Mercedes-Benz S600L Estate (1994)

Launched in 1991, Mercedes-Benz sought once more to capitalise on their previous successes of the ‘S’ with the W140 generation. Penned by master Bruno Sacco, the W140 was engineered and marketed as the flagship saloon, priced above its competitors. Much like previous generations, Mercedes-Benz used the S-Class as a means to introduce their latest technological innovations and the W140 was no different.

Noted innovations included Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Program (ESP), side airbags, automatic windscreen wipers, xenon headlights, double-paned soundproof glass and so on. Much like the influence of Formula 1 today on the latest sportscars, many of the luxuries and safety features in cars today found their debut on the S-Class.

Offered with a range of engines and configurations, the W140 was offered with an inline-6, V8 or V12 in capacities ranging from 2.8 litres to 6.0 litres in standard production configuration. The then-separate AMG would further offer upgrades to the M120 powerplant, increasing capacity to 7.0, 7.2 and 7.3 litres respectively. Each of these AMG-fettled displacements would later be fitted to Italy’s Pagani Zonda supercar.

Starting out as wholly separate entity, AMG made its name offering performance enhancements for series production cars. Their primary focus meant their initial offerings were that of larger, racing-derived engine upgrades, later offering suspension and braking upgrades, wheels, body kits and lastly bespoke projects.

AMG would first enter a merged collaboration with Mercedes-Benz in the early 1990s, with the first fully co-developed model that of the 1993 C36 AMG. Its sales and developmental successes throughout the remainder of the 1990s saw the overall acquisition of AMG by DaimlerChrysler AG in 1999.