CarBrandLogos archive · Mercedes-Benz · 1972

Mercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz W116 (S-Class)

The first car officially called an S-Class, and the first anywhere with production ABS.

Photo: Rudolf Stricker · CC BY-SA 3.0

The story

A defining chapter in Mercedes-Benz history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Mercedes-Benz W116 (S-Class), then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

Mercedes had been building large saloons with an S in the name for years, but the W116 of 1972 was the first to be sold as a defined model line — the S-Class — with the implication that it represented the state of the company's art.

Mercedes-Benz W116 1975 Interior 350SE · Zefke · CC BY-SA 3.0

Design and engineering

Much of what justified that was invisible. The W116 was designed with a rigid passenger cell and deformable ends, fuel tank moved above the rear axle out of the crash zone, and ribbed tail lamps shaped to stay clear of road dirt so they remained visible in bad weather. In 1978 it became the first production car in the world offered with electronic anti-lock brakes, developed by Bosch, an option that within two decades was mandatory equipment everywhere.

Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 US · Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0

In production

The engine range ran from a 2.8-litre six through 3.5- and 4.5-litre V8s, with two cars standing apart. The 450 SEL 6.9 used a 6.9-litre V8 and hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension, and was one of the fastest four-door cars available anywhere. The 300 SD, sold only in North America from 1978, was the first turbocharged diesel passenger car from a major manufacturer, created to help Mercedes meet American fuel economy rules.

Mercedes-Benz 450SE · Vetatur Fumare · CC BY-SA 2.0

Legacy

Friedrich Geiger's design has aged well — upright, restrained, with far less brightwork than its American contemporaries. The W126 replaced it in 1980 and did everything better, but the W116 established the template.

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Produced

1972–1980

Engine

2.8&nbsp

Designer

Friedrich Geiger (1969)

Body

4-door sedan

Technical specification

The Mercedes-Benz W116 (S-Class), in detail.

Production: 1972–1980
Class: Full-size luxury car (F)
Body style: 4-door sedan
Layout: FR layout
Engine: 2.8 L Mercedes-Benz M110 engine; M 110 Straight-six engine; I6 ; 3.5 L Mercedes-Benz M116 engine; M 116 V8 engine; V8 ; 4.5 L Mercedes-Benz M117 engine; M 117 V8 ; 6.8 L Mercedes-
Transmission: 3-speed 722.0 automatic; 4-speed 722.1 automatic; 4-speed manual; 5-speed manual
Designer: Friedrich Geiger (1969)
Assembly: West Germany: Sindelfingen ; South Africa: East London, South Africa; East London ; Venezuela: Barcelona, Anzoátegui; Barcelona (Complete knock down; CKD)
Manufacturer: Daimler-Benz