Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe

Mercedes-Benz W126

The W126 was the Mercedes Benz S-Class produced between 1979 and 1992. The different models produced achieved combined sales of more than 800,000 units, making the W126 the most popular Mercedes-Benz S-Class to date. Available as a long- (SEL, SDL) and short wheel base (SE, SD) sedan, as well as a coupé (SEC).

The W126 replaced the 1970s-generation W116 (including the flagship Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9). It carried forward the hydropneumatic suspension of the 6.9 as an option on the 500-, and standard on the 560- models. Following the 1970s oil crisis, Mercedes-Benz made fuel efficiency a pertinent goal of the model, even in the large V8-engined models.

Technology and Features

It had become tradition for Mercedes-Benz to raise the standards of automobile engineering, comfort, safety and technology with each new generation of the S-Class, and the W126 was no exception. Many of these innovations, however, were available only to the highly priced 500 and 560 models, and include:

+ Airbags, as an additional measure of occupant protection.
+ Traction control, to prevent wheelspin (a Mercedes first).
+ ABS brakes (as introduced by its predecessor, the W116)
+ Self-leveling suspension

Novel luxury features include:

+ Courtesy lights on the underside of the doors, to enable the occupant to see the ground when exiting the vehicle in the dark.
+ 5-way powered, heated seats, with a memory function to retain settings for two different occupants

Whilst almost all of these features are available today on modern luxury cars, each in its own right was considered very significant in the 1980s. The harmonious and "matter-of-fact" way which these were combined, as well as their renowned durability, has added to the appeal of W126.

The W126 generation was replaced by the W140 in 1992.

Demand in the United States

The 500SEL has an interesting place in US history, since American demand for this particular car drove the establishment of a large grey market. The detuned, yet very expensive US specification 380 SE/SEL/SEC was underpowered, according to contemporary reports, and fueled demand for the more powerful version. 25,000 units per year of the grey market vehicle were sold in the early 1980's

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