of the S-Class in the official portfolio (S 55 AMG, from 1999; from 2002 with supercharger and 700 newton metres of torque)
• S 65 AMG with 450 kW (612 hp) and 1000 newton metres of torque (from 2003)
• V8 diesel engine with light-alloy block (S 400 CDI, from 2000)
• 4MATIC all-wheel drive as optional equipment (S 350, S 430, S 500, from 2002)
• Production numbers (saloon): 484,697
• Mostly built model: S 500 long (108,823)

Mercedes-Benz S-Class series 221 (2005 to 2013)

• Drag coefficient C_d= 0.26
• First car with an environmental certificate
• 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission with electronic control and DIRECT SELECT steering wheel gearshift
• Active Body Control ABC with cross-wind stabilisation as optional equipment (standard equipment in the S 600)
• ADAPTIVE BRAKE braking system
• Adaptive brake lights
• Brake Assist Plus as optional equipment
• Improved autonomous intelligent cruise control DISTRONIC PLUS (with braking to standstill) as optional equipment
• PRE-SAFE^® Brake with autonomous partial braking (from 2006) and autonomous emergency braking (from 2009) as optional equipment
• Improved COMAND system with Controller on the centre tunnel
• SPLITVIEW display as optional equipment (from 2009)
• Parking Assist as optional equipment
• Panoramic tilting/sliding roof as optional equipment
• Active Night View Assist as optional equipment
• Blind Spot Assist as optional equipment (from 2007, from 2010 as Active Blind Spot Assist)
• Lane Keeping Assist as optional equipment (from 2009, from 2010 as Active Lane Keeping Assist)
• Adaptive Highbeam Assist as optional equipment (from 2009)
• Speed Limit Assist as optional equipment (from 2009)
• First luxury class car with hybrid drive and lithium-ion battery (S 400 HYBRID, from 2009)
• First S-Class with a four-cylinder engine (S 250 CDI, from 2010)
• New xenon headlamps with 20 percent higher colour temperature (5000 kelvin) for daylight-like light (2010)
• Production numbers: 547,698
• Mostly built model: S 500 long (96,032)