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Mercedes-Benz W140
The Mercedes-Benz W140 is a series of flagship vehicles manufactured by Mercedes-Benz from 1991 to 1998 in sedan/saloon and coupe body styles and two wheelbase lengths (SE and SEL). Mercedes-Benz unveiled the W140 S-Class at Geneva International Motor Show in March 1991, with the sales starting in April 1991 and North American launch was on 6 August 1991.
All models were renamed in June 1993 as part of the corporate-wide nomenclature changes for 1994 model year on, becoming "S" regardless of wheelbase length or body style as well as fuel type. Diesel models carried a TURBODIESEL trunk/boot lid label. In 1996, the S-Class coupé was renamed again as CL-Class into its own model range.
The W140 series S-Class was superseded by the W220 S-Class sedan and C215 CL-Class coupé in 1998 after an eight-year production run. Production of the W140 reached 432,732, with 406,710 sedans and 26,022 coupes.
Development of the W140 began in 1981, with official introduction originally set for September 1989. Several different design proposals were studied from 1982 until 1986, when a definitive design proposal by Olivier Boulay was selected on 9 December 1986. Several engineering prototypes were evaluated from early 1987, with the final exterior design locked in September 1987. The design patents were filed on 23 February 1988 in West Germany and 23 August 1988 in the United States. The lead designer Bruno Sacco attributed Jaguar's XJ40 sedan and BMW's E32 7-Series as a major influence on the W140's design. The initial exterior design proposal called for the two different cooling grille designs to denote the lower and upper model, similar to the idea of round and rectangle headlamps on the W123 (1976-1985). Innovative metal-forming technology allowed the extension of the engine hood/bonnet to the front bumper, with the grille placed inside the extruded metal. The W140 became the second model after the R129 (1989-2001) to have this extruded metal grille.
When BMW introduced a new 7-Series (E32) in 1986, the first post-war German passenger V12 engine (M70) was offered. This surprise announcement forced Mercedes-Benz to delay the introduction of the W140 by eighteen months to 1991. The delay allowed Mercedes-Benz to develop the new V12 engine and to rearrange the engine bay to accommodate the larger V12 engine, along with upgrading the brake system. The final development prototypes were completed in June 1990, with pilot production models being built from June 1990 to January 1991.
The project's cost overruns and eighteen-month delay resulted in the departure of Wolfgang Peter, the chief engineer of Mercedes-Benz. The price of a W140 was considerably higher than its predecessor, the W126 (up to 25 per cent), leading to slow sales during the recession of 1990-1994.
The slow sales of the W140 can also be attributed to a wave of Japanese luxury cars that were introduced before the W140 was launched. While the base price of a six-cylinder 300SE was $71,500 in 1992, the Lexus LS400 started at $44,300, the Infiniti Q45 started at $43,600, and the Acura Legend started at $28,800. This led many prospective W140 buyers to switch to its Japanese competitors due to their lower prices, lower maintenance costs, and in the case of the LS400, an ownership experience that was just as good if not better than its European competitors.
As a result of the price increases and stiff competition, Mercedes-Benz shifted from "engineer's design" to "market-driven design" in the 1990s. Many enthusiasts argue that the W140 was the "last true S-Class," as its successor, the W220, was criticized for having inferior engineering, and in the case of early models, poor reliability.
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Mercedes-Benz W140
The Mercedes-Benz W140 is a series of flagship vehicles manufactured by Mercedes-Benz from 1991 to 1998 in sedan/saloon and coupe body styles and two wheelbase lengths (SE and SEL). Mercedes-Benz unveiled the W140 S-Class at Geneva International Motor Show in March 1991, with the sales starting in April 1991 and North American launch was on 6 August 1991.
All models were renamed in June 1993 as part of the corporate-wide nomenclature changes for 1994 model year on, becoming "S" regardless of wheelbase length or body style as well as fuel type. Diesel models carried a TURBODIESEL trunk/boot lid label. In 1996, the S-Class coupé was renamed again as CL-Class into its own model range.
The W140 series S-Class was superseded by the W220 S-Class sedan and C215 CL-Class coupé in 1998 after an eight-year production run. Production of the W140 reached 432,732, with 406,710 sedans and 26,022 coupes.
Development of the W140 began in 1981, with official introduction originally set for September 1989. Several different design proposals were studied from 1982 until 1986, when a definitive design proposal by Olivier Boulay was selected on 9 December 1986. Several engineering prototypes were evaluated from early 1987, with the final exterior design locked in September 1987. The design patents were filed on 23 February 1988 in West Germany and 23 August 1988 in the United States. The lead designer Bruno Sacco attributed Jaguar's XJ40 sedan and BMW's E32 7-Series as a major influence on the W140's design. The initial exterior design proposal called for the two different cooling grille designs to denote the lower and upper model, similar to the idea of round and rectangle headlamps on the W123 (1976-1985). Innovative metal-forming technology allowed the extension of the engine hood/bonnet to the front bumper, with the grille placed inside the extruded metal. The W140 became the second model after the R129 (1989-2001) to have this extruded metal grille.
When BMW introduced a new 7-Series (E32) in 1986, the first post-war German passenger V12 engine (M70) was offered. This surprise announcement forced Mercedes-Benz to delay the introduction of the W140 by eighteen months to 1991. The delay allowed Mercedes-Benz to develop the new V12 engine and to rearrange the engine bay to accommodate the larger V12 engine, along with upgrading the brake system. The final development prototypes were completed in June 1990, with pilot production models being built from June 1990 to January 1991.
The project's cost overruns and eighteen-month delay resulted in the departure of Wolfgang Peter, the chief engineer of Mercedes-Benz. The price of a W140 was considerably higher than its predecessor, the W126 (up to 25 per cent), leading to slow sales during the recession of 1990-1994.
The slow sales of the W140 can also be attributed to a wave of Japanese luxury cars that were introduced before the W140 was launched. While the base price of a six-cylinder 300SE was $71,500 in 1992, the Lexus LS400 started at $44,300, the Infiniti Q45 started at $43,600, and the Acura Legend started at $28,800. This led many prospective W140 buyers to switch to its Japanese competitors due to their lower prices, lower maintenance costs, and in the case of the LS400, an ownership experience that was just as good if not better than its European competitors.
As a result of the price increases and stiff competition, Mercedes-Benz shifted from "engineer's design" to "market-driven design" in the 1990s. Many enthusiasts argue that the W140 was the "last true S-Class," as its successor, the W220, was criticized for having inferior engineering, and in the case of early models, poor reliability.